Salt Lake City tourism officials are fighting back after members of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors complained that “there’s nothing to do in Utah.” The video is two minutes long, but African-Americans only appear to have about three to four seconds of screen time, which may be part of the Warriors’ argument.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=bg8y4LJbWuY

The Media Insight Project, a collaboration of the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, takes a look at the future of news and concludes that subscription models are the only hope because aggregators such as Facebook and Google will take most of the digital advertising dollars.

How many people pay for news? In all, 53 percent of Americans pay for news, including subscribing to newspapers or magazines, paying for news apps, or donating to public media. This number does not include those who pay for cable TV bundles that could include news channels.

Do young people pay for news? Fully 37 percent of the youngest adults, 18 to 34 years old, subscribe to news. The two youngest age cohorts who pay (18-34 and 35-49) also behave differently than older subscribers. They are motivated more by a desire to support the news organization’s mission. About two-thirds of them who use Facebook use it several times a day (compared with half of older subscribers), and many say that discovering a news source through social media was a key factor in deciding to pay for it.

What value do people see in news? People are drawn to news in general for two reasons above others: A desire to be informed citizens (newspaper subscribers in particular are highly motivated by this) and because the publication they subscribe to excels at covering certain topics about which those subscribers particularly care.

Why do people choose to subscribe? While there are a host of reasons, the No. 1 cited (by more than 4 in 10 subscribers) was that the publication they pay for excels at covering certain topics about which they particularly care. More than 4 in 10 also cite the fact that friends and family subscribe to the same product. More than a third of people say they originally subscribed in response to a discount or promotion. In print, people also are moved heavily to subscribe to get coupons that save them money, something that has untapped implications in digital.

Who does not pay for their news? Of those who do not pay for news at all, many resemble subscribers in a variety of ways. About half are “news seekers,” meaning they actively seek out news rather than primarily bumping into it in a more passive way, though the news that nonpayers are seeking (for now, at least) is often about national politics. Like subscribers, many of these people also get news multiple times a day, use the news in ways similar to subscribers, and are interested in similar topics, including foreign or international news. Nonpayers, though, generally see news as a little less valuable in their lives and think that there is plenty of free content available.

An on-screen graphic from NECN in Boston:

(Hat tip: AdWeek)

Linhart PR is adding a Digital Media Supervisor:

Skills sought include: Expert use of social/digital analytics and measurement tools; program planning and management; social strategy; content strategy and development; e-commerce program development and management; paid social/digital planning and implementation; budgeting; and written and oral communications, including strong presentation skills. 

Former CBS4 reporter Wendy Bergen, an Emmy-winning journalist who resigned in disgrace after staging dog fights as part of her investigation into animal abuse. According to long-time friend Peter Boyles, that experience served as a catalyst for Bergen to turn her life around and focus on helping others. Michael Roberts at Westword has more details.

PRWeek examines why American Airlines “Strollergate” didn’t rise to the level that United Airlines experienced. From reporter Diana Bradley:

“…By responding to its own incident quickly, American Airlines halted the matter from blowing up, crisis experts say. Just a few hours after the video was published on Facebook, the airline company issued a statement, which it put on its website. In the statement, the airline apologized, said it had launched an investigation to obtain the facts, noted it had upgraded the family affected to first class, and added it had suspended the flight attendant involved.”

Tweeter Communications has added Confadent Oral Technology and Gray Cloak Tech’s ShareRails as clients.

The long-rumored mass layoffs at ESPN may begin next week, and they may be larger than expected. From Matt Bonesteel at the Washington Post:

The job cuts, which will come from the network’s sizable stable of on-air and online talent, have long been expected as ESPN looks to pare expenses in the wake of mounting subscriber losses and rising rights fees. Over the past five years, the network has lost somewhere around 12 million subscribers while shelling out billions for the right to televise leagues such as the NFL and NBA.

Former Bawmann Group VPs Maggie Spain, Tammy Stratton and Jennifer Nuhfer have formed Spearca Communications, a full-service, woman-owned strategic marketing and communications agency. Spearca, which means “spark” in Old English, offers communications, marketing & advertising, and digital marketing services.

