Book Description

Moffitt provides the strategies, decision-making approaches, and the message composition techniques needed to conduct successful public communication campaigns. The book is a practical guide to the step-by-step process of conceptualizing, planning, and executing a public relations, marketing/advertising, political, or social issue campaign. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Moffitt Delivers From Start to Finish in Campaign Strategies
In a work that will make public relations practitioners everywhere scream, "Why didn't I think of that," Dr. Moffitt applies a common sense approach to tackling campaign design and execution. Influenced by James Grunig, this book reaches conclusions that seem at first, too simple to true. However, through Moffitt's discussion, she explains the complex reasoning behind her solutions.

The book contains a fair amount of theory, a critical component of any serious discussion on campaign design. The theory, including the collapse model, the conceptualization model, and cognitive dissonance, forms the foundation of the campaign. If properly read and studied, this book will leave readers feeling confident in their campaign design and eager to meet the challenges of campaign execution.

5 stars for its clarity and for giving the subject due consideration, instead of trying to gloss over the subject with catch phrases and anecdotes.

Now I am waiting for Moffitt's next work, Communication Theories for Everyday Life with John R. Baldwin and Stephen D. Perry.

Extremely Boring!
In designing her message Moffitt lost my attention. This book is not only way too theoretical and impractical, worst of all it is absolutely boring. A nightmare to read. If you're looking for practical advice, look somewhere else.

If you're looking for tactical advice, keep looking...
In fairness to the author, she is very clear in her preface who her target audience is: people working in the field of public relations or marketing who got there without formal training or education in the theory and practice of campaign management. The book serves that population very well. It provides a thorough and comprehensive, if academic, analysis of all the stages in creating and managing a campaign, and provides a solid foundation in the core building blocks of the discipline.

If, however, like me you are looking for a book that will provide hands-on, tactical advice on developing a communications campaign in a hurry and on a shoestring budget, you won't find much help here. I'm on my local school board, trying to develop a communications strategy to elicit community support for a large high school renovation project. Unfortunately, I found little in this book that I could translate into immediate strategy and tactics. I have a better understanding of the appropriate terminology used by campaign professionals, but I'm not any closer to putting a campaign - even an amateur one - of my own together.

Those looking for a deeper, theoretical grounding in campaign management should find this book worthwhile. Those looking for tactical, hands-on advice should keep looking.

A public relations classroom essential
I had this book in one of my classes in college and I believe that I learned the most from this book than any other class and/or book. Dr Moffitt has a very unique way of presenting ideas and cases. Dr. Moffit was my teacher actually and she did a very good job of presenting the information in such a way as to make you think about it in different ways before answering. ... Read more

Book Description

Mike Wallace calls.What do you do?Put him on hold and call Michael Sitrick. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The dean of spin reveals the secrets
Mike Sitrick's "SPIN" reveals the secrets and demonstrates that the media is not something to be "managed," as in the days of JFK. The author's examples are fascinating and provide ample proof to all of Corporate America that public relations is not what they might think it is. It's important to note that to handle a crisis in today's glare of intense media takes planning far in advance of that moment, as Sitrick points out so well. The examples he offers are obviously only the few he can talk about as his career indicates he's handled hundreds of confidential crises. This is an inside look at the work of an expert in a zone of the press people don't even know exists. After you read it you will ask yourself, "How many news stories influenced by experts?" Certainly, as Sitrick's book points out, the most famous bankruptcy in the history of this country, the Orange County Bankruptcy, was effected by the task force of Sitrick's company. There is no higher level of the media than that of "60 Minutes" and its unique primetime domain. This book is essential to a 90's understanding of the press and how it effects everyone. If you're in business, you should read it and then you should read it again. If you're not, read it twice.

Puts some respect into a four-letter word
As the title suggests, Michael Sitrick is unabashed by the four-letter word that even most public relations professionals wince when hearing: Spin. With all of its negative implications, thanks to the media and entertainment industries who disdain the thought that they can be used to help attain an organization's objectives, Sitrick shows how he built a career and his own business by knowing how to use these industries to his advantage. What's more, he demystifies the process with nine basic rules that have guided his own success. These rules, however, are certainly not trade secrets and are in fact second nature (or at least should be) to any truly successful PR person who has dealt with crisis communication. Overall, the book is very entertaining and filled with many examples of how Sitrick has made a name for himself. For the un-indoctrinated into the world of spin, he makes it clear that this is not about misleading people or falsely manipulating the media, but rather about ensuring the perspective you want is effectively presented to the media and, thereby, considered by the public when forming opinions. For those who work in the field of PR, it reinforces concepts that every professional should have acquired, which isn't to say every professional is capable (or willing) of applying them. In fact, from my own experience, that person is extremely rare and difficult to groom within an organization, since they are often blinded by their own organizational culture and hierarchy from finding the root of the problem or becoming the driving force to overcome a crisis. This is the real beauty of Sitrick's book, since he tells you enough of how he goes about fixing problems to make you realize that you need that kind of PR focus as well during a crisis, but if you want it done right you're going to need someone with his expertise. The consummate PR professional, his book will leave you wondering how you could ever get along without him and his company.

