Kevin Smith, Sarah Silverman & Social Media

Two well known organizations took on two celebrities this week in social media. Guess who won?

HARO Gets A Facelift – Fast Friday Fact

We last wrote about Help A Reporter Out (HARO) in November 2008.    At the time, we were using a line of 23,000 addresses.  I have no idea if that was HARO honcho Peter Shankman’s number or one that came to me in a dream, but I know from observing (disclosure: and from buying ads) [...]

Prepping Employees For Wage Freezes

Only 43% of U.S. companies expect to provide compensation increases in 2010.  In addition to the wage freeze, 37% of companies say they plan to cut benefits.  The Society of Human Resources Professional quotes a Careerbuilder survey.  The association said that even during the height of the recession last year that 65% of companies provided [...]

Be Honest About The Rules – Communicating Bad News #1

Big Thinking is kicking off a series about How To Communicate Bad News because we see too many partners, clients and friends often miss the mark and make bad situations worse.
The first guideline we’ll share is straight out of today’s headlines:  Be Honest About The Rules.  There is an incalculably multiplier if you break the rules, your [...]

Redskins Shatter Implied Promises, But What About Your Business?

Not all promises are explicit.   Sure, if a small business says they’ll provide a service for $100 and either doesn’t provide the service or charges more, trust takes a hit.
But there are implied promises every business makes every day.  At Silver Beacon, we promise each client that we are going to stay on top of [...]

Postal Service Still Can’t Run A Business

Forever may be more transient than you thought.  Image by Getty Images via Daylife

When news first swept DC that the US Postal Service (USPS) was making noises about cutting delivery days from 6 to 5, the U.S. Congress knew that the fish were in the barrel, ready to be plucked out and, well, eaten(?)
There was [...]

Reputation Smearing Online

Spiders in supermarkets and gang members at Wal-Mart are part of today’s nonsense reported upon by traditional and online media.

Calling Your Customers Names and Hoping To Succeed

Ryanair spokesperson calls bloggers idiots and lunatics, and the blogosphere begins responding.

Papa John Says Don’t Eat Too Many Slices – Fast Friday Fact

Encouraging moderation in your product’s use is a tough slope to ski, but “Papa” John Schnatter did just that on the BBC, encouraging reduced pizza intake.

Denny’s Uses A Loss Leader To Bring Back Customers

How the tired Denny’s chain revived interest for a day, and why a French court ruling is important to watch for search advertising