The Sights and Sounds of Internet Week NY
A host of us at Horn are attending Internet Week NY this week. Here's a quick snapshot of what we've experienced on-site at the main area. Need oxygen? Demand Media (client) has the set-up for that. It's great for hangovers, I hear. Want some time in the spotlight? Yahoo is making... Read full post »
Four Best Practices for Smarter Global Digital Communications
Like it or not, you’re now a technology company. Probably not the lead you were expecting for an article on global communications, right? But the omnipresence of all things digital and social means that every business, regardless of product or service offering, is a technology company. That means customers expect to... Read full post »
Video Interview with Jon Swartz of USA Today
To kick off 2012, don't miss this interview with Jon Swartz of USA Today - it's an inside look at his methodology, his use of social media for story ideas and his predictions for the new year. Read full post »
Video Interview with Giles Fraser, Co-Founder, Brands2Life and Oriella Network
On a recent trip to visit our long-time partner Brands2Life in London, I had a few minutes to catch up with Co-Founder Giles Fraser. Don't miss this exclusive video interview discussing the latest in global communications. Read full post »
Breaking Through: A Blueprint for Powerful Communications
Successful marketing isn’t the result of perfect execution. It’s the culmination of extensive preparation and planning. That's why we've created the Breakthrough Communications Blueprint. Read full post »
"The Way"
What is it about "The Way"? In the last few weeks I have heard a lot of people talking about "The HP Way". There's the "Horn Group Way". And then there's “your way or the highway.” But seriously, what is "The Way"? It’s a series of processes. A culture. An approach... Read full post »
Facebook Ad Unit Kicks Off Advertising Week
It's 10 am, I've had two cups of coffee and two pieces of pandesal. I am ready for Advertising Week. Inevitably, this is a big news week for advertising technology, and kicking it off is Facebook with its new premium ad unit that will be sold direct. ClickZ points out, from... Read full post »
Product Launches 3.0 – What Works (or Doesn't) in 2011
As digital communication professionals it’s time we rethink product launches and counsel our clients to go beyond just talking about features and functionality. Read full post »
What CMOs (Don't) Want From Their Agencies
Last week at our annual company offsite in SF, we hosted a CMO panel to get right to the crux of what it’s like to be a chief marketer – what they really want from us, and what drives them nuts. The panelists were Joelle Kaufman from Clarizen, Natalie McCullough from... Read full post »
20 Thoughts for 20 Years
...I've actually had more than 20 thoughts in 2 decades but here are the ones that have come back the most often as friendly reminders and occasionally, to haunt me. Enjoy. 1. If you don't have a plan, you don't know where you are going. Have, and share a vision, make... Read full post »
"Duck Hunting" with Tom Foremski, Silicon Valley Watcher
This week I'm pleased to share a recent video interview from our Innovator Series with Tom Foremski, Editor of Silicon Valley Watcher. http://vimeo.com/24227420 Horn Group Innovator Series - Tom Foremski, Editor of Silicon Valley Watcher from Horn Group on Vimeo. In this clip, Tom talks about how being a CMO is... Read full post »
Social Media Infiltrates the Newsroom and Optimism Returns to Journalism According to Fourth Annual Oriella Study
This morning, we launched our annual Oriella Digital Journalism Study. This is the fourth time we have carried out the project since launching in 2008 and this year’s study yielded the most interesting results to date. A key trend was the extent to which social media has infiltrated the newsroom. For... Read full post »
Video Interview with Ann Winblad, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
In this week's Innovator Series interview, I talked with Ann Winblad, Founder and Managing Partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in San Francisco. Horn Group Innovator Series - Ann Winblad, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners from Horn Group on Vimeo. What I admire about Ann is how... Read full post »
Digital Communications at Its Best
I’m so honored and excited to announce that The Holmes Report today named Horn Group its Technology Agency of the Year. The need for digital communications is bigger now than ever and PR pros must embrace a much broader spectrum of offerings, hire different people, and think differently. All companies (not... Read full post »
David Moore on 24/7 Real Media and the Future of Internet Marketing
This week I'm proud to share a recent interview with Dave Moore, Founder, Chairman and CEO of 24/7 Real Media. Horn Group Innovator Series - David J. Moore of 24/7 Real Media from Horn Group on Vimeo. I've gotten to know Dave over the last several years and he's been a... Read full post »
Geoff Moore on The Future of Business
As part of our 20th year in business, we decided to launch "The Innovator Series": informal video chats with some of the industry's most prominent executives and influencers we've had the pleasure of doing business with over the years. Here now, the first, with Silicon Valley business guru and long time... Read full post »
Can Austin Sustain SXSW Interactive? Please, I Hope So…
I’m recovering this morning in Austin, Texas, coffee in hand, after spending the past several days hiking downtown Austin to soak in as much of the South by Southwest Interactive experience as possible. And I’m exhausted. SXSW celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with another 30-40% growth in Interactive attendance. That’s... Read full post »