Govt communicators also see Media Relations Handbook
Spin is excellent. But government communicators should also see "Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress" by Brad Fitch, a Washington PR pro, with a foreword by Mike McCurry.

See MediaRelationsHandbook.com for testimonials and more info or search Amazon for ISBN 1587330032

A must read to prepare to successfully deal with a crisis.
Sitrick's book is a must read to prepare you to successfully deal with a crisis. Sitrick's book is a common-sense guide to navigating what crisis managers know to be a tricky, hazardous road. In the real world of business, where mistakes impact the survival of companies, reputations and livelihoods, Sirick's methods are dead-on. I found the book entertaining, educational and highly intriguing. Gaining a through understanding of the concepts and approaches presented in Sitrick's book is invaluable. As CEO, I have successfully lead turnarounds of several companies and during a period of crisis being prepared with a well thought out and executable crisis management plan may be the difference between success and failure. My experience has taught me that many people claim to be crisis managers but Mike is the proven master. I strongly recommend the book, its an investment that may provide you and your company with the tools to survive a crisis.

Excellent book!
I read Sitrick's book, as well as Greg W.'s review. Either he is talking about a different book, or this is the worst case of petty jealousy that I have ever seen. The book is great, the cases some of the biggest news stories of the decde, and the thinking and strategy are phenomenal. ... Read more

Book Description

A blueprint for women at all stages of their careers--and entrepreneurs--who want to take control of their careers by gaining more visibility in the professional marketplace and in their communities. Whether you are trying to increase your visibility on the job, or looking for a new job, trying to establish yourself as an expert in your field, or seeing a product or service, people have to feel good about you. This book will tell you what to do, and how to do it!

The Personal Publicity Planner is also a decidedly feminist book loaded with solid tips and illuminated by personal anecdotes from a woman who beat the odds and climbed the corporate ladder at one of the most powerful communications companies in the world--and then had the guts to walk away to start her own business, and gain notoriety as a working woman's advocate. According to President Bill Clinton: she deserves to be very proud of all she has accomplished on behalf of working women in this country. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good primer for beginners
The cover states "a blueprint for women who are serious about their careers - and want to develop an image for success". In its mere 80 pages, many of which are actually blank or have fewer than 100 words, the book is a good primer for people TOTALLY unfamiliar with the subject of public relations. It provides a relatively complete OUTLINE of the issues and questions that must be answered. Unfortunately, it falls short of providing a "blueprint" which would be detailed discussions, pointers, and tips for accomplishing the tasks in the outline. I would tend to describe the content as that of a "white paper", a high-level overview of the topic with no how-to's or details. If you are just starting out and want a brief overview of the subject, this book is good for you. I think $15.00 is a stretch for a mere outline.

Personal Publicity Success Story
The Pesonal Publicity Planner is a must-read for women. Gold tells it like it is in today's workplace and demonstrates how important it is for women to market themselves. Her suggestions proved successful in helping me attain a higher profile and motivated me to make things happen.

Promote Yourself
This book ties PR with personal image, and offers advice to women that are working to position themselves on the career market. Read along with Michael Levine's "Guerrilla PR" in order to fill any gaps that Gold may gloss over. Overall, this is not any ordinary PR book, and a must-read for business women.

Inspiring Personal Marketing Guide
I found this book very inspiring. Marion Gold's book has helped me to focus on the next steps for my career. I have spent my entire career becoming the best at what I do and I was stuck as to "what's next". Gold's book has provided me the insight, detail and how-to for what I need to do next: I have to effectively market my skills. As stated in this book, "If you are at least good at what you do, and have the heart to compete aggressively, you have a real shot at success-as long as you get the word out." I feel that this book is an inspiration to all people, especially women. Gold's book is a quick reference guide for goal setting, personal image development and personal publicity suggestions. I specifically enjoyed her honesty and candor in speaking to some of the key business issues facing women who wish to advance in their careers and with that she also offers potential solutions. Gold states in her book, "Recognizing an opportunity brings you one step closer to achieving it. Knowing how to take advantage of that opportunity puts you even closer to success." This book helps guide the reader to knowing how to take advantage of opportunities.