 

Are the Cleveland Police Department and the city’s CBS affiliate conspiring to hide the identity of a projected first-round NFL prospect accused of sexual assault so his draft status won’t be hurt? It would seem so. Barry Petchesky reports:

A player who is expected to go in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft has been accused of sexual assault, according to Cleveland 19 News. But this is a weird one: The station is not naming the player, despite having a statement from his attorney, because the cops are dragging their feet on filing a police report.

UPDATE: TMZ has learned the name of the football player, and not surprisingly he is a local star.

How many whistleblowers are required to make federal regulators take accusations of banking fraud seriously? More than 700, apparently.

Denver Water learned the hard way to watch what you put in emails when you are subject to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). In a 7News investigation related to a bonus awarded to Denver Water’s CEO, investigative reporter Tony Kovaleski captured this email exchange:

Employee #1: “Where are you? We just got a CORA from Channel 7.”

Employee #2: “Home … you can call me. What are they looking for?”

Employee #1 “Glad you’re home and sitting down. You may want to pour a shot of tequila.”

Employee #2: “Fuck. Is it about pension? Or rates? Who is it from?”

7News also published invoices totaling $3,200 from Denver crisis management firm Rockford Gray to media train Denver Water’s CEO and one of its former board members.

The Downtown Denver Partnership has released its 2017 State of Downtown Denver report. Among the findings:

Chipotle has added Quinn Kelsey as manager of public relations and communications. Kelsey previously was an account supervisor at Olson Engage and a senior account executive at Linhart PR.

Is former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly the most hated man in television? In 1978, Pete Webb of Webb Strategic Communications replaced O’Reilly as 7News’s investigative reporter, and he tells Michael Roberts of Westword that O’Reilly was, in fact, a jerk:

According to (Webb,) a former co-worker in Denver, O’Reilly was widely disliked at the station because of behavior that could be rude, egomaniacal and underhanded, and on multiple occasions, he was pranked by colleagues who left aromatic food to rot in his desk.

“He was a hugely disruptive influence in the newsroom, and few people liked or tolerated him,” Webb maintains. “He was argumentative, difficult to manage and would literally steal other people’s stories. In fact, he’d answer a call for a reporter and say, ‘He’s out right now, what can you tell me?,’ and end up with a story intended for someone else.”

PRSA Colorado has announced the winners of its 2017 Gold Pick Special Awards:

• Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement: Amy Johnson, APR, Amy Johnson Public Relations
• Public Relations Person of the Year: Catherine B. Lucas, APR, Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Business Person of the Year: Tami Door, Downtown Denver Partnership
• Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year: Catie Mayer, B Public Relations
• Chapter Service: Michelle Ellis, Ellis Communications Marketing
• Mentor of the Year: Kimberly Stern, Colorado State University
• Public Relations Team of the Year: Ball Corporation Communications Team

The Special Award winners, as well as Gold and Silver Pick award winners, will be recognized at the Gold Pick Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 4, at Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House in Denver. Register at prsacolorado.org.

Adidas has apologized for its “insensitive” Boston Marathon email marketing campaign that congratulated competitors for surviving.

 

CNN has the tick-tock of United Airlines’ evolving statements related to its recent “dragged-a-guy-off-a-plane” crisis.

Wells Fargo says the expenses related to its fake-accounts scandal will be greater than expected. Laura Keller at Bloomberg reports:

Wells Fargo & Co.’s costs … are mounting faster than the bank expected as the company incurs expenses for consultants and lawyers.

“Of course it’s having an impact on the performance of the company,” said Chief Executive Officer Tim Sloan. “When you step back and you look at how serious the retail sales-practice issues were, and the reputational impact on the company, you can only reach that conclusion.”

Denver’s Springboard Communications, a PR firm focused exclusively on K-12 education organizations, has added DSST Public Schools as a new client, leading a brand positioning effort.

Deft Communications has added Colorado Farm Bureau and PolicyWorks America as clients. Deft Communications will provide communications training to Colorado Farm Bureau, and communications, writing, and branding support for PolicyWorks America.

Congratulations to Jean Galloway, who was awarded the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Athena Leadership Award “for her work forging partnerships between for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations.”

Proof PR has retained three new clients:  Just BE Kitchen, Highlands Merchants Association and Colorado Youth for a Change.

