CareerCast ranks “Public Relations Executive” as the 140th best job in America, 16 places behind “Dishwasher.”

The Atlanta Braves celebrated the opening of the 2014 MLB season by … accidentally setting an American flag on fire.

New Jersey Governor and Presidential hopeful Chris Christie?

Unofficial U.S. ambassador Dennis Rodman?

Former U.S. Senate candidate from Wyoming Liz Cheney?

Miami Herald columnist/ESPN talking head Dan Le Batard?

The parents of this tough-talking, bird-flipping toddler?

Tom “The Troublemaker Troubleshooter” Martino was arrested this weekend after allegedly bloodying his wife’s nose with a punch, according to Jordan Steffen at The Denver Post. It apparently has been a tough few months for Martino, who in October was cited for harassment after an incident at a Douglas County restaurant. Prosecutors dismissed that charge, although they may be having second thoughts following this weekend’s events.

I will be joining April Zesbaugh on 850 KOA tomorrow morning to share my official list of the year’s biggest PR disasters, but in the meantime here is the list of finalists:

Cinemark re-opens the Aurora Shooting theater despite protests from families of the victims.

CBS apologizes after football commentator Brent Musburger, who is approximately 120 years old, ogles a college coed on national TV.

“So, are you a duplicitous liar or just the world’s biggest chump?” is a tough question to answer. Just ask Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o.

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong finally admits using PEDs and lying to the world for years.

Subway claims that “footlong” was never intended to imply a specific length when it is sued for subs that don’t quite measure up to their name.

The Boy Scouts of America manage to piss off everyone by punting on a decision to allow gay scouts instead of just ripping off the band-aid one way or another.

When courtroom battles don’t go their way, CBS executives get even with Dish Network’s ad-skipping DVR technology the old-fashioned way: passive aggressively.

Amazon is forced to apologize and pull T-shirts with the slogan, “Keep Calm and Rape a Lot.”

Gallows humor in the public relations world holds that there is no bad situation that you can’t make worse, and Rutgers University proved this point this spring.

Media coin the term “Poop Cruise” to describe the latest tragecomedy that is a Carnival cruise.

Harvard is caught snooping on faculty members’ email accounts.

CNN offers sympathy for convicted rapists whose “promising futures” were stunted by the convictions.

Google chooses to honor Cesar Chavez instead of the Easter holiday. FoxNews goes bitchcakes.

The Pac-12 Conference’s head of officiating puts a bounty on one of its coaches, then tries hard not to resign.

Butter-laden recipes and down-home charm weren’t the only Old South affectations celebrity chef Paula Deen used.

Who knew a reality show about a bunch of rural West Virginia hillbillies could go so wrong? Clearly not MTV.

Dear Reebok: Vicarious street cred can turn on you. Quickly.

CNN‘s coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings set a new low for cable news coverage, which is saying something.

If Elvis Dumervil could punch Fax machine buttons as fast as he chases quarterbacks, he’d still be a Denver Bronco.

The Associated Press learns that “password” is a bad password after someone hacks its Twitter account and falsely claims the White House has been bombed.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong shows the world how tough Donald Trump-wannabes fire someone: live on a conference call with hundreds of other employees.

Fox31 finds out what it feels like when 9News turns its investigative team on you.

If you didn’t already love sorority girls, you will after reading this epic rant from a University of Maryland Delta Gamma.

The Obama Administration: Take your pick of Benghazi, government shutdown, IRS , AP Wiretaps, Obamacare, NSA spying, etc.

JC Penney finds that Hitler is marketing gold when it comes to unloading crappy teapots.

Ohio State President Gordon Gee proves he’s the most interesting college president ever, right up until they made him resign.

Dear Men’s Wearhouse: This is why you don’t let your company chairman star in every commercial you’ve run for decades.

San Francisco’s KTVU and the National Transportation Safety Board fight to see who can look worse after this racist and ridiculous report.

The Denver Broncos front office shows its not just entitled athletes who can make an organization look bad.

Johnny Football became Johnny Autograph.

Rolling Stone reminds everyone it is still publishing by putting the Boston Marathon bomber on its cover.

If Geraldo Rivera can’t convince you that a selfie is a bad idea, nothing will.

Miley Cyrus shows us what a prepubescent girl would look like grinding on a 1940s gangster. You can’t unsee that.