A useful book of tips and insights into public relations
Having just left my own job to start a new home-based business, I really appreciated the candor of this book, and the personal vignettes Gold included. This was not just another gimmick for women on how to do your own PR. It turned out to be a real cookbook of tips. The planning pages at the end of each section, and the list of "hints," really helped me put my own personal publicity plan on paper, and into action. Unfortunately, every time I want to go back to the book as a reference, my husband is using it to show his employees how easy it is for everyone to help market his small electronics company! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

PR text primed for success
First let me confess that I am a print journalism professor in a communication department that is top-heavy with public relations and broadcast students. However in addition to being responsible for building a state-of-the-art print journalism program at my mid-sized university, I also have the enjoyment of teaching a communication theory course to upperclasspersons and a survey course in mass communications to freshmen, exploratory and non-communication students. (I even once actually went over to the "dark side" and taught PR writing one semester.) With that confession out on the table, I offer a second one; once I started reading Primer of Public Relations, I could not put it down, because it is timely, interdisciplinary, and filled with bottom-line strategies for producing "return on investment" research that will continue to strengthen communications as a discipline in higher education. Professors who teach theory or research methods may find Primer helpful as a supplementary text. Graduate PR students conducting research may also find it invaluable. For me, one of the most select ways to evaluate Don Stacks' timely book was to examine the traditional image of public relations in relation to journalism and media studies and also to re-visit the emerging place of research in public relations. Although the book deserves high marks for its writing style, at times it still falls into the conservative writing style that is too common in research literature. Inserting a few colorfully anecdotes or narratives may broaden its appeal and make it more student-friendly. In addition, as an African American professor, I found the book lacking frontline examples of diversity that would possibly lengthen its shelf life with scholars and practitioners interested in this as a research area. However, Stacks has demonstrated that much like advertising and journalism, public relations has become more research oriented in recent years.

Well Researched, But Difficult to Read
As someone with an interest in the applications of research towards public relations, I have been a fan of Dr. Stacks's many publications. I eagerly anticipated this work by the famed University of Miami professor. I have long seen how his studies have a practical bent. Combined with Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, Dr. Stacks's work has had a strong impact in how I conduct my business.

That said, I must admit to one disappointment with this work. While I appreciated the fine preparation put into this volume and the many bases it must cover, the writing frequently suffers from its inability to be comprehended. While I did not expect Dr. Seuss, and I am well aware that Dr. Stacks is very erudite, I often found myself rereading passages several times and still not quite being sure of what was being said.

While this is a very informative work, I would advise people to always have a dictionary handy if they should choose to tackle what is an otherwise very satisfying text.

Covers both formal and informal research methodology
Primer Of Public Relations Research by Don W. Stacks (Professor and Director of the Program in Advertising and Public Relations, University of Miami School of Communication) is a comprehensive survey of research methods used by Public Relations professionals in all walks of business. Individual chapters cover both formal and informal research methodology, from simple case studies to experiments, statistical reasoning, and computer analysis. Erudite, heavily researched, first rate reading, Professor Stacks' Primer Of Public Relations Research is strongly recommended reading for students of seeking degrees or enhancing their expertise in the fields of Business Management, Corporate Public Relations, and Human Resource Management. ... Read more

Book Description

With funding for nonprofits shrinking and global markets shaky, our business and social sectors are both confronting an increasingly uncertain future.Many organizations are searching for innovative strategies that will counter the mounting pressures felt by communities and corporations alike. Common Interest, Common Good argues that forward-looking businesses and social sector organizations (both nonprofit and government) can solve many of their problems by working together-while serving the common good in the process.

According to Shirley Sagawa and Eli Segal, alliances between for-profit and the not-for-profit industries yield enormous benefits for both.Businesses can boost their bottom line by leveraging a nonprofit partnership to enhance their image, reach new markets, increase consumer loyalty, and build a positive reputation with current and prospective employees.The upside is just as powerful for nonprofits, because an alliance with a corporation can provide crucial funds and visibility while helping to attract new volunteers and donors. Common Interest, Common Good showcases many such successful partnerships, from corporate sponsorships and cause-related marketing to employee volunteer programs and school-to-work initiatives.The authors also offer some much-needed guidance for avoiding many of the pitfalls that can undermine even the best alliances.

A convincing, deeply felt book by two authors who have devoted much of their careers to helping public and private sectors find profitable new ways of working together, Common Interest, Common Good is a guided tour of the progressive new strategies that can contribute to the purpose of our businesses and the prosperity of our communities. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great book from a business perspective
This is a great book for businesses looking for unique opportunities to both make a difference and raise their community standing. It is comprised of real, powerful examples of how these partnerships can and do work. This book should be read along with Bill Shore's, "The Cathedral Within."

Creating Great Value for Companies and Communities
Every company I know is interested in getting and providing a great deal. Every nonprofit I know is committed to the greater welfare of the society. But almost no companies and nonprofits know how to link together to multiply their effectiveness in achieving their purposes.