 

Integrated communications agency SE2 is hiring an owned media strategist:

We are looking for a highly skilled, enthusiastic owned media strategist who will combine editorial direction, writing and publishing, and digital campaign management and production roles to ensure our clients have a strong online presence. This is a key position in a dynamic company committed to doing great work for issue-oriented clients including health, education, policy and more.

Denver-based public relations and marketing firm Philosophy Communication added six new clients: Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), CD Specialty Contractors, the John Austin Cheley Foundation (JACF), Jefferson County, RO Innovation and ZT Amplifiers.

 

Many Americans probably don’t remember in 2011 when President Obama stepped down for a year and President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner assumed command.

(Hat tip: Abraham Morales)

Travel, tourism and lifestyle firm Turner PR has expanded to Miami and named new VP Naureen Kazi to lead the office.

After video surfaced of police literally dragging unwilling passengers off an overbooked flight, United Airlines may want to think about upping its offer for passengers willing to take a later flight.

 

Unfortunately for the airline, it violated rule #1 of a crisis – avoid video and photos at all costs. And its CEO’s statement blithely apologizing for “reacommodating” the passenger only keeps the story alive longer.

Pepsi has officially apologized for its Kendall Jenner ad campaign, but I imagine its marketing executives still have smiles on their faces. Pepsi has always positioned itself as the anti-establishment choice, against Coke’s button-down, corporate persona. And putting Kendall Jenner in a provocative ad campaign no doubt accomplished what the company wanted.

The dream of every high school newspaper reporter … taking down the principal.

In Kansas, a student newspaper is being praised for its hard work in reporting that Pittsburg High School’s newly hired principal had seemingly overstated her credentials. The principal, Amy Robertson, has now resigned, after the paper found she claimed advanced degrees from Corllins University, an entity whose legitimacy has been questioned.

“In light of the issues that arose, Dr. Robertson felt it was in the best interest of the district to resign her position,” the school board said Tuesday, adding that it will now begin looking for a new principal.

The turnabout came just weeks after Robertson was hired. Until Pittsburg High’s newspaper, The Booster Redux, published its findings last Friday, the main impediments to Robertson starting full-time on July 1 were her impending move from Dubai and the need to acquire a Kansas school administrator’s license.

South African Premier League soccer player Mohammed Anas accidentally thanked both his wife and his girlfriend in a post-match television interview. The back-tracking started immediately.

If you have an extra $189 burning a hole in your pocket, nominations for PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 awards are open. Nominations are due April 19.

The good news for 9News is that it remains the 800 lb. gorilla in the local TV ratings race, according to Joanne Ostrow’s analysis of the February sweeps data.

KUSA is No. 1 with a 2.88 rating, 10.1 share (down 4 percent from last February), followed by No. 2 KCNC with a 1.39 rating, 4.9 share (down 12 percent), KDVR with a 1.0 rating, 3.5 share (up 41 percent), and KMGH trails with a 0.9 rating, 3.2 share (up 7 percent).

Having a client appear on 9 News will yield more viewers than the other three stations combined. The bad news? Other stations are starting to catch up.

The February 2017 ratings sweep shows the kingpin suffered double-digit audience declines in certain newscasts compared to a year earlier.

At 6 p.m., KUSA’s cheeky “Next with Kyle Clark” is down 31 percent compared to the conventional newscast in that slot last February. The time slot performance declined from a 2.87 to a 1.98 rating among adults 25-54, the industry’s accepted TV news demographic.

From 5-5:30 p.m., 9News was down 29 percent (from 2.91 to 2.08). At the same time, KDVR-Channel 31 scored a 35 percent increase and KCNC-Channel 4 was up 17 percent.

At 4 p.m., 9News was down 22 percent; at noon the station was down 24 percent.

Tom Green’s departure has crated an opportunity for longtime Denver anchor Ernie Bjorkman, who is poised to return to KWGN/Channel 2:

Veteran broadcaster Ernie Bjorkman will return to Channel 2 News on Monday, March 27, and move into the Daybreak anchor chair when Tom Green leaves Channel 2 at the end of May.

Since his departure nearly a decade ago, he has lived a relatively peripatetic life.

When he stepped away from the anchor desk in 2008, he became a certified veterinary technician and worked at several Colorado animal clinics. In 2013, Bjorkman joined the Peace Corps and traveled to Ethiopia. Upon returning, he moved into a houseboat in St. Augustine, Florida. 