Dear Von Miller: It shouldn’t be this hard to outsmart a guy who collects urine for a living.

The worst PR crises are often self-inflicted, as Barilla Pasta and last-minute-entrant “Duck Dynasty” showed us. Both were unforced errors.

Peter Boyles. Again.

When did the University of Denver start to think it is to college hockey what the University of Alabama is to football?

AIG’s CEO compares criticism of Wall Street bonuses to Jim Crow-era lynchings.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk really is the basis for Tony Stark, judging by his wild, frenzied responses to media questions about the electric car company’s safety.

ESPN reminds us the the “E” stands for “Entertainment” when it pulls out of a documentary examining the devastating effects of concussions after its partner, the NFL, asks it to.

You will never win a PR battle against a blind guy with a cute dog, US Airways.

Timing is everything, a point that was momentarily lost on Connect for Health Colorado’s Patty Fontneau.

GoldieBlox creates a brilliant parody of a Beastie Boys song, then ruins it all by taking it one step too far.

This is not the kind of media coverage retailers like Target want heading into the last shopping weekend before Christmas.

Vermilion and Whole Foods have teamed up to introduce “Good Food Matters,” a comprehensive in-store program to engage shoppers in the incredible story and values behind their food.

The Denver Metro Association of Realtors has issued an RFP for public relations services. The deadline for response is December 5, 2013.

Deborah Sherman of Media Zone Consulting is representing the “Santa’s Elves: Kids Giving to Kids” campaign, which collects and distributes gifts for some of Colorado’s poorest children. Visit the website if you are interested in supporting the organization.

Could someone let Roger Goodell and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers know that there are a lot of women being honored this Veterans Day who did not wear this version of the uniform?

Jay Clark has rebranded his agency as Wolfpack Communications. Formerly Lonewolf Communications, the agency’s clients roster includes the Denver Cutthroats, Douglas County Water Resource Authority, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Steele Street Bank & Trust.

Castle Pines council member James Einolf figures he earns “about $1.23 an hour making guitars” at his day job, so you can imagine his response to Aguilar Public Relations’ contract that pays the firm $81 an hour.

“I’m sorry, but we’re now paying more for public relations than we’re paying for (our) attorney. … Einolf said in an interview later that he thinks spending the money for a public relations firm ‘is a terrible waste of money.’ Einolf said, ‘These days’ you just need email and good website to communicate.”

Because who knows more about marketing and public relations more than a guy making what the minimum wage was in 1963?

Congrats to Colorado Springs-based Red Energy Public Relations, Advertising & Events, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

Congratulations to Peggy Gonder as Gonder Public Relations celebrates 25 years of providing public relations and marketing services. To commemorate the milestone, Gonder PR is providing pro bono services to the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (where Gonder is a board member).

Steve Raabe at The Denver Post reports that Smashburger parent company Consumer Capital Partners has launched a Press Effect, a public relations firm led by managing partner Stacie Lange.

Colorado Public Radio has added Chloe Veltman as the new editor for CPR’s forthcoming arts bureau and online arts hub. Veltman brings more than a decade of experience to her new role, including working for The New York Times as the weekly Bay Area arts correspondent and for the SF Weekly as its chief theater critic.

Veltman is also the creator, host and producer of VoiceBox, a weekly, syndicated public radio and podcast series about the human voice and the best of the vocal music scene, based out of KALW in San Francisco. Her work has also been published in The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The Financial Times, among others.

Cathie Beck PR has rebranded as Capital City Public Relations. According to Beck, the new brand “better reflects the firm’s growth and position in the communications marketplace.”

Frankly Communications has expanded its support to the music and entertainment industries by managing bands’ social media assets, conducting brand and messaging audits, booking shows and finding opportunities for public exposure on both digital and in-person platforms so that clients can effectively share their talents with audiences.

Frankly Communications played a significant role in securing Denver-based progressive rock band Tattooed Strings lead guitarist Jordan Carrier a contract with a major record label. Frankly Communications will now also support the band full-time with their promotions, bookings and other publicity needs.

The Pac-12 Conference, which is trying to sweep under the rug allegations that its head of basketball officials put a bounty on the University of Arizona head coach.

Arik Hanson offers four reasons there aren’t more men in public relations:

1. Men think there is more money in other professions – “Unlike many women (sorry, blanket statement), men are driven by money and power.”

