Blog
Taking Control of the VA Crisis
Dennis Culloton, President & CEO When is it time for the top executive to take center stage in damage control? This question is asked in every war room where crisis managers try to control stories. But it seems clear President Obama's team has underestimated the size, scope and longevity of the Veteran's Administration (VA) crisis.
A Head Start
Angelica Munoz, Intern Most college students wait until after their second or even third year, to start looking for an internship. However, after completing my first year at Seton Hall University, the importance of networking and beginning the job search process early has already been instilled in me. The main difficulty in finding an internship
Round Two
Patrick O'Connell, Senior Intern As a first year intern, you really don’t know what to expect or what is expected of you. Mixed emotions of excitement and fear rattle your nerves for the first few weeks, which then lead to confidence by the end of your tenure. I have been lucky enough to return to
“The Sterling Decision”
By Julia Schatz, Senior Account Executive The NBA recently faced a highly-controversial, racially-driven crisis when L.A. Clippers team owner Donald Sterling was caught on tape late last week making racist comments. Players demanded Sterling’s exit from the league, fans expressed outrage, and sponsors canceled their contracts with the Clippers. The reaction by the NBA, specifically
To Wrigley Field, on your 100th birthday
Ashleigh Johnston, Account Executive Baseball is life in my house. My dad is the biggest fan I know and is a veritable walking baseball encyclopedia. Even though I don’t quite share his level of passion, baseball is omnipresent. That being said, some of my first memories of baseball are at Wrigley Field. I spent the
From Crain's Chicago Business: BP contained bad press along with oil in Lake Michigan spill
Dave Bayless, consultant to Culloton Strategies, was recently asked by Crain's Chicago Business to write an op-ed that analyzed BP's crisis communications performance in the immediate aftermath of last month's oil spill at the company's Whiting, IN refinery. Here is the full article that appeared April 9: When it was learned that crude oil was leaking from its
Defining Moments
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Womenetics POW! Awards honoring purposeful women in Chicagoland. Womenetics introduces career women to issues that impact, ideas that inspire, individuals that lead and institutions that matter. It was truly an inspiring group of women and men coming together in support of
Coming Out. Ready or Not.
Julia Schatz, Senior Account Executive A few weeks ago, Michael Sam, Mizzou’s defensive end and the 2013 SEC co-defensive Player of the Year, came out, positioning him to potentially become the first openly gay player in the NFL. Although this is no longer breaking news, the story will continue to make headlines as Sam represents
What we love about PR
There may be long hours, difficult standoffs with the media and tight deadlines, but we wouldn't have it any other way! Here's a short list of reasons why our team loves PR: Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President -Adrenaline Rush: We all ended up in this business because we love the challenge of strategizing, communicating and
The People Trap Set by a Mouse
Ashleigh Johnston, Account Executive Strategy. It’s all that really matters when it comes down to it. Whether you have compelling news you need to get out, or a crisis you are trying to bury, if the plan isn’t in place you’ll either get none of the coverage you wanted, or all of the attention you
Arby’s GRAMMY Moment
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President Even though the GRAMMYs were a few weeks ago, I can’t get the funny Arby’s tweet out of my head. In the space of an hour, Arby’s -- which isn’t exactly a name you expect to hear at the GRAMMYs -- became forever linked to music artist and producer Pharrell
The High Road in New Jersey
Dennis Culloton, President & CEO It’s no secret I spent almost four years defending a governor under fire as George Ryan’s press secretary. In some ways I feel like I am watching a re-run as Gov. Chris Christie tries to endure and prevail over a widening political scandal in New Jersey. As you’ve read, key
A midwinter's pep talk
Ashleigh Johnston, Account Executive As the days continue to drag on through an exhausting bitter cold winter, it seems like we are all stuck in an endless loop. Wake up, go to work, come home, go to bed, do it all over again tomorrow. The energy is waning, patience in thinning and fuses are shortening.
The Architecture of Building
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending an Executives' Club breakfast featuring well-known Chicago architect Jeanne Gang. While many in the audience expected a speech about architecture and the mechanics of building, Ms. Gang surprised us with a more global view. It was about building, but not in the traditional
What were the biggest PR blunders of 2013?
Julia Schatz, Senior Account Executive I think one of the biggest PR blunders was made at the very end of 2013 by the now infamous Justine Sacco, a PR executive for the company that owns Match.com, the Daily Beast and more. Late December, before getting on an international flight, she tweeted “Going to Africa. Hope
What's on your PR wish list?
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President My PR wish list is all about time and the lack of it. I wish for a tool that can take every email news alert that comes into my inbox and dump it into a document that has been prioritized based on my interest. The tool would know from day-to-day
A story about baggage claim that ends happily for once.
Ashleigh Johnston, Account Executive In crisis communication, we focus on when brands mess up, when an employee goes rogue or just generally when things go wrong. Airlines are a repeat offender, as fares continue to rise and service decreases. However, one airline crafted a PR stunt that you can’t help but smile about. Passengers were
Lululemon Spreads Holiday Cheer Online and Off with #NoHumbug Challenge
Julia Schatz, Senior Account Executive Lululemon has faced their fair share of PR obstacles this year (think see-through yoga pants) so one might expect me to write about their crisis management. However, in the spirit on the holidays, I chose to focus on a recent campaign Lululemon’s PR team has done very well. Despite my
How would you motivate the dishwasher?
Dennis Culloton, President and CEO How would you motivate the dishwasher? It makes no sense out of context, but this is an important question to ask a candidate for any leadership position. Bill Keena, a client of ours, was once tasked with interviewing several MBA students for a management job at a hotel. In addition
Kudos to Women in the News this Week
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President There have been a series of stories recently in the news about the lack of women in leadership positions in the U.S. No doubt women still face stiff challenges getting into the C-suites and boardrooms, but the times they are a changin’. There are at least three notable announcements this
One Single Second- What does that mean in PR?
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President This past Saturday the sports world stood still for one single second as the Auburn Tigers ran back a missed field goal 109 yards to score the game winning touchdown over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tom Rinaldi memorialized it in the outstanding YouTube video One Second Lasts Forever that has
Facts vs. Fantasy: I’m Binge-Watching “Scandal” for You
Angela Benander, Vice President of Advocacy and Corporate Responsibility Here’s a conversation I’ve had more than once lately: New Acquaintance: “So, what do you do?” AB: “I work at a boutique public relations firm. I specialize in crisis management and communications. I started my career in Washington.” NA: “Oh, like Olivia Pope??” AB: “Who?” NA:
Who would you invite, living or dead, to Thanksgiving dinner?
Nicole Roman, Operations Manager We have quite the crew at my mom's house. Our dinner table resembles the United Nations-my family is a mix of Italian, Polish, Irish and German. My parents adopted two of my brothers from South Korea and my stepsister is Mexican. Between siblings, spouses, partners and their kids, we have at least
Politics, Leadership and the Local Dialect
Conor Culloton, Assistant Account Executive I may not be a registered voter in the state of New Jersey, but if I were, I probably would not have voted for Governor Chris Christie. That being said, even if I don’t agree with the recently re-elected governor of the Garden State on many issues, I have to
#AskJPM turned into a PR #Fail
Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President JPMorgan Chase & Co., in an effort to connect with a younger demographic, learned the hard way yesterday that a good idea in theory doesn’t always mean you should execute it. No doubt there were extensive meetings to discuss ways to engage young people with their business executives. Maybe the
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