PRWeek has a released its annual salary survey, and the 2017 edition paints a generally rosy picture for public relations practitioners. Among the findings:

1. Median annual salaries for those at the senior director level and above are well into the six figures

2. The median annual salary for those located in the “West” – including those of us in Colorado – is $102,000 (although that number skews higher because of the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets)

3. 45 percent of respondents reported salaries above six figures (compared to 40 percent in 2016)

4. A ridiculous gender salary gaps exists with men earning 42 percent more on average than women

Credit the Uber public relations team for finding a way to change the subject from last month’s #DeleteUber crisis, although creating two new crises – “drunk CEO argues on-camera with driver” and “use technology to evade law enforcement” – may not be a textbook strategy.

I worked at a Silicon Valley start-up, and one thing I know about VCs is that they have no patience for anyone who puts their investment at risk. I put the over/under on Travis Kalanick’s stint remaining as CEO at two months.

The Animal Adventure Park in New York has enjoyed the chance to engage and educate tens of millions with its YouTube channel promoting April the giraffe’s impending delivery. Meanwhile, the Denver Zoo managed to sneak one by the general public.

 

Subway is playing defense once again after a study found that the sandwich chain’s oven-roasted chicken is actually only 50 percent chicken.

To be fair, this issue isn’t as bad as when it made a pedophile the face of its franchise, but it is worse than when its lawyers made the argument that the name “footlong sandwich” wasn’t meant to indicate that the sandwich would be a foot long.

Option A: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston for telling a group of elementary school kids that women should be seen but not heard:

“All my young boys, stand up. The ladies, sit down. But all my boys, stand up. We strong, right? We strong! We strong, right? … But the ladies, they’re supposed to be silent, polite, gentle.”

Option B: The principal of Melrose Elementary in St. Petersburg, Fla., who invited Winston to speak to the kids knowing that his background includes a shoplifting conviction, a suspension for screaming vulgarities, being detained by police for squirrel hunting on the Florida State University campus and being accused of rape in a winding investigation that resulted in FSU paying a $950,000 settlement to the alleged victim.

Jennifer Kaplan at Bloomberg reports on the PR contortions companies are performing in our highly politically charged political environment:

“Consumers are holding brands accountable as though they were political candidates, and they’re voting again and again,” said Micho Spring, head of global corporate practice at Weber Shandwick, a public relations firm that handles crisis management. A Weber Shandwick study, set to be released Wednesday, found that 57 percent of top executives believe that boycotts can affect a company’s bottom line. The survey polled more than 1,000 executives and 2,100 consumers around the globe last year, just as Donald Trump was wrapping up the Republican nomination on his way to the White House.

Michael Roberts at Westword reports that rumors are swirling that 9News will continue to dramatically reduce its sports staff following the departure of Drew Soicher:

“… an industry source shared a rumor with Westword that 9News expected to pare its sports staff down to former Denver Post reporter Mike Klis and a couple of MMJs — which in this context means multi-media journalists who serve as their own camera operators — and allow the contract of Rod Mackey, another veteran sports anchor, to expire.”

9News President & GM Steve Carter is denying those reports. Interestingly, Carter also says that Soicher has landed at 9News sister station 12News (NBC) in Phoenix.

The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts has named Christin Crampton Day as its new Executive Director:

“Crampton Day brings a strong background in communications, fundraising, management, and strategic planning having been co-owner at Schenkein and, most recently, Senior Director of Public Relations at Barnhart. She was also Executive Director of Ballet Nouveau Colorado. Crampton Day is a life-long advocate for the arts, serving on the Colorado Ballet Board of Trustees for 13 years, among numerous other volunteer leadership roles. A graduate of CBCA’s inaugural Leadership Arts class, Crampton Day was honored with CBCA’s Cultural Leadership Award in May, 2016.”

Crampton Day formerly was senior director of Public Relations at Barnhart, and before that was co-owner at Schenkein.

 

It hasn’t been a very good month for the University of Colorado and Colorado State University athletic departments. Both CU head football coach Mike MacIntyre and CSU head basketball coach Larry Eustachy are facing allegations related to charges of abuse.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel has threatened to sue Colorado State Sen. Ray Scott after he tweeted that one of its recent articles was “fake news.”