2. PR is not a “manly” profession – “Guys see how PR is portrayed in the media. They watch movies that show women working in PR.”

3. Men don’t understand PR – “Accounting, law, engineering, and financial services are industries that, on the surface, are easier to understand. Therefore, more men seek them out.”

4. There’s a generational issue at play – “Sons grow up watching their fathers. Many fathers work in industries like finance, engineering, construction and the like.”

Fast Company examines the role that trying to make clients your partners plays in successful public relations.

Actual Apology:

“The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”

Translated:

“Holy shit! Apparently the NFL and/or the 49ers can suspend you from the Super Bowl if you rail against gay people at an NFL event while wearing an NFL jersey. That’s not cool. But my lawyer says I can avoid the suspension if I give the league something to work with, so, for the record and to the extent that it keeps me from being suspended, I am sorry. Is that good enough? If not, my lawyer can add some words I’ve never used in my life, like ‘derogatory,’ ‘reflection,’ ‘hurtful,’ and ‘discriminating.’ We good?”

Crisis Communications
From Managing a 24/7 News Cycle to Healing Communities

A panel discussion featuring 9News crime and justice reporter Anastasiya Bolton, Westminster PD PIO Trevor Materasso, Saltzman Communications’ Marilyn Saltzman and moderated by DStreet Public Relations’ Jennifer Dulles.

Details
11:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The Four Seasons Hotel
1111 14th Street
Denver, CO 80202
Register

Here is the list of the year’s biggest PR disasters that I shared during an interview on 850 KOA this morning:

PENN STATE

Penn State represents one of the greatest PR disasters of all time, certainly of the last decade. In fact, it has been such a debacle that the university managed to make the list both last year and this year. Last year, the university went from one of the nation’s most revered institutions to one of the most reviled in a matter of weeks due to its lack of a response to a horrible child sex abuse scandal that saw two administrators indicted, a former assistant coach arrested and football coaching legend Joe Paterno fired. This year, additional details emerged about an institutional culture that valued football success over protecting innocent children that were disturbing enough that the NCAA nearly gave the school’s football program the so-called “Death Penalty.” The result was another year of brutal headlines that will have almost everyone older than 10 associating Penn State with child rape for the rest of their lives.

SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE

There are few things tougher for a brand than allowing yourself to become a political football. But one of them is when you are the one to turn yourself into the political football. Susan G. Komen for the Cure learned that lesson the hard way when it tried to eliminate $680,000 in grants to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings and education programs. Suddenly, Komen was at the heart of the abortion culture wars, and it saw its reputation and support reflect that. Four days after announcing the grant cuts, the Komen board reversed the decision, but the damage was already done. Donor support dropped significantly, and ultimately several high-level executives resigned, including Komen’s CEO.

PINK SLIME

How important is marketing? For more than a decade, the meat processing industry served Americans “lean finely textured beef,” the industry term for meat recovered from beef trimmings using a process that involves a centrifuge and ammonia gas to kill bacteria. But when critics, including celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, embraced the alternative term “pink slime,” it drew national media attention and outraged consumers. Restaurants and grocery stores refused to offer the product, and it took just a few more months before layoffs and bankruptcies left the industry in tatters.

CHICK-FIL-A

Chick-fil-A is a Southern-based company with a reputation for supporting conservative causes. But as franchisees spread north and west, the company tried to downplay its political leanings. That all changed when the chain’s president and COO (who is also the son of Chick-fil-A’s founder) went on a conservative radio show and railed against gay marriage. Chick-fil-A quickly tried to back-track, but the damage was done. Activists targeted the company, and politicians in major markets like Chicago and Boston threatened to try to block new franchises in their cities. And polling done after the dust settled showed that nearly 40 percent of respondents had an unfavorable view of the company and 15 percent said they were boycotting the chain.

Continue reading “The Year in Review: 2012 Public Relations Disasters” →

Barefoot PR is celebrating its second anniversary, and the firm announced several client wins: ASR Companies, Inc. (brand enhancement through messaging, public relations and community involvement) and WorkLife Partnership (increase brand awareness through targeted message development, public relations, and partnership facilitation). Barefoot also expanded its work with The Space Creators to include community involvement and strategic partnerships.

Clement Communications has acquired California-based brand and digital agency HON Marketing. The firm will be renamed HON Digital and will be a wholly owned and independently run subsidiary of Clement.