This book provides outstanding examples and a superb template for creating partnerships of great value for all involved: companies, their employees, nonprofits, and the communities that everyone serves. Based on the examples in this book, it looks like the benefits can easily be 20 to 1 in the near term from the time and money invested. That kind of return is hard to find in business, philanthropy, or social entrepreneurship. The reason it happens is that the company can add value that the nonprofit cannot, and vice versa. The strategic partnership is not unlike the strategic alliances that companies create all the time with comapnies that offer unique strategic capabilities.

The reason these benefit are so large (and growing) is because customers and employees are ever more responsive to promoting a social cause, companies are getting better at partnering with outside organizations, and the expertise of nonprofits is growing.

Businesses can gain by getting low-cost recognition from customers that will increase sales, obtaining low-cost resources, making work more meaningful to employees (helping to retain them), attracting employees more easily, and learning how cause-based leadership can transform an organization. When you look at it from a dollar and cents point of view, these partnerships would pass any accounting test you want to use. Not to seek out these partnerships is to waste potential for growth and profits in your company. Corporate boards should be asking company CEOs to develop these partnerships!

Nonprofits can gain by learning how to increase outcomes they care about, gaining access to resources that would otherwise be unavailable, getting more exposure, and finding improved ways of meeting their missions.

Communities will gain by getting more resources, expertise, and attention from social entrepreneurs in companies and nonprofits.

So this is a win-win-win world, but somebody has to get it going. Chapter ten is excellent on that subject: It proposes a 5 step model for the nonprofit -- self assess, identify a partner, connect to that partner, test the relationship idea, and grow the relationship.

Although the initiative can come from the company, it usually won't. The executives already have other agendas, are receiving hundreds of requests for assistance, and don't know what many nonprofits can do for them. You can add some corporate executives to your nonprofit board who will understand companies to help you make these connections. The biggest hurdle will be the lack of corporate experience of your nonprofit's staff. Nonprofits are used to looking for a check, not a partnership. But that reliance on gifts alone is stalled thinking that will hold back the development of the public good.

The case histories include Home Depot and KaBOOM! (building playgrounds), Microsoft and the American Library Association (adding computers and Internet services to libraries in low-income areas), Denny's and Save the Children (raising money for poor children), BankBoston and City Year (sponsoring volunteers in community work), Ridgeview, Inc. and Newton-Conover Public Schools (creating better public schools and better parent involvement from employees with children), and Boeing and Pioneer Human Services (creating airplane parts by employing those with disadvantaged backgrounds). I found all of them to be interesting and well analyzed. Each one gave me ideas for how to pursue opportunties like these for the nonprofit on whose board I serve.

I especially recommend this book to company leaders, human resource executives, purchasing managers, and marketing planners. On the nonprofit side, this book will be a revelation to staffs and board members.

After you have read this book, please join the board of a nonprofit (if you are not already on one). Then, please use the processes in this book to create a strategic partnership with your company or another one in your community. You will gain strategic partnering skills and a sense of a job well done. The others will gain the benefits described above. If we each did this, our communities would soon be far more wonderful places to live and work.

Powerful thinking
Common Interest, Common Good represents powerful thinking that has already withstood many challenges and overcome many barriers. Corporate executives will benefit greatly from the book's clear and cogent lessons on the benefits of corporate/social sector partnership. This book is proof that goodness can endure.

Common Interest, Common Good
I'd strongly recommend this book both to corporate executives looking to improve corporate image and morale and to non-profit leaders seeking new funding mechanisms. Although the hokey title evokes past clichés like "doing good by doing well," the book is actually a practical, hard-headed approach to making companies run better by working with non-profits -- either through straight philanthropy, employee volunteer efforts, or joint ventures.

A most useful book
As a former corporate executive and a former member of the boards of directors of several non-profits, I can only wish this book could have been available years ago. Just think what I could have accomplished! I certainly recommend it for people in similar positions now.

In contrast to so many business oriented books, this one is engagingly written and eminently readable ... Read more

Book Description

Give employees effective telephone skills and you will see what a powerful business tool the phone can be. Everything from voice inflection to follow-up calls is covered in this course. Understand customers' needs. Ask effective questions. Master proper telephone techniques.

Learning Objectives:To describe the basics of providing high-quality customer service.To explain proper telephone skills.To explore the importance of understanding customer needs.To explain the essential role customer service plays in creating a favorable impression of the company. ... Read more

Book Description

How to supercharge your personal appeal and powers of persuasion

Whether in business or romance, success is all about how well you click with people. And, as top motivational speaker Dave Rich proves in How to Click With Everyone Every Time, learning how to build an instant rapport with just about anyone is easy. Drawing upon his 16 years of experience coaching tens of thousands of people on building better, more profitable relationships, he offers readers surefire techniques for supercharging their personal appeal and powers of persuasion. Highly motivational, yet extremely practical, this book contains powerful lessons on how to:

• Become more compelling in business, more appealing in one's personal life, and more fulfilled
• Develop greater self-confidence, curiosity, and commitment
• Get strangers to feel as if they've known the reader their whole lives
• Use voice modulation and body language to instantly connect with anybody

Reviews (1)

How to Click with Everyone Every Time
David has this amazing ability to make us see what we really already know, but aren't sure how to enact. This book is so smart and gives a lot of practical tips that can be implemented immediately, without therapy! :-) ... Read more

Book Description

Recent research suggests that corporate reputations are a valuable strategic asset for every company. This book outlines how high-status companies become corporate super brands and it presents managers with a framework to proactively enhance their corporation's desired reputation. Drawing on more than fifteen years of research, executive seminars, and consulting experience, Dowling emphasizes the roles that customer value and organizational culture play in the reputation-building process and exposes the limitations of corporate advertising, sponsorships, and minor corporate identity change. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good to read
This book is full the latest case like in the IBM, Exxon, Johnsons and Johnsons with a lot of models!That's great. ... Read more

Book Description

New title page verso supplied. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

not for everyone
The empirical writing of this book is extremely useful for those familiar to the public relations industry but will be difficult for those unfamiliar with the subject. For those wo are just beginning or even just have a non-professional interest in public realtions, I would recommend they read Guerrilla PR Wired by Michael Levine instead.
The Expressive Organization's differing perspectives and opinions of the authors expressed in this book may make it hard for those not of an academic nature.

Reviewed by the Corporate Bbranding and Identity Center
Reviewed by Dr Jessica Backlund (MA, PhD) and Shaun Powell (Btech AIMgt BAHons) from the International Corporate Branding and Identity Centre. ...

Quick review : Star rating 4. This book covers issues relating to identity, reputation, branding and communication in a mainly academic manner. But there are empirical examples and plenty of practical ideas included as well. Suitable for both academics and practitioners, although not always an easy read, and not all chapters feel right for the book.

Full review : The editors of this book argue that organisations are increasingly competing based on their ability to express who they are and what they stand for - hence the title of the book. The chapters are written by authors from organisation studies, communication, marketing, strategy and accounting. Most of the authors are academics, but have practical experience and have collaborated with practitioners.

The authors have sought to come up with integrative ideas that can be implemented as well as more theoretical ideas.

The book covers issues such as how organisations discover their identities, how a growing organisation's' identity can be broaden, the processes involved in changing an organisation's identity, how a strong reputation can be created, what organisations should communicate about themselves and what they can do if their reputation is threatened.

Part 1, which contains two chapters, is called Rethinking Identity and deals with identity at the organisational level. It is an introduction to the different conceptualisations of corporate as well as organisational identity. The first chapter looks at different approaches to identity within various fields. It is a resonable attempt to capture the issues from an academic perspective (not always easy) but also tends to over generalise the research contributions and viewpoints of some of the academic fields they discuss (such as that of marketing). Chapter 2 looks at how organisational identity can be a competitive advantage for companies.

Part 2, also consisting of two chapters, is called The Symbolic Marketplace. It is about the symbolic dimensions of the new market place. The first chapter takes a historical perspective, and looks at how the roles of brands and branding changed in the last part of the 20th century, and how brands are becoming the company's most critical source of distinctiveness and value. The next chapter looks at organisational life and argues that the boundaries between consumers and organisational members are becoming blurred.

Part 3, comprised of two chapters, is called Reputation as Strategy. The first chapter analyses the transformation of Royal Dutch Shell. The second one looks at how damaged corporate reputations can be repaired.

Part 4, titled Organisations as Brands, looks at the implications of branding organisations. The first chapter looks at how different kinds of images can be associated with corporate brands and different ways corporate identity can be expressed in. It also looks at issued relating to building and managing brand equity. The second chapter argues that many brand tools are dated and do not create value for the customer. It expands the marketing mix to include reputation and suggests an integrative framework and methodology for organisational brand building.

Part 5 has four chapters and is called The Value of Story telling. The chapters in this part look at corporate stories and include empirical illustrations of how story telling can be used in organisations.

Part 6 contains three chapters and is titled Communicating Organisations. It deals with the communication of the expressive organisation. It covers issues such as the self-absorption and self- seduction in corporate branding, and questions whether the public really cares about the expressions generated by companies.

Summary

This is a rather 'heavy' going book and not always an easy read, probably due to the differing academic and practitioner backgrounds and perspectives that have been included. In addition to read all the chapters would be rather time consuming, and the presentation of research in some of the academic fields, does not necessarily reflect the much wider scope of research conducted or viewpoints held within them.