The New 'Media Consumption' and the Impact on PR
This blog post originally appeared on PRNewser on February 28, 2011. The Next Generation of Media Consumption When Apple unveiled its rules for publishers and its subscription plans for apps, the media coverage was relentless. Many media companies have been hedging their digital bets waiting to see exactly what Apple’s plan... Read full post »
3 Tips to Help Build Your Brand with Online Video
In the second part of our series on online video, we have compiled our top three tips to help marketers and communicators build their brand with video. Check out our video below, and if you are interested in exploring what video can do for your brand, give us a call today!... Read full post »
Moderating Conference Panels 101
My mom told me when I first registered for high school classes that I needed to take a public speaking course—that public speaking was an art that needed constant practice. From where I sit now, I’ve watched plenty of great speakers and plenty who probably wish they’d been with me in... Read full post »
In the Online Ad Space, PR Is Valuable Currency
This post by Ben Billingsley also appeared here in DIGIDAY last Friday, February 11. In the crowded, competitive online advertising market, companies must communicate with laser precision in order to thrive. Whether it’s growing the customer base, establishing thought leadership, differentiating from competitors or making a lucrative exit, strategic communications and... Read full post »
Trends in the Magazine Publishing Industry
Two trends in the magazine publishing industry from Horn Group on Vimeo. If you'd like more information on these trends, I suggest checking out this recent article from Advertising Age. It's also worth noting The Daily's launch this month and how iPad only newspapers and magazines will affect the publishing industry. Read full post »
4 Reasons to Add Online Video to Your Marketing & Communications Strategy
Hello and welcome to Horn Group's new series on online video best practices! At Horn Group, we know seeing is believing and we’re big proponents of using video to get messages across. Our Interactive Design practice even has a specific focus on creating compelling videos to help clients maximize audience engagement.... Read full post »
One Team, One Dream: Reflecting on Twenty Years in Business
This is our 20th year in business. I figure that deserves at least one good blog post. In1991, we had one mantra: “Pride Passion and Results”. It was our theme, our tagline. Nothing stood in our way. Technology was different then. It was about the beginning of enterprise software and intelligent... Read full post »
Watch Out PR People, the iPad-Only Paper is Here
The buzz has been building and PR people have been wondering…when will News Corp.’s iPad-only newspaper, The Daily launch? The answer arrived today. Read full post »
C’mon FTC, What the Problem At? – Part 2
Last week, I took a look at why it was fallacy to compare the FTC’s Do Not Track recommendations with Do Not Call. This week, USA Today outlined how this could “revolutionize” the industry. Looks like the issue continues to boil as the Commerce Department is now jumping into the fray... Read full post »
Changing Reading Habits Mean New PR Tactics
PR pros should recommend their clients add “like” buttons next to coverage their company hosts in the online newsroom. Read full post »
C'mon FTC, What the Problem At? -- Part 1
The other day, I jokingly said to a friend that the side benefits for working at Google would be free access to their search engine, YouTube videos and Gmail. I'm recalling this now to make a point -- the Internet is free, yet it is not free. You may have seen... Read full post »
Timing Your Facebook Outreach; It Does Matter
When should you post Facebook content for a client? A recent study by Vitrue, as reported by Mashable, answers this question. Read full post »
Caging a Tiger? Thoughts from the tech community on TechCrunch and AOL
Since its first post five years ago, TechCrunch has become one of the most influential media outlets in the tech community. There's been plenty of speculation about how AOL's purchase of TechCrunch will affect the editorial coverage. We decided to survey our community – tech companies, influencers and PR people –... Read full post »
More on OMMA Global - Arianna Huffington's Keynote
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Arianna Huffington’s keynote speech at OMMA Global. Huffington appeared in front of a packed house to start out day two of the conference. Huffington started out with some best practices she has deployed in the short five-year history of Huffington Post. Transparency is... Read full post »
Horn Group MIXXing it Up
While Anthony spent some time this week at OMMA, I spent most of mine at the IAB's MIXX Conference & Expo. Horn Group had the exciting opportunity to experience Advertising Week from behind the scenes this year as we worked with the IAB to help support the conference and the MIXX... Read full post »
Observations on OMMA Global
This week is Advertising Week in NYC. On Monday and Tuesday, my colleagues and I made it to both IAB MIXX (full disclosure: IAB is a client) and OMMA Global. Personally, I spent most of my time at OMMA and here are some initial observations. The free model works for conferences.... Read full post »
PR Needs to Think Mobile
If someone asked me to give up my iPhone for a week the payout would have to be huge. I am addicted to the thing and love going online while out and about. And I am not the only one. According to the Mobile Marketing Association and Luth Research, one in... Read full post »
Is Google Priority Inbox a PR Professional’s Worst Nightmare?