In addition to the acquisition, Clement announced that Hen House Ventures founder Tara Spalding and NextStep founder Nancy Friedman will join the HON Digital board of advisers.

Utah is about the last place I’d expect to find a pants-optional PR agency, but desperate heat calls for desperate measures.

GroundFloor Media has added Highlands Ranch, Colo.-based Similasan USA as a client. GFM will develop and execute a strategic communications program for Similasan, including the development of foundational materials and news releases, media training, media outreach and trade show support.

Mile High Flea Market has retained Denver multicultural marketing group The Idea Marketing to help attract Hispanic vendors to the market.

Traction Communications founder and alleged scam artist Kirsten Hamling may have settled a lawsuit filed against her by state prosecutors for money that went missing from her Fired Up For Kids Charity, but that hasn’t stopped the Denver District Attorney from filing charges.

The result: Hamling is charged with 13 counts of theft, four counts of charitable fraud, three counts of filing a false tax return, two counts of failure to file a tax return and one count of attempt to influence a public servant. Michael Roberts at Westword has the details.

Competition for Colorado travel and tourism accounts may increase a bit with the news that Wagstaff Worldwide has opened an office in Aspen that will be led by Brigid Finley. Finley, who is relocating to Aspen from Los Angeles, has headed a number of campaigns for travel accounts and nationally acclaimed restaurants, including The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Lark Creek Restaurant Group, Cyrus restaurant, InterContinental Hotels, and Australia’s Great Southern Rail.

What does the ruthless, murderous Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad have in common with the AARP, the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Bid, the 2022 Qatar World Cup Bid and The Tony Blair Faith Foundation? They share the same public relations firm.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has appointed former journalist Rowena “Ro” Alegría as director of Communications. Alegría is a 20-year journalism and communications veteran who most recently was editor and publisher of The Denver Post’s Viva Colorado publication.

Downing Street Communications provided pro bono public relations services to the Colorado March of Dimes for its “March for Babies” event last Saturday, and it will continue to provide ongoing support for the organization’s future communication needs.

A shout out to Colorado Public Radio reporter Megan Verlee, who picked up a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for best use of sound for her piece “Getting Hands-On at Colorado Gators.” And also to her CPR colleague Ben Markus, who picked up two awards for his piece “Local Firefighters Honor 9/11 First Responders:” a Colorado Broadcaster Association Award for best single event news coverage and a third-place award in the category for breaking news or continuing coverage from the National Headliner Awards.

GroundFloor Media has launched a Digital Strategy division that will support clients with “a consistent and engaging digital presence enhancing client brands, reputations and, ultimately, results.”

Noel Cunningham posthumously received the National Restaurant Association’s “Restaurant Neighbor Award” for his outstanding charitable service efforts. Wayne Hicks at the Denver Business Journal has the details.

Overall budgets are up slightly, measurement and evaluation are on the rise, PR increasingly has a seat at the C-suite table, and agency-of-record relationships are vanishing, according to The USC Annenberg Strategic Communication and Public Relations Center’s latest Communication and Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices study.

Las Vegas-based R&R Partners has acquired Denver’s Phase Line Strategies, and will rename it R&R Denver. Sean Tonner, the founder and president of Phase Line, will serve as managing director.

WordenGroup, a boutique public relations firm specializing in travel & tourism, has added a Denver office. The firm is based in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The deadline to register for the 2012 PRSA Western District Conference “Championing Creativity” is today. The conference takes place next Monday and Tuesday in Denver, and it features a number of national and local public relations experts speaking on topics ranging from citizen journalism and technology to ethics and measurement.

As an added bonus, anyone who registers for the conference today will automatically be entered into a drawing to win two additional tickets to a keynote address by Carl Kasell of NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”

About the Conference
On March 12-13, public relations and communications professionals from five states will converge on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for the PRSA Western District Conference, “Champion Creativity.” Our winning lineup of presenters includes an actor, a political pundit, a sportscaster and an engineer as well as a specialty team of top-ranked PR pros. The headline attraction is an evening with Carl Kasell, former NPR news anchor and current scorekeeper (and straight man) on the popular quiz show, “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.” (Learn more and register at www.prsacolorado.org.)  Registration deadline is Monday, March 5.

Veteran political and non-profit communications specialist Evelyn Becker has launched Becker Impact, a boutique public relations firm focused on nonprofit organizations, foundations, government initiatives and corporate social responsibility programs.