Overall however, this is a resonably good book for anyone with a keen interest in identity and branding. It has the characteristics of an academic book, with theoretical ideas, but with interesting ideas for practitioners. ... Read more

Book Description

Shareholder lawsuits, accounting and financial reporting scandals, 24/7 business media, the growing ubiquity of the Internet, public calls for increased disclosure and transparency…the landscape surrounding Wall Street and publicly held corporations has changed more than at any time since the Great Depression. Investor relations professionals face the challenge of rebuilding credibility and strengthening relation-ships with the investment community and the public. In The New Investor Relations, leading professionals within the field provide much needed guidance and strategy for navigating through today’s communications maelstrom.

Part 1 explores the "new look" in IR fundamentals, from disclosure practices to company positioning. The section includes an overview of the demands imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Regulation FD, and other regulatory strictures, and discusses the growing and significant nexus between IR and PR.

Part 2 details the IR implications for different financing scenarios—from stock buyback programs to business combination transactions, private placements, and IPOs. Special circumstances require special tactics, and Part 3 of the book covers the challenging problems of crisis management and proxy wars. One such example was the high-profile attempt by shareholders to derail the acquisition of Compaq by Hewlett- Packard in 2001, and the section closes with an in-depth case study of that proxy battle and its fallout.

In the concluding Part 4, the book offers an array of unique perspectives, from IR for microcap companies and for non-U.S. issuers to the critical role good (or bad) IR can play in the credit-rating process. Finally, an investment manager reminds practitioners what the institutional audience is—and is not—looking for in timely company information.

The New Investor Relations provides a wealth of both strategic and tactical advice on how best to manage IR in the twenty-first century. This volume is a critical resource for top executives and IR professionals who face the tough challenge of restoring investor confidence in today's highly charged and demanding corporate atmosphere. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Up-to-Date "Expert" View of the Minimum for Good IR Practice
In the wake of rising class action lawsuits from shareholders and the wave of corporate accounting and fraud scandals in the United States, new regulations have required companies to change their investor relations practices. The primary legal shifts are caused by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Regulation Full Disclosure and Regulation M-A. Although it is hard to imagine that there are any public companies that are not familiar with these changes by now, this book draws on lawyers, public relations counsel, investor relations consultants and communications specialists to describe what the minimum requirements are now for "good" investor relations practices. The advice will be most helpful to companies who are going public for the first time or have only been traded outside the United States.

The book opens with "Fundamentals of Investor Relations" by Donald Allen of the Allen Group; "IR for Blue-Chip Companies: The New Look" by Heather Harper, Hollis Rafkin-Sax, and Bryce Goodwin of Edelman Financial Communications; "Litigation IR and the Duties of Corporate Disclosure and Governance" by Theodore J. Sawicki, Esq. and Scott P. Hilsen, Esq. of Alston & Bird LLP; and "The IR-PR Nexus" by David Silver of Silver Public Relations.

I found the next section more helpful because it outlined appropriate practices in the context of selected financing scenarios (stock buybacks, M&A, private placements, and IPOs). For those who haven't done these types of financings before, you can use these articles as helpful checklists.

Part 3 will be the least broadly applicable . . . but can be very helpful to the few who will need it: "IR Tactics in Proxy Wars and Other Crisis Scenarios". There aren't very many such proxy fights and crises, but most people haven't been through one . . . so you need help when you find yourself in this kind of situation. The last article on the lessons of the Hewlett-Packard merger with Compaq is probably of the most general interest for those who followed the fight.

The last section has articles about non-U.S. issuers accessing the U.S. capital markets, investor relations in microcap companies, working with ratings agencies and a description by one investment manager of what he wants to learn (Christopher N. Orndorff of Payden & Rygel Investment Co. did that article).

Everything that is contained in the book could have been learned by becoming a member of the National Investor Relations Institute and taking the fine classes it offers.

I graded the book down because it had no information provided by top investor relations executives and because it had almost no information on what institutional investors want. The top people who serve as investor relations officers know more about how to do this job well than "experts" who haven't held those positions. Also, you cannot really identify best practices unless you measure the results and connect the results back to some practices that some do that others do not. There was no attempt to do this kind of research behind the "conclusions" offered by the "experts" here.

Having done work on identifying investor relations best practices by benchmarking investor relations executives and interviewing tens of thousands of institutional investors over many years, I found the conclusions in the book to be embarrassingly below the standard of today's "best practices." The practices are certainly adequate ones . . . think of them as being the minimum for good IR practice.

Instead of reading this book, I suggest you locate an investor relations executive who has been highly successful over a number of years and take that person out to dinner to learn more about what she or he does. You would learn more that way.