Last week Google announced their latest email feature, Google Priority Inbox. The Gmail enhancement aims to unclutter your inbox and sorts emails by importance. Essentially, Google crawls your email and decides what’s important then pushes those emails to the top of your inbox, while pushing less relevant emails lower down. To... Read full post »
Preparing for the Next Wave of IPOs
According to a recent Fortune article, initial public offerings are back. After a long drought, there’s finally starting to be a resurgence, as evidenced by Skype’s IPO announcement on August 9th, and Tesla Motors’ June offering. Several of our clients and prospects are also talking about the possibility of an IPO... Read full post »
Blogs, Apps and Paywalls -- Top Trends from Survey of 774 Journalists
Today the Oriella PR Network published our third annual study looking at the impact of digital media on journalism internationally. It’s our biggest study yet – with almost 775 respondents in 20+ countries across Europe, the US and Latin America taking part. We found that digital media have hit the mainstream... Read full post »
From London to San Francisco, a glimpse into PR across "The Pond"
We had the pleasure of hosting George Wright of Brands2Life in our San Francisco office for a couple weeks this past month. I found it to be a great experience and a highlight of my young career. George was in San Francisco celebrating a thus far very successful career at Brands2Life,... Read full post »
The whole "PR is dead" thing... Can we talk?
There's some level-setting that needs to be done at the moment. Lots of people are out there trying to figure out the new media landscape. There are new tools, approaches, ways of communicating, new audiences to reach every day. Everyone is trying to make sense of, well, what makes sense for... Read full post »
Craigslist founder: Trust is the new black
At a time of media fragmentation, one theme resonated at the standing room only IWantMedia “Future of Media” panel this week -- there is a premium on trust, and it looks like real journalism is here to stay. The panel included some of the heavy hitters in both “old” media and... Read full post »
Am I The Future of Media? I Hope Not
Amidst another day of depressing layoff news at major media outlets, I began to think about whether the “full time reporter/editor” job in itself is in danger. I don’t think it is, but the thought certainly bares consideration. Namely, will more and more media end up looking like me? Will they... Read full post »
What's up with Broadband Video?
Last night, Horn Group sponsored and managed PR for the Broadband Video Leadership Evening The event took place at the Hudson Theatre in Times Square and was organized by VideoNuze editor and television industry expert Will Richmond. The night kicked off at 6:00pm with a “VideoSchmooze” networking reception, where sponsors, reporters,... Read full post »
Can I Get a Hallelujah for Social Media Evangelists?
A couple weeks ago I was in a meeting with a client and social media guru Charlene Li. We were debating the pros and cons of appointing or hiring a dedicated “evangelist” to be the voice of a company in social media channels as opposed to letting that job fall to... Read full post »
Attending NY Tech & NY Video 2.0 Meetups as "A PR Person"
I swore myself into official geekdom last week by attending Monday’s NY Tech March Meetup and Tuesday’s NY Video 2.0 Meetup, with hundreds of other iPhone-clutching, Twitter-loving New Yorkers. Disappointingly, these two events featuring some of the most tech-savvy and tech-dependent folks in the area were based in two venues that... Read full post »
Famous And/Or Infamous
I got the email from New York before I left the house Friday morning. "Do you know you're in Gawker?" My first reaction was terror. What did I do, did I anger someone with a pitch and now it's out there for the world to see? Please no, I don't want... Read full post »
PR Career Starter Kit
It’s a tough economy and even the PR industry can be affected by layoffs. If you have started your career recently, you will want to strengthen your standing and show your value to your company. Here are a few tips I can offer based on observations from ten years, three agencies,... Read full post »
The Business Behind PR
The criticism of PR today is that many publicists either don’t understand the actual business objectives of the companies that they represent or that they lack the communication skills to translate the business objectives into relevant media opportunities for their clients.As we’ve talked about on this blog before, the PR landscape... Read full post »
Your 6 Point Pre-Pitch Checklist
Recently, I was talking with an editor buddy of mine about some of the bad pitches he receives (some of them were definitely worthy of The Bad Pitch Blog). While the stories were amusing and kept me laughing, I couldn’t help but hope that he didn’t lump my pitches in with... Read full post »
Does Your PR Drive Leads?
We hosted a webinar this morning called Does Your PR Drive Leads -- all about aligning PR programs with sales strategy and business goals. Thanks to all who participated, especially to Arun Krishnan, vp of marketing at Pontiflex (a client of ours) who provided great insight into how they measure PR... Read full post »
The embargo tango
If you Google the words Arrington Embargo this morning, you'll find more than 3,300 blog results, which should dispel any lingering doubts you may have that 1) the man knows how to strike a nerve and 2) we're living in a world where search is king. Whatever you may think of... Read full post »