Amélie Company Advertising and PR has been named agency of record by Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). DRCOG selected Amélie after a competitive review of proposals from local advertising and PR agencies to spearhead a wide range of marketing and public relations programs. These initiatives will engage regional commuters in DRCOG’s RideArrangers program, which includes Carpool, Vanpool, Schoolpool, Telework, Guaranteed Ride Home and Bike to Work Day.

Linhart PR has promoted Noelle Robillard to account executive. Robillard joined the firm in April 2011 as an account associate, after serving in Linhart PR’s JumpStart internship program.

B Public Relations, a Denver agency specializing in luxury brands, travel & hospitality, real estate, lifestyle and culinary fields, has unveiled its redesigned website.

Tourism and hospitality firms Kruzic Communications and McCullough Marketing have merged with Communications Strategy Group (CSG|PR), to create the newly formed CSG Tourism & Hospitality Practice.

“Kruzic Communications has had the good fortune to establish a highly successful and widely respected boutique PR firm that has consistently delivered solid, proven results for our clients,” said Cathy Kruzic. “Now it’s time to ‘triple-up’ our capabilities and expand our influencer relations services through our new partnership with Communications Strategy Group and McCullough Marketing.”

Ryan Whaley has launched Green Door Mediaworks, a full-service communications firm offering media relations, social media and video production. Whaley previously was with Turner PR and Keystone Resort/Vail Resorts. Green Door Mediaworks currently is working with SmoothJazz.com, SmoothLounge.com, MTN Town Magazine and Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine.

Baro-Therapies Inc. of Miramar, Fla., has selected Armada Medical Marketing to launch the company’s barometric therapy device, The Rejuvenator.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter offers some practical, on-air advice on what people can do to stop random acts of violence: Don’t act like idiots and assholes.

Hat Tip: Eric Anderson (@Eric_A_Anderson)

Here is the list of the year’s biggest PR disasters that I shared during an interview with 850 KOA’s April Zesbaugh this morning:

CORPORATE

Penn State University
Two years ago, Tiger Woods was the gold standard for PR debacles. Last year, it was the BP Gulf Coast oil spill. This year, that “honor” belongs to Penn State. In a matter of weeks, the university went from one of the nation’s most revered to one of the most reviled following its response – or more accurately its lack of a response – to a horrible child sex abuse scandal that saw two administrators indicted, a former assistant coach arrested and football coaching legend Joe Paterno fired. Making the situation even worse from a public relations perspective, the university had access to grand jury information for months and was still unprepared to deal with the fallout.

Netflix
Netflix was riding high as one of the few positive business stories in 2011. Subscriber numbers were up and the stock continued to defy the bleak economy. And then Netflix got cocky. The company inexplicably surprised customers and Wall Street by announcing a huge price increase as part of a plan to separate its streaming and DVD-by-mail services. Consumers reacted by canceling their service in droves, forcing Netflix to quickly backtrack and abandon its plans. But the damage was already done. The company lost more than a million subscribers and its stock price has dropped 75 percent from its highs this past summer.

Bank of America
Banks have joined oil companies as the businesses that people love to hate, and Bank of America felt that wrath in 2011. Bank of America badly underestimated the populist outrage that existed due to the bank bailouts when it announced a plan to introduce a $5 monthly fee for its debit card users. Bank of America expected other banks to quickly join it in charging the fee, but consumer outrage spread almost virally, leaving the bank on its own as Continue reading “The Year in Review: 2011 Public Relations Disasters” →

Congratulations to Kate Stabrawa, who has been elected a board officer as vice chair of The Ohio State University Alumni Association’s board of directors. Her non-Ohio State time is spent as an account director for Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in Denver.

GroundFloor Media has been named agency of record for ClickBank,a global e-commerce network that enables online entrepreneurs to sell and distribute digital goods. GroundFloor Media will help ClickBank raise its industry profile through a full range of strategic communications initiatives, including message development, social media andmedia relations programs.

Lance Myers has launched Two Top Marketing, a hyphen-averse marketing firm that specializes in Denver food-and-beverage clients. Services include website development, social media and strategic consultation.

The migration from media to public relations continues. Former 9News and Fox31 reporter Ginger Delgado has teamed with former Gov. Bill Owen’s spokeswoman Amy Sampson to form Real PR Media, a boutique firm that offers media relations, crisis communications, branding and messaging, PR campaigns and video production services.