Highly Recommended!
After the wave of corporate scandals and new regulations, a book like this needed to be written, particularly a book that covers the field of investor relations and includes advice from the leading professionals. This comes as close as anything you have been offered so far. Alas, its style and timeliness fall short (it offers clichés couched in academic prose and presents year 2000 regulations as new), but it offer abundant information. This is a helpful and useful run-down, particularly Chapter 10, which covers proxy wars. Non-U.S. companies will also find Chapter 13 very relevant. If you need an IR overview, we believe you can satisfactorily start here. ... Read more

Book Description

Nick Nichols pulls no punches in this rousing defense of the free enterprise system.He's fed up with the corporate cowardice so prevalent among today's executives who cave in to just about every leftist cause that comes along - and he says so!His advise?Fight back!Nick Nichols says, "I wrote this book in the firm belief that something can be done.We do not need to stand by while radical activists cripple the economic heart of our society."Rules for Corporate Warriors is chock full of courageous stands, savvy strategies, and in-your-face zingers - all backed up by years of in-the-trenches experience as a crisis manager for major corporations.

We should proudly defend corporate America, says Nick Nichols, not meekly raise the white flag when its radical opponents make their demands.Who are tomorrow's corporate warriors?Nick says, "If you own a business, own stock in a business or work in a business, I wrote this book for you!" ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Required reading for corporate executives
Nick Nichols has written THE textbook on fighting activist groups that are more interested in adding corporate trophy heads to their mantels than truly making the world a better place. This book is definitely a "must-read" for corporate executives, lawyers and communications experts. Fantatical activists will hate this book, but I highly recommend it.

Rules for Corporate Radicals
Rules for Corporate Warriors is an outstanding book. If you work in corporation besieged by activists and you haven't read this book, your reading is sadly deficient.

Nichols' decision to take a forthright stance is rooted in his sophisticated understanding of how this "industry" operates. It is just a pity that more people in the media don't possess the same grasp of this totally unregulated, global multi-billion
industry.

Rules for Corporate Warrirors flies in the face of the so-called "conventional wisdom" in corporations which is to hand over a large check before finding somewhere to hide and just hoping that they don't come back.

As Nichols so amply illustrates, the problem is that the activists do come back; after all, the activists need money in order to critique capitalism properly.

Written in an engaging manner, it is book that takes to the prevailing paradigm of issues management with a sledgehammer.

But not before time.

Rules for Corporate Warriors Rules!
Rules for Corporate Warriors: How to fight and Survive Attack Shakedowns by Nick Nichols
Everyone should read Rules for Corporate Warriors! In it, PR crisis management guru Nick Nichols takes the reader on a guided tour of the billion-dollar world of unregulated NGO's, showing us the underbelly of multi-national organizations that make their money by attacking and shaking down corporations with deep pockets. Nichols not only gives the reader a ringside seat to the carnage, he also offers strategic advice about how to effectively counter and overcome these shakedown groups. Whether corporate executive, concerned citizen or activist, if you've ever been angered about the extent of corruption in even one social movement, you will recognize in Nichols' work a template for all the movements and causes that have been hijacked and corrupted over the last 30 years - from animal rights and radical environmentalism to consumer and civil rights. Rules for Corporate Warriors is well researched, practical in its approach and yet thoroughly entertaining. I urge everyone who values living in a free and democratic society to buy it and give it their full attention today.

Poorly Written Corporate Diatribe
Mr. Nichols no doubt feels upstaged by his more eloquent business partner, Eric Dezenhall, and his writing ability. As he well should. I do battle with some of the same groups he describes in his book and though some of his tactics may be applicable, his hysterical and poorly thought through style of writing forced me to ignore the better parts of the book and just struggle to get through it. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

The Best Defense...
Ever wonder why companies do such a rotten job defending themselves against meritless attacks? Nick Nichols tells you why. It's lack of guts and the pernicious belief that allowing your corporation to be smeared is somehow smart PR. This book provides invaluable advice on what to do when you're in the media cross-hairs. I loved the chapter about how media icon Bill Moyers covered the chemical industry with "no questions asked" because both he and PBS believe that one side tells all. A tough, funny and very serious book. ... Read more

Book Description

Real People, Real Crises takes readers behind the scenes to show how real men and women deal with the array of potential crises that impact organizations and corporations every day. Through a series of factual events ranging from product tampering to violence in the workplace, Steve Wilson weaves together a thought-provoking documentary that goes beyond the front-page headlines and crisis management textbooks.

It's a no-nonsense, commonsense approach to the subject of crisis management communications written by someone with first-hand experience.

Real People, Real Crises is a must-read for anyone whose business or organization might someday find itself facing a crisis of its own. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

How people handle major corporate problems every day
Real People Real Crises: An Inside Look At Corporate Crises Communications by public relations expert Steve Wilson is an informed and informative documentary that reveals how people handle major corporate problems every day, from violence in the workplace to product tampering. Useful information and guidelines from those who have survived corporate disasters include tips on how to recognize a crisis, the importance of picking a good spokesperson, reputation management, and much, much more. Real People, Real Crises is very highly recommended reading for anyone charged with a corporate responsibility of responding to and dealing with unexpected and potentially disadvantageous events, whether external or internal to corporate operations.