Jay Seaton, the (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel) publisher, in an editorial over the weekend, said the tweet from the Senator is “a false character assassination that can’t go unchallenged.” … As of Tuesday, it is unclear if the newspaper will actually go through with the suit.

The odds of poaching the lucrative Outdoor Retailer show from Utah seem to have gotten pretty good, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Several outdoor gear companies followed Patagonia’s lead and announced Thursday and Friday that they would no longer attend the Outdoor Retailer shows in Salt Lake City to protest public-lands positions promoted by Utah’s elected officials, led by Gov. Gary Herbert. …

Organizers announced last week that they were seeking proposals from other cities for the twice-yearly shows, a move largely in reaction to the persistent opposition to the newly designated Bears Ears National Monument from Utah leaders. …

Vermont-based Ibex Outdoor Clothing says it will attend with a reduced team and budget, channeling funds instead to the Conservation Alliance Public Lands Defense Fund and leaving its booth early to protest. 

“Outdoor Retailer cannot stay in Utah,” stated Ted Manning, Ibex’s CEO. “And until it moves out of the state, we as a company are taking decisive action to stand up for our public lands and conservation.”

 

 

President Trump has his eyes on potential 2020 Democratic campaign opponents, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is on that short list. The New York Post reports:

The White House is already tracking which Democrats could challenge President Trump in 2020 and Gov. Cuomo and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand aren’t on the list, sources told The Post.

Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, asked consultants to scour the backgrounds of four outspoken Democrats — Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, two sources close to the administration said. …

Hickenlooper, who founded a brewery before becoming governor of the Western swing state, is seen as a less-combative rising star, the sources said.

But the White House’s “biggest fear” is that Cuban, a billionaire businessman, would run because he can appeal to Republicans and independents, the sources said.

 

The United States Tennis Association was forced to apologize this weekend after it accidentally performed Germany’s Nazi-era national anthem at the opening ceremonies of the 2017 Fed Cup in Hawaii.

Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs has added Brittany Morris Saunders as president of local affairs. Morris Saunders formerly was senior vice president for economic development and public affairs at the Downtown Denver Partnership .

Robert Tonsing, Jr., the former public relations director at Martin Marietta and the man who was instrumental in bringing RTD light rail to Denver, died. He was 86.

Western State Colorado University (yes, that is a real school – I Googled it) is dealing with a brewing public relations crisis. As Kirk Mitchell at The Denver Post reports:

Western State Colorado University president Greg Salsbury has been accused in a federal lawsuit of making discriminatory remarks about black employees when he was executive vice president of a large insurance company with offices in Denver.

According to a federal civil discrimination lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, Salsbury allegedly stated that an Atlanta satellite office of Jackson National Life Insurance Company was moved to Denver in 2007 because the worker pool in Atlanta was too black.

Among the winners, according to AdAge:

Honda’s “Yearbooks” Commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f06ng5cII8o

 

Bai’s “Gentleman” Commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Di1kqa6fiE

 

SquareSpace’s “JohnMalkovich.com” Commercial:

Continue reading “AdAge Rates the Super Bowl Ads” →

The Denver Press Club will bestow its 2017 Damon Runyon Award on David Simon, creator of “The Wire” and a former Baltimore Sun journalist. The event is Friday, March 31, at the Denver Athletic Club. Tickets are $125 – $150.

Who are the most influential Denver reporters/anchors on social media? An analysis by social media analytics firm Share Rocket offers this list:

Issues management firm Pac/West has promoted Mark Truax to vice president. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s presence in the Rocky Mountains and helping with projects across the country. Truax previously was senior director of political affairs for the firm.

Boom Broadcast announced it has completed three new public service announcements:

• Stand Up to Cancer’s powerful PSA featuring Morgan Freeman delivering an inspiring and poetic monologue about what it means to “Be the Breakthrough.”

• Joyful Heart Foundation’s “Boys Will Be Boys” PSA that aims to raise a generation of boys to respect women and girls, featuring Dave Navarro, Ice-T and Nick Lachey, among other male celebrities.

• And, the re-release of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) PSA celebrating the joy of cancer patients “Coming Home,” through the support of LLS’s pioneering research that is saving lives “today”, featuring Academy Award-Winning Actress Linda Hunt.

With less than two months in distribution, these three PSAs have already generated over 25,000 airings on over 600 networks/stations with over $10 million in donated ad revenue.