A good rule of thumb for journalists: you probably aren’t going to win an Emmy asking sketchy characters, “Did you pee or poop on the bank?” And you probably aren’t going to get promoted out of Eureka, Calif., if you keep acting like a substitute teacher who can’t control her third-grade students.

(Hat tip: Andrew Hudson)

A follow-up to yesterday’s post about a CBS4 investigation into Traction Communications’ Kirsten Hamling over missing money intended for The Children’s Hospital. Through her lawyers, Hamling has now explained that Fired Up for Kids actually was never a non-profit/charity and that she is under no obligation to donate the proceeds of its firefighter calendar to The Children’s Hospital’s burn unit. Classy.

CBS4 investigative reporter Rick Sallinger is hot on the trail of Traction Communications’ Kirsten Hamling over missing money intended for The Children’s Hospital’s burn unit. Hamling is the founder of Fired Up for Kids, a non-profit that creates beefcake firefighter calendars that benefit TCH’s burn unit, but questions are now surfacing over whether she pocketed the money instead.

UPDATE: The Denver Post reports that the Denver District Attorney’s office is investigating.

… and I am joining dovetail as president:

DENVER – November 2, 2011 – dovetail solutions today announced that it has acquired Story + Welch LLP, a Denver-based public relations firm that focuses on B2B, professional services and technology clients. The acquisition expands dovetail’s client roster and strengthens its ability to offer its signature Strategic Community Investment-focused communications approach.

As part of the transaction, Story + Welch co-founder Jeremy Story will join dovetail solutions as president, reporting to dovetail founder and CEO Andy Boian. Story has more than 15 years of experience developing and executing high-profile communications campaigns for organizations ranging from the Fortune-100 to private start-ups. Among the companies he has counseled over the course of his career are CIGNA, H&R Block, Sun, American Airlines, ExxonMobil, StorageTek, tw telecom and Faegre & Benson.

After 34 years in Lakewood, Heinrich Marketing has made the move downtown to Denver’s LoDo district. The firm has set up shop in a restored building at 2228 Blake Street, next to Breckenridge Brewery in Denver’s historic Ballpark neighborhood.

Ahhh, it’s like 2008 all over again … E.W. Scripps is relevant in Colorado and the Denver Post is threatening layoffs.

It isn’t quite, “Say hello to my little friend,” but “You will be fired for not replacing the milk” could be the next great catchphrase. Or not. Either way, Beckerman PR’s Keith Zakheim needs to remember that smart bullies never put inane threats in writing. They whisper them while grasping the back of their enemy’s head so that their foreheads touch. Its PR 101.

U.S. Congresswoman Congressional candidate Kate Marshall (R-Nevada) is making headlines with her latest press release, but not in the way she intended.

As Las Vegas Sun reporter Jon Ralston noted, “You don’t see this too often: A campaign puts out a statement by a candidate on an issue she has never talked about and then helpfully explains the political strategy at play at the end.”

Unfortunately for her, the explanation was clearly intended for her rather than for the media. Here’s the text of the press release:

Kate Marshall Issues Statement of Support for Israel as Violence Escalates

Reno, NV – As violence continues to escalate in Israel, Kate Marshall released the following statement this morning in support of the nation:

“The past several days have proven very challenging for the people of Israel. Last Thursday gunmen from the Gaza Strip entered Israel and launched coordinated attacks against a tourist bus and other vehicles en route to the seaside city of Eilat. The terrorists murdered eight people and scores more were injured.

In further escalation of violence, terrorists operating within the Gaza Strip proceeded to fire hundreds of rockets into southern Israeli cities. Rockets fells on homes, a religious school, and other civilian targets. One man was murdered, many people were injured including children, and among the injured casualties was a four month old infant.

…

I am proud to consider Israel a friend and I reiterate my unwavering support for its fundamental right to exist and the absolute necessity for Israel to secure its people from outside threats. I stand ready and willing to assist Israel in defending itself against all acts of terrorism.”

Background: Israel has been in the news lately, and will be even more in the news with Beck’s “Rally to Restore Courage” in Jerusalem. In an R district, it will be useful to express support for Israel and demonstrate some foreign policy prowess while it is a timely topic – especially for people who are likely paying attention to Beck’s event.

###

GroundFloor Media’s Gil Rudawsky examines the issue and finds that many PR agencies (and budgets) grow during bad economic times.

