Author Archive: DH
David is a veteran communications strategist ... writer ... blogger ... online publisher ... and Emmy Award winning former CBS Network News correspondent. He lives in the Washington, D. C., area, and works worldwide.
Stratfor’s Brand Image Sinks by Lack of Crisis Communications
What’s now hurting the most for Stratfor – an expensive, premium online news and analysis aggregating service – is not necessarily the hacking of their high profile website but rather their own lack of crisis management and prompt, transparent communications.
Stratfor Hacking Underscores Need for Fast Communications Response
In what may go down as one of 2011′s more serious cases of malicious website hacking, the main site of “global intelligence leader” Stratfor was taken offline on Christmas Eve. It’s the latest cyber-attack being attributed to members of the hacktivist group Anonymous.
The Man Who Shaped the Way We See Things Today
Imagine my surprise when a noted newspaper photographer said flatly that how we communicate today – everything from politics to PR, advertising to the Internet – was influenced by and is the genius of one man, Michael Deaver. I absolutely agree.
Measuring social brand value of the world’s leading brands
In November 2011, Sociagility.com – an organization that ranks corporate social brand value – looked at the social brand value of 50 of the world’s leading brands, creating a revised top 50 ranking according to their social media performance. The results are fascinating.
How Agencies Boast in Presentations, Lose Business
“Why is it,” asked a friend who oversees a government agency, “that PR, branding and ad agencies waste so much time talking about themselves in new business presentations?” The agencies had been chosen and got in the room because his agency had checked them out already.
What is Brand Journalism, and Why is it Important?
Boeing uses it to show us what an Air Force base test flight is really like. So does Louisiana Seafood, as a way for fishermen and seafood processors to tell their stories after the devastating BP oil spill. It’s called “brand journalism,” a new form of communications for business that’s rapidly emerging.
TV News Cutbacks Limit Coverage of News
Despite an explosion in popularity and use of video by people, like you and me, TV news is actually in cutback mode. Case in point – the August 2011 East Coast earthquake.
The Downside of Attorneys Dictating Communications Plans
While attorneys can be a valuable resource and provide guidance and perspective for professional communicators, few lawyers have the skills to dictate communications plans that will result in substantive, favorable results. It’s not an area of expertise for most attorneys.
When Disaster Hits, Report Your Own News
When the disaster hits, news crews show up – reporters, photographers, satellite trucks. They do stories about human suffering and destruction, always in a predictable, formula approach. After a few days – seemingly on cue – they depart to move on to the next disaster du jour.
Veteran TV Newsman Dave Marash: Trend of TV News
Veteran TV journalist Dave Marash, winner of multiple Emmy Awards, writes for the Columbia Journalism Review on what’s happened to TV news in America. His messages: As a video revolution sweeps the world, US television news caps its lens.