Congratulations to Lora Ledermann and the crew at Scream Agency, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

PRSA Colorado is now accepting nominations for its 2017 Special Awards. Categories include:

• Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement
• Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year
• Chapter Service
• PR Person of the Year
• Business Person of the Year
• Mentor of the Year
• PR Team of the Year

Special Awards winners will be recognized during the annual PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Award ceremony on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at the DCPA’s Chambers Grant Salon.

The Colorado Statesman reports that the Denver Broncos have retained Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs to handle local government relations and lobbying activities.

Joanne Ostrow at The Denver Post reports that 9News is abandoning the traditional sports segment in favor of sports feature stories integrated throughout the newscast. The move is intended to fight the “ratings drop off” that normally occurs during sports segments at the end of newscasts.

“Sports has always been done at the end of the newscast. Typically you see ratings drop off at that point. We want to take the people doing sports and incorporate all that stuff throughout the newscast,” said KUSA general manager Steve Carter. …

“No one’s losing their job. We’re adding another sports person, another digital person,” Carter said. “Right now, even if sports becomes a bigger story our station tended to hold it until the sports segment. There’s no reason sports can’t run in the A block or B block. We’re spreading the sports out.”

The Get Grounded Foundation, the charitable giving arm of GroundFloor Media (GFM) and its digital sister agency CenterTable, has awarded more than $20,000 to seven local community programs supporting youth services. Recipients are:

• Child Advocates – Denver CASA
• Denver Indian Family Resource Center
• Denver Urban Scholars
• ECDC – African Community Center of Denver
• PlatteForum
• Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center
• Share Our Strength Colorado’s Cooking Matters.

Conventional wisdom has it that teens have abandoned Facebook in favor of WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram. A new report from UBS Evidence Lab finds a different story:

UBS Evidence Lab conducted research on U.S. use of Facebook in 2016 and found that most teens use the social media platform daily and that that number is actually on the rise, as reported by eMarketer.

The research found that 65% of U.S. teens reported using Facebook daily last November, and that figure was up from 59% in November 2014. Facebook actually beat out Snapchat and Instagram for daily use by teens, though that may be less surprising given that Facebook’s overall audience is significantly larger than the competition.

Separate research from RBC Capital Markets, also from last November, found that that about one-third of teens reported increasing Facebook usage over the past year.

Former US West spokesman David Beigie has been named vice president of Global Digital Communications at insurance giant Chubb. Beigie most recently was chief communications officer and vice president of Creative Services at State Farm.

Seattle Sonics Oklahoma City Thunder player Enes Kanter broke his arm punching a chair in frustration during the team’s game against the Dallas Mavericks last night.

The Denver Post’s Joanne Ostrow reports that Tom Green will leave KWGN/Channel 2 this spring when his contract expires:

“It’s just time to change my vista,” Green said. “I don’t have a plan.” The anchor known for his droll style will stay in Denver and will likely remain in broadcasting, he said. He has had conversations about a return to sportscasting. “I’m not retiring.”

Green’s departure is just the latest in a string of recent local TV news changes that include:

• Anchor Adele Arakowa announcing that she will be retiring from 9News effective June 30
• 9News firing polarizing sports anchor Drew Soicher
• Marshall Zellinger, arguably Denver’s most skillful TV political reporter since Eli Stokols left Fox31 for Politico, departing 7News for 9News
• Former 9News meteorologist Ashton Altieri joining CBS4 after a five-year stint in Sacramento and Dallas
• Reporter Heidi Hemmat quitting Fox31 after allegedly receiving death threats
• Anchor Cheryl Preheim departing 9News for a job with a sister station in Atlanta
• Business reporter Gregg Moss retiring from 9News due to severe arthritis
• 9News anchor Kyle Dyer leaving to start her own communications consulting business
• 7News sports anchors Arran Anderson and Jahmai Webster both leaving the station
• Meteorologist Jennifer Broome leaving Fox31/KWGN and being replaced by former 7News meteorologist Matt Makens
• Former 9News and 7News anchor Mike Landess returning as an anchor with KWGN
• Anchor Brooke Wagner leaving Fox31 to join a nonprofit

Foodstuffs conglomerate Kraft Heinz Co. is thinking outside of the box with its Super Bowl promotional plans, Bloomberg’s Craig Giammona reports:

Kraft Heinz Co. plans to give all of its salaried U.S. employees the day off following the Super Bowl, a move that the food giant hopes will generate more publicity than buying a 30-second ad for millions of dollars.

