Bastrop County is a fast-growing neighbor to Travis County—the home of Austin, the University of Texas, the state capitol, Austin FC, Austin City Limits, Oracle, Tesla, and so on. Bastrop is also directly downriver from Tesla's new world headquarters and car-making factory. When Elon Musk moved from California to Texas, his Boring Company quickly set up shop in rural Bastrop County, and currently has a permit to …
The Public Relations Handbook Sheds Light On The Darker Persuasive Art
I’m pretty biased, but I’ve always considered advertising, in the more traditional sense of the discipline, to be more honest than public relations. Advertising tends to present itself more nakedly — you know an ad when you see one because it has an identified sponsor. Public relations works in many not-so-obvious ways. It can be a manufactured piece of puffery disguised as “news,” or a backroom legislative lobbying …
Continue Reading about The Public Relations Handbook Sheds Light On The Darker Persuasive Art →
Worst Case Scenario: Rent from Hertz, Get Reported for Car Theft
Hertz is being sued by hundreds of US customers who allege they were wrongfully arrested after the rental company reported them to the police for stealing cars they say they had legitimately rented. One woman spent 40 days in jail – away from her kids and two-month-old baby – because she was arrested for car theft. Another customer spent seven months in jail and eventually signed a plea deal just to bring the …
Continue Reading about Worst Case Scenario: Rent from Hertz, Get Reported for Car Theft →
Supply of Avocados from Mexico Cut Short by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla boasted about the state’s avocado sales on Twitter, writing that “regardless of who wins the game today, the avocado produced in Michoacán is already the real winner of the night.” Solamente en febrero, se espera una venta de aguacate por 350 millones de dólares. Sin importar quién gane el partido de hoy, el aguacate producido en Michoacán es …
Continue Reading about Supply of Avocados from Mexico Cut Short by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture →
Lose Trust and Relationships Rust
Edelman PR has studied trust for more than 20 years and believes that it is the ultimate currency in the relationship that all institutions—companies and brands, governments, NGOs, and media—build with their stakeholders. The firm speaks highly of trust and places its importance at the center of everything. Trust defines an organization’s license to operate, lead and succeed. Trust is the foundation that allows an …
Ad Chatter: Joe Cole Talks About Clean Creatives and We Are Rosie
A new generation of ad pros is getting more vocal about what they’re willing (and not willing) to work on, and how to do their work. Joe Cole is at the intersection of both of those ideas. He’s the Creative Strategist for Clean Creatives and a Creative Recruiter for We Are Rosie. In this 35-minute Ad Chatter episode, I chat with Joe about whether fossil fuel advertising could become as verboten as tobacco …
Continue Reading about Ad Chatter: Joe Cole Talks About Clean Creatives and We Are Rosie →
The Best Gifts Don’t Come from Amazon, They Come from the Heart
Amazon.com is the information economy’s superstore. One can buy just about anything one desires from Bezos and company. If you’d like, Amazon's Prime will even rush it to your doorstep. Such is the state of retail today. The mass appeal of fast-moving goods (that are just a click and a local warehouse away) is a winner for the consumer goods-based economy, and for Amazon and its investors. Sadly, the obliteration of …
Continue Reading about The Best Gifts Don’t Come from Amazon, They Come from the Heart →
Brands Can Do This, And We Can All Do This (Until It’s Done)
Big brands are doing good deeds and making the local nightly news as a result. For instance, McDonald's is in the news for putting messages on its paper cups to help educate and motivate people to get vaccinated. “We all want to protect ourselves and our loved ones and be together with our communities again,” said Genna Gent, McDonald’s USA vice president for global public policy and government …
Continue Reading about Brands Can Do This, And We Can All Do This (Until It’s Done) →