Louisville alternative energy start-up Sundrop Fuels has snagged $175 million in funding. The GBSM client promises to never, ever leave Colorado, according to GBSM’s Steven “Steve” Silvers.

Sarah Hogan and Cori Plotkin of Barefoot PR, Jim Guttau of Guttau PR, and Stephanie Blake of Blake Communications, have founded the Creative Collective, a new professional networking collaborative that includes all professionals in the creative industry.

… are Leigh Sullivan and Troy Guard, the (for now) husband-and-wife owners of TAG and TAG | RAW BAR. When a decision is made to divorce, the aggrieved and non-aggrieved parties usually run to lawyers as fast as they can. But Sullivan and Guard are racing just as fast to any media outlet that will quote them to try to gain the media edge in their divorce. So far, they’ve hit Lori Midson at Westword and Bill Husted at the Denver Post.

Here’s some free public relations advice: quit publicly tearing each other down, get the divorce and try to act like grown-ups. Trust me – it allow your baby you keep mentioning to Google your names in 10 years without shame, and the assets you will soon be dividing up (for example, two restaurants) will be worth more if you quit making Denver wince at the mention of your names.

Erin Osovets and Gwenaviere Doherty have founded Theory X, a boutique public relations agency focusing on music, art, film, and fashion.

Moxie Media Group has rebranded itself as Moxie Creative Communications Agency in a move to distinguish itself from traditional marketing, advertising and PR firms. I’ve read the press release twice and I still can’t figure out exactly what is changing, so I’ll let Moxie speak for itself:

“Traditional advertising or marketing agencies are engaged primarily for their branding and marketing expertise, where their services are geared towards helping clients sell products and services to a specific target demographic,” said Mike Schrader, president, Moxie CCA. “While Moxie CCA is called upon to do the same, our clients’ communication challenges are increasingly centered on a need to communicate one or more messages to multiple target audiences across multiple communications channels. In these cases, we are helping our clients to determine the best way to communicate to their many constituents and then execute their campaigns accordingly.”

If you have been looking for a tortured analogy that explains the difference between lobbying and public relations, NPR has come to your rescue: lobbyists are the Army soldiers storming Normandy, while PR people are the Air Force.

GBSM’s Steven Silvers blogs about what the recent decisions by Frontier Airlines and the Colorado Tourism Office to select New York City-based public relations firms mean to Colorado agencies.

The team at Dovetail Solutions is handling the public relations for the University of Colorado Hospital’s groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate its $400 million expansion. The expansion will include a second inpatient 12-story tower, increased patient care facilities to the Anschutz Cancer Pavilion and new parking structures for patients, visitors and employees. The entire project is scheduled to be complete by 2013.

Columbia Journalism Review examines the state of communications and concludes that “the muscles of journalism are weakening and the muscles of public relations are bulking up—as if they were on steroids … the dangers are clear.”

“As PR becomes ascendant, private and government interests become more able to generate, filter, distort, and dominate the public debate, and to do so without the public knowing it. ‘What we are seeing now is the demise of journalism at the same time we have an increasing level of public relations and propaganda,’ (author Robert) McChesney said. ‘We are entering a zone that has never been seen before in this country.’ ”

If you are feeling stressed at work lately, it isn’t your imagination. Or maybe it is.

Freelance writer Luke O’Brien wrote an article for Men’s Health on UFC fighter Georges St. Pierre. A few months later, the magazine’s PR team pitched him the article he wrote.

Hi, Luke-

Men’s Health went behind the scenes of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre’s title fight with Josh Koscheck. In his April issue cover story, St. Pierre opens up to the magazine about acting as a trainer and a learner, always climbing to reach his goals. Would you be interested in running any of his quotes from the interview?

Luke’s response:

Sounds great. I’d be interested in interviewing the writer. Lemme know.

Luke

… and other public relations observations from a New York restaurateur.

Planning to watch the State of the Union tonight? Download Sarah Moss’ SOTU bingo card.

The threat:

The response:

(Hat tip: Deadspin)

Fineman PR is out with its annual list of the year’s “Top PR Blunders:”

1. BP
2. Toyota
3. NPR
4. Craigslist
5. Amazon
6. Nestle
7. Johnson & Johnson
8. LeBron James
9. Glenn Beck
10. Alaska Airlines