The idea is to relieve workers from dragging themselves into the office on the Monday after the game — a day that’s notorious for absenteeism — while promoting the notion of a post-Super Bowl holiday. Kraft Heinz declined to say how much the gambit will cost, but it involves giving a free vacation day to thousands of employees.

Integrated marketing communications agency SE2 is hiring a Director of Client Services:

We are looking for a highly skilled, enthusiastic Director of Client Services who can manage our account team, enhance client relationships and help grow the organization. This is a leadership position in a dynamic company committed to doing great work for issue-oriented clients including health, education, policy and more.

It turns out that President Trump and Kim Jung-Il, former Supreme Leader of North Korea, share an unorthodox approach to braggadocio. Can you guess which of them said each of the following statements?

1. I was a prodigy who could drive at age 3 and was winning yacht races at age 9.

2. My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my body.

3. I penned six operas in two years – “all of which are better than any in the history of music.”

4. If we are provoked by our enemies, I will not hesitate to slap them with a pre-emptive nuclear strike.

5. My IQ is one of the highest in the world.

6. I shot 38 under par in a round of golf, and that included 11 holes in one.

7. I declared an official “National Day of Patriotic Devotion” to celebrate my leadership.

8. It’s very hard for people to attack me on looks because I’m so good looking.

Answers:

Continue reading “Who Said It, President Trump or Dear Leader?” →

Longtime sports announcer Brent Musburger has announced his retirement, and the Associated Press included this nugget in his farewell coverage:

“Both Musburger and ESPN say his recent Sugar Bowl comments criticized as being insensitive to a female assault victim had nothing to do with his exit.”

You can get the backstory on his cringeworthy 2017 Sugar Bowl comments, as well as his cringeworthy 2013 BCS Championship Game comments.

Denver-based Amelie Company is hiring a Social Media/PR account executive:

The Social Media / PR Account Executive is responsible for day-to-day client activities and is able to work independently and autonomously on PR and social media projects. This includes public relations, media relations, social media strategy and management in addition to grassroots events. This person will support the account supervisor in developing strategic PR campaigns for a wide range of clients and industries, including but not limited to, consumer and trade media outreach as well as public awareness campaigns. This person possesses a strong desire to have a career in public relations, event planning and social media; strong desire to be a part of a growing, nimble team at a boutique agency.

Michelle Ellis has launched Ellis Communications Marketing. She formerly was a partner at Orapin Marketing + Public Relations.

The Bawmann Group has added Dental Lifeline Network (DLN) as a client. Based in Denver, DLN provides free, comprehensive dental care through a national network of more than 15,000 volunteer dentists to those who may otherwise not be able to access treatment.

Scotland’s The Herald previews the Trump Inauguration:

Hat tip: BBC

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the role social media plays in his coaching:

“SnapFace and all that, I don’t really get those. I’m just really worried about getting our team ready to go. I’m not really too worried about what they put on InstantChat, or whatever it is.”

FTVLive reports that Rochester’s NBC affiliate, WHEC, is banning “spokespeople, PIO’s, Communications directors or any other public relations person” from its airwaves.

Edelman released its annual Trust Barometer report, and, as you might expect, things don’t look particularly good:

The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust is in crisis around the world. The general population’s trust in all four key institutions — business, government, NGOs, and media — has declined broadly, a phenomenon not reported since Edelman began tracking trust among this segment in 2012.

With the fall of trust, the majority of respondents now lack full belief that the overall system is working for them. In this climate, people’s concerns about job-threatening issues such as globalization and automation turn into fears, spurring the rise of populist actions now playing out in several Western-style democracies.

To rebuild trust and restore faith in the system, institutions must step outside of their traditional roles and work toward a new, more integrated operating model that puts people — and the addressing of their fears — at the center of everything they do.

Barefoot PR is accepting applications for a spring intern.

Hat tip: @AlistairColeman

SilversJacobson has opened its new Washington, D.C., office, located at 1100 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 410 (across the street from the historic Mayflower hotel, one block from K Street and four blocks from the White House). 

Tom Clark, the CEO of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., is retiring, according to The Denver Post’s Emilie Rusch:

“Clark has led the regional economic development office for the past 14 years, serving as a key player in virtually every major business relocation and expansion along the Front Range since first landing a job with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce in 1985.”

Burson-Marstellar has promoted Mike Fernandez, the former Denver-based vice president of Public Relations at US West, to CEO of its U.S. operations. Fernandez joined Burson last September as chairman of its Global Corporate and Financial Practice.

Denver-based Digital marketing agency Location3 has selected East Coast-based Resound Marketing as its agency of record. Resound was chosen “to apply its signature PR storytelling style to raise awareness of Location3’s sophisticated cross-channel marketing approach for Fortune 500 companies, multi-location brands and franchise systems.”

In one of her first moves on swearing-in day, new Denver District Attorney Beth McCann “has dismissed Lynn Kimbrough, the long-time public information officer who often was the face of the district attorney’s office, according to Noelle Phillips at The Denver Post. McCann named Ken Lane, “a veteran spokesman for Democratic politicians” including Secretary/Senator/Attorney General Ken Salazar, to the position.

Denver-based Sprocket Communications has added the Fort Collins-based distillery Old Elk and the Professional Ski Instructors of American & American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) as clients.

Jason Blevins at The Denver Post writes the obituary for Factory Design Labs:

Factory Design Labs is dead.

Denver’s iconic, independent ad agency with posh offices in Cherry Creek and big-name clients like Audi, The North Face and Oakley, has shut down only two months after celebrating its 20th year in business.

At its peak, Factory Design Labs employed more than 100 workers spread across offices in Colorado, Switzerland, Shanghai and California. The company climbed to international prominence crafting ad campaigns for Aspen Skiing Co., Sports Authority, Callaway Golf, Head Tennis, Jim Beam and MapQuest. Factory’s fall began last year, when it lost its account with The North Face, which named Factory as its agency of record in 2007. Oakley and Callaway Golf were gone by then. Sports Authority was collapsing. Factory’s latest clients included Eddie Bauer, MapQuest, Head Tennis and local restaurant chain Punch Bowl Social.

Last year, several magazine publishers blasted Factory for not paying for ads. Many high-profile magazines said Factory offered pennies on the dollar when it was unable to pay for ads, citing the sudden loss of The North Face account. Publishers reported losing tens of thousands of dollars.

Loveland-based Fyn Public Relations has hired Kayla Roofe as an assistant account executive. In her new role, Kayla is responsible for ongoing support for all firm and client activities including strategy, media relations, digital and social media, community relations and marketing communications.

 

From The Wall Street Journal:

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (Chief Marketing and Development Officer) Mark Crumpacker pleaded guilty on Friday to a misdemeanor that will be dismissed next year if he submits to drug testing and undergoes treatment.

Prosecutors in New York said the burrito chain’s chief creative and development officer participated in a cocaine drug ring. He pleaded guilty to a single count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.

Mr. Crumpacker, who returned to Chipotle in September after less than three months on leave, told investors in October that he had learned from his mistakes. “I’m sorry I caused a distraction for the company,” he said.

Colorado State University students have long benefited from the school’s PRSSA chapter (as well as from its unofficial/official champion Jane Dvorak). Now, the University of Colorado Boulder has launched its own PRSSA chapter with an equally talented and passionate sponsor – Dawn Doty.

If you would like to find ways to support the new CU chapter, contact Dawn via email. And if you would like to support the CSU chapter, contact chapter president Allyson Katherine Berry via email.

Hat Tip: @romenesko

Longtime Denver-based public relations professionals Sydney Ayers, Lisa Cutter and Jane Dvorak have launched The Colorado 100, a news digest featuring 100-word articles and 100-second videos on a variety of topics. The publication is delivered bi-weekly to subscriber’s inboxes.

Linhart PR promoted Kelly Womer to senior vice president and Kelly Janhunen to vice president. Womer and Janhunen are two of the firm’s four partners, who also include Managing Partner Paul Raab and CFO Carri Clemens.

Linhart also added Shannon Hughes as a new associate. Hughes was previously an intern, supporting various clients with research, media outreach, content development and results reporting.

Broomfield-based, fast-casual restaurant chain Noodles and Company has named Danielle Moore director of communications. Moore previously was the PR and communications manager at Chipotle.