As someone who is a writer for a publication that covers startups (www.madisonstartups.com), I see a variety of press releases from new companies–some are good, some are not.
Here are some tips on when to issue a press release and when you shouldn’t.
Continue reading “When a Startup Should and Shouldn’t Issue a Press Release”
Like pitching traditional media outlets, there are some nuances to pitching food bloggers to cover your product, restaurant or gadget. Gone are the days when food bloggers were surprised that a brand would reach out to them, and they did anything you wanted.
Now, food bloggers are in media databases like Cision to which PR practitioners subscribe. They have high readership levels, subscribers and/or followers. Unfortunately, too many are charging for reviews, and we will ignore them for the purpose of this guide.
To increase your chances of a positive experience and perhaps an ongoing relationship, here are some do’s and don’ts when pitching to food bloggers. (I have experience on both ends, as I also am a food blogger.)
Continue reading “Do’s and Don’ts When Pitching to Food Bloggers”
Earlier this summer, the Northwestern University football program came under investigation after reports of hazing/sexual misconduct. This came after a casual Friday afternoon press release right before the July 4 weekend. To make a long story short, as more details emerged, the head coach said he was unaware of the alleged incidents but was eventually fired.
A similar situation happened at Lousiville with former coach Rick Pitino, who said he “had no knowledge of any payments to any recruit or their family.”
This begs the question, “Should the leader of an organization take the blame, even when they honestly weren’t aware of a situation?”
In my opinion, yes, the head coach (in this situation), boss or CEO should take the blame. At the end of the day, the head coach is ultimately responsible for the football team in the way it plays and conducts itself on and off the field. They are the ones who should be held accountable, no matter what.
Not only is the head coach responsible for the players, but they also oversee assistant coaches, office staff and volunteers. No doubt that is a lot of personnel to manage, but that is still no excuse. A leader can be apprised of the daily happenings of their organization without micromanaging.
Second, what implications would it send if the team/company allowed this person to keep their job? It seems like it would indicate to the university that this behavior is acceptable, or that the head coach is untouchable because of status or success on the field.
I think that even if Pat Fitzgerald had come out and said, “Even though I was unaware, I vow to investigate and change the culture of this team to prevent this from happening again,” Northwestern did the right thing in firing him. You see it everywhere: companies firing executives to protect themselves.
While Northwestern made the seemingly right move in firing the football head coach, it could have done some things differently in terms of crisis management: