What is Public Relations - marketing or advertising?

It’s one of the most frequent questions we are asked. Many people are unclear about the roles of PR, marketing and advertising, and even within these disciplines there is ongoing debate, so let me try to clear some of the mist surrounding this subject.

Marketing, is about creating and retaining customers. It should be based on a well-researched plan that includes the four basic principles - product, position, promotion and price, and uses a mix of different tools to achieve its goals. Advertising and public relations play a part in the delivery of a marketing campaign.

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Woody Harrelson Learns About Reddit The Hard Way.

        Once upon a time, there was a thing called a "laptop". However, this "laptop" was merely shorthand for "laptop tray" and it was used to stop your dinner and your sofa becoming one while you watched the Generation Game. Back then, there was such a thing as the Internet, but it was rarely used as "I browse the internet" translated from Computer-speak to English as "I'm going to die a virgin, aren't I". This is a crazy idea to me, you see. The idea of someone working an office-y job without the Internet blows my mind! I mean, I would never get anything done at all if I had to, say, organise a meeting with people by ringing each and every one of them to confirm? I just want to type "meeting at 11. Biscuits available" and be done with it, thus leaving me with more time to think about important matters, like do Pigeons get dis-orientated by the way they wobble their heads while they walk, or why I always seem to wake up 10 minutes before my alarm, like my brain has a pocket-watch or something. Whatever, the lack of Internet is crazy enough, but I really can't get around the idea of lack of computer! I mean, I can't even imagine doing anything if all I had in front of me was a typewriter, and a biro. What can you do with that, besides maybe put on one of those hats with a cardboard "PRESS" thingy in it and pretend to be a 1920's journalist while saying, in gangster-voice "what a scoop, scheee".

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The brain-dead are in my way... again!

As much as I would rather crawl to a far away place than take the bus, driving does become somewhat annoying at times, don't you think? It's always the stupid little things that get you. For example, my car tells me for miles and miles that it's got loads of fuel and can go for ever and ever, seemingly. Then, all of a sudden, it starts crying and demanding to be fed. "But I'm hungry", it cries with a beep and a flash of the little picture of the fuel pump, "feed me now", like a small child. My pleading with it to shut up and wait a minute are clearly ignored, because it still screams. "But I'm really hungry, and I'm gonna totally die if you don't give me food. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!".

Things like this can be overcome easily, it's the things I can't fix that really get me. Do you know what I love, especially at stupid o'clock in the morning? It's driving somewhere, only to be stuck behind someone driving so slowly, that sensitive measuring equipment is required to ascertain if any movement is actually happening. Good god it winds me up! They drive along, being steadily overtaken by continental drift, with that stupid look on their face that tells us all that the only thing that's going through their mind is the Magic Roundabout theme tune. I'd like to also point out that these people are different from They (as previously mentioned, check the link to learn more), as they're not co-ordinating their efforts to frustrate you; such a move would require something called "thinking". So now, I've started looking at ways to counter these people, and have some interesting ideas.

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Is a little bit of courtesy really too much to ask for?

Now I'm not one to whinge (HA!) but I like to look on the nicer side of things. Who among us complains about the drive into work? You're stuck in traffic while half-asleep, you didn't have time to eat breakfast, your traffic jam seems to be meeting yet another traffic jam and to top it off, you have noticed that the fact that you're baffled by the noises that come from Radio 1 these days indicates that age is slowly rearing it's head.

Be cheery! At least you're driving! In your car you can sing wildly out of tune, you can shout abuse at the silly man on the radio for his silly suggestions, you can launch a major excavation project in whichever nostril you choose, all in the comfort of your own space. You could be on the bus, for example, sitting on someone else's chewing gum, listening to children scream as loud as they can while the crazy lady sits and stares at your ears. Plus, you'll be really cold.

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Basics On Press Release Writing 101

I am often asked how to write a good press release. “Max”, they say, “how do you write a good press release?”

Well, the first thing I say is that if you are looking for information about how to write a press release so good that it is guaranteed to be published, then you have come to the wrong place. In fact, I defy you to find a PR agency that can genuinely guarantee this. Some will say this, mind, but there is a big difference between saying and doing.

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Enjoy your own publicity for Red Nose Day

If you popped into your high street supermarket this morning and wondered why their staff were wearing fancy dress and rattling tins at their customers, don’t worry, it is not a new stealth tax initiative from our beloved Chancellor, its Red Nose Day!

Without doubt it’s a worthy cause, but have you ever wondered why national organisations like supermarkets and building societies support and encourage their staff to take time out of their working day to raise millions of pounds for charity?

No matter how benevolent the organisation, there has to be a payback. The huge amount of publicity and goodwill that these companies receive from the television and national press far outweighs the lost hours organising it.

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