I am very proud of the numerous long-term client relationships we have at Environics Communications. Considering it has been less than 18 years since we opened our doors, we have several clients with 10-years-plus relationships. In most of these cases, one of the original Environics people who pitched and won the account is still involved [...]

The Cluetrain Manifesto
Tenth anniversary edition
By Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls and David Weinberger
Published by Basic Books, 2009 (first published 2000)
224 pages
“A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter – and getting [...]

Joining the ranks of social networking giants like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Google unveiled its new platform, Google+ just over a month ago – and social media junkies are loving it. So, what is all the fuss about, and where do PR professionals fit in?’
Appreciated for its innovative sharing features and easy-to-use interface, Google+ is [...]

When my colleague Corrinne and I were asked to make a digital overview presentation at a recent financial services client planning session, I’ll freely admit that at first I was a little concerned. Why? My financial advisor would be the first to tell you that I’m no genius when it comes to investment planning, and [...]

I recently purchased new shoes online. I like to support local companies, and I always look for things distinct, so I returned to shop at John Fluevog. I don’t often buy shoes, but always enjoy checking out the unique styles – flamboyant or relatively conservative – that this Canadian shoemaker offers.
Shopping online is generally an [...]

Mobile applications are changing the world as we know it . . . faster than the blink of an eye, it seems. I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Disruptathon Hottest Mobile Applications Competition held at Gannett headquarters in McLean, Va., on April 7, 2011. Each Disruptathon event, hosted by networking colleague Pete Erickson, [...]

The U.S. Hispanic population now exceeds 50-million, or 16.3 percent, according to the results of the 2010 U.S. Census Report. With Hispanics representing nearly 50 per cent of the country’s growth over the past 10 years, media and marketers alike are looking to capitalize on this dramatic demographic development.
The implications for PR are many. Here are [...]

These days, anyone can blog. The evolution of social media and blogging throughout the past nine or ten years in particular has taught us that much. But for companies or organizations thinking about starting a blog, the $100,000 questions PR professionals should ask them are: should you blog and, if you do, why are you [...]

One of my favourite things about one year ending and another one starting are all the lists that come with it. It’s a natural human tendency – or so it seems – to want to organize and categorize people, places, and things into subject areas. Best albums of the year, top advertising ideas of the [...]

It’s hard to do much these days without swiping a card, entering a pin or typing in a postal code, and each time we do, we share a little bit more about ourselves. Just recently, a new iPhone app called ShopKick makes its iPhone debut (with an Android launch to follow soon) that allows frequent shoppers [...]