Highly Informative
I just finished reading Real People, Real Crises and I found it to be highly informative, interesting and an enjoyable read.

A great resource
Real People Real Crises is a great resource. The author does a wonderful job of showing what really happens in a crisis situation and provides great tips and strategies for crisis planning and preparedness. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

Some portion of the American public will react negatively to almost any new corporate initiative, as Disney discovered when it announced its plans to build an historical theme park in Virginia. Similarly, government efforts to change policy or shift budget priorities are invariably met with stiff resistance. In this enormously practical book, Lawrence Susskind and Patrick Field analyze scores of both private and public-sector cases, as well as crisis scenarios such as the Alaskan oil spill, the silicone breast implant controversy, and nuclear plant malfunction at Three Mile Island. They show how resistance to both public and private initiatives can be overcome by a mutual gains approach involving face-to-face negotiation, a strategy applied successfully by over fifteen hundred executives and officials who have attended Professor Susskind's MIT-Harvard "Angry Public" seminars.

Susskind and Field outline the six key elements of this approach in order to help business and government leaders negotiate, rather than fight, with their critics. In the process, they show how to identify who the public is, whose concerns to address first, which people and organizations must be convinced of the legitimacy of action taken, and how to assess and respond to different types of anger effectively. Acknowledging the crucial role played by the media in shaping public perception and understanding, Susskind and Field suggest a way to develop media interaction which is consistent with the six mutual gains principles, and also discuss the type of leadership that corporate and government managers must provide in order to combine these ideas into a useful whole.

We all need to be concerned about a society in which the public's concerns, fears and anger are not adequately addressed. When corporate and government agencies must spend crucial time and resources on rehashing and defending each decision they make, a frustrated and angry public contributes to the erosion of confidence in our basic institutions and undermines our competitiveness in the international marketplace. In this valuable book, Susskind and Field have produced a strong, clear framework which will help reduce these hidden costs for hundreds of executives, managers, elected and appointed officials, entrepreneurs, and the public relations, legal and other professionals who advise them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Real, practical, and well written
This book is an outstanding read for anyone needing PR advice. Whether you are only interested in the subject, a professor teaching it, or a professional employing it, this is an invaluable resource.
Full of real world examples and fascinating insight its written so that a novice and and expert can make sense of it, and yet it is never condescending.
More than a teaching tool, it is a set of values that every PR professional should adhere to. Teaching success and how to avoid the traps, it stays interesting and flows well all the way through. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Writing the Wrongs
Effective writing skills must be mastered by anyone hoping to work in the field of public relations. If PR people do nothing else, they write, revise, write, revise, and write, more and more and more, until finally they write the wrongs (figuratively speaking, of course). In answer to this call, Thomas H. Bivins has created a dynamically comprehensive guide to many forms and styles of PR writing, from news release writing to desktop publishing. He also suggests ways of enhancing creativity, another important skill, in such areas as feature writing, poster, flyer, and brochure design, and newsletter design. Bivins further provides complementary examples and demonstrations that every current and potential PR writer will find useful. I'll never forget one statement the professor of my Public Relations Writing course (Spring 1999) made on the very first day of class: "I highly suggest none of you sell this book back to the bookstore at the end of the quarter. I wish I had a guide like this when I was working in public relations!" When she made that statement, I was immediately anxious to know what literatural pleasure awaited me! ... Read more

Book Description

By combining real-life and hypothetical cases with a succinct introduction to ethical theory, this text helps students prepare for the ethical situations they will encounter in the media professions. It is an ideal choice as the main text in a media ethics course or as a supplemental text in any course in journalism. The new edition reflects changes in the world post 9/11, including the war in Iraq, the Enron and WorldCom scandals, and a new look at media and democracy in light of FCC-approved media consolidation. ... Read more

Book Description

The essays contained herein span over a decade and reflect David Prychitko’s thinking about the role of the market system, and its relation to planning and democratic processes. The collection consists of previously published and unpublished articles written not only for economists but also for an interdisciplinary audience.

Prychitko extends the Austrian School’s criticism of central planning to include the decentralized, self-managed and democratic models of socialism - those that were supposed to distinguish Yugoslav-style socialism from Soviet socialism. He critically evaluates the socialist and market-socialist proposals of contemporary advocates including Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel, Ted Burczak, Branko Horvat, and Joseph Stiglitz. A younger Austrian economist, Prychitko has also emerged as an internal critic within that tradition. He questions the Austrian School’s claims that the unhampered market maximizes social welfare, that any actions of the state necessarily reduce welfare, and that anarcho-capitalism is viable and desirable. At the same time, he carefully discusses the viability of worker-managed enterprise from a market-process perspective and offers a qualified defense.

Scholars, particularly those with an interest in Austrian economic thought, comparative political economy and free market libertarianism, will find this collection a valuable resource. ... Read more