Author: Ken Krause

  • Case Studies: Understanding the Difference Between Results and Activities

    Case studies (aka customer stories) are one of the most powerful tools in an organization’s marketing arsenal. And for good reason. If you are an unknown or little-known company, a great case study that names the customer can provide you with instant credibility. Many (most?) organizations are fairly risk-averse, which means they’re reluctant to take…

  • Award-Winning Award Entries: Differentiating Between Strategies and Tactics

    Whenever I get award entries (or PR proposals for that matter) to review, I am always struck at how much confusion there is between what constitutes a strategy versus a tactic. Generally what I will find is that the strategies and tactics are mixed together in some sort of strange PR stew that is like…

  • Beating the Odds When Pitching Trade Show Media Interviews

    It sounds like a simple request: we’re going to be at such-and-such conference or event and we want to secure some media interviews while we’re there. It makes sense, since trade show media interviews have been a staple of public relations pretty much since Glogg launched the wheel at the first Prehistoric Transportation Expo. The…

  • The Real Secret to Creating Great Content

    Probably the greatest single piece of advice I’ve ever heard about content creation didn’t come from a college class/professional course, or a boss/mentor, or any other supposed expert source. Instead, it came from the movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” Here it is: Yes, it’s said in anger and frustration as part of a much longer…

  • Walking the Tightrope between Great Content and SEO

    It may not quite be Lincoln and Douglas, or even great taste/less filling. But the debate about which is more important to a brand’s online presence great content or search engine optimization (SEO) continues to rage on. On one side you have the writers. Especially the “old school” writers (like me) who launched their careers…

  • Smart Business Advice from Bill & Ted

    Attention Bill & Ted fans! The news that Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted “Theodore” Logan will once again be gracing movie screens with a new film, Bill & Ted Face the Music, has certainly been met with tremendous excitement. Not the least of which is that much of the original cast is coming back.…

  • 6 “Tells” to Determine If You’re Ready for an Interview-Driven PR Program

    It all sounds good in theory. The CEO, VP of sales, chief marketing officer, or some other higher-up decides that the key to boosting sales, raising funding, or driving some other positive business event is to launch an interview-driven PR program. “We need our executives to be viewed as experts by our target audience,” they…

  • Trade Shows and Events: Four Ways to Improve Your ROI

    Whether you personally believe trade shows are the land of opportunity or merely a relic of a bygone era where primitive being skulked through the aisles without the benefit of a smartphone, there is no question that they are still a fact of life for many of us. In fact, some (such as, oh, I…

  • Maximizing the Value of PR Placements

    The big day has finally arrived. After rearranging schedules, sweating out interviews or writing deadlines, and walking the line between “persistent” and “pest” your PR placement has seen the light of day. Huzzah! (I am bound and determined to bring back “huzzah” as something people say when something great occurs.) It feels like a weight…

  • So You Want to Be in the Wall Street Journal

    Most PR professionals have had this happen to them at one point or another. You’re in a meeting with top client/company executives, and to gain some insights into their thinking you ask them, “What would be a home run for the PR program?” The answer comes back, “A feature article in the Wall Street Journal”…