12 essential PR books
Forget fiction, nonfiction is where it’s at. If you’re a PR person, these books are for you. Some are old thoroughbreds and some are shiny new ponies. I’m not sure why I used a horse analogy there, but let’s face it; things can get a bit loose at this time of year. If you haven’t read these books (which cover social media, measurement, marketing and more), get going! Grab that [...]
Top tips for sponsorships
Agreeing to a sponsorship deal is like getting married in some regards. The two parties involved need to have a natural affinity for one another and a certain ‘fit’, they need shared values and objectives, a sense of ‘the team’, good communication, willingness to work on the relationship and solid trust and understanding if things go wrong. Before you say “I DO!” to a sponsorship deal, consider the following because [...]
We are loving this website
Ragan’s PR Daily is chock full of articles, tips, case studies, videos, interviews and all around PR goodness. It’s from the States but relevant in any market. Check it out.
PR education in Australia – what do you think about it?
Well? What do you think about it? I’m asking because I’ve just read a short essay that Professor Jim Macnamara wrote for a great report called Public Relations 2011, Issues, Insights, Ideas*. Titled PR Education – Getting the Theory-Practice Balance Right, the premise of his article is that PR students need more theory. By theory Jim means knowledge and critical thinking so universities don’t over-emphasise practical skills or place too little emphasis [...]
A Stellar* wrap up of 2010
What a year! It has been a cracker and in our last blog post for 2010 we’re looking back at highlights from some of the great projects, campaigns, brands and events we worked feverishly on this year. Click below to view. Enjoy!
The big fat blogosphere…start here
If there’s one good habit to develop early in 2010, it’s the habit of exploring and engaging with the blogosphere – but where to start? That’s the question. Lucky for us, people (with a penchant for laborious tasks) like to rank bloggers on lists, which is great if you’d like a short cut to the cream of the crop. For example, Australia has some cracking bloggers who can be found [...]
MJ’s brilliant career, B&T’s December issue
Marguerite Julian (or MJ as we like to call her), Stellar*’s founder and managing director, has featured in this month’s B&T magazine. As a PR person it’s quite comforting to have someone like MJ around because over the span of her career she has seen it, done it and PR’d it all! The thing is, she’s very laid back, modest and unassuming so her remarkable achievements are not often highlighted. [...]
What we did to win a Beauty Directory ‘Star Award’
We’ve been basking in the shiny golden rays of PR glory for the past couple of weeks because at the recent Beauty Directory Star Awards, Stellar* won the Luxe Category for Best PR Campaign. We graciously accepted this starry award for our work with ghd at this year’s Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW). The campaigns submitted were evaluated on key objectives, creativity, innovation and overall success and the PR category [...]
New knowledge for PR professionals: how much do you know?
“I’m supposed to be on top of what’s new in tech, but there’s just too much, too fast; it’s like drinking from a fire hose” I like this quote a lot. American tech columnist, David Pogue, said this and it’s sometimes how I feel trying to keep up with social media. Today’s PR professional needs to be on top of many new things to keep up with the rapid technological and social changes we’re [...]
Food bloggers & PR professionals’ meet up
Lately, there has been some very public instances in which PR people have been ‘named and shamed’ online - on blogs and in twitter – for the way they have approached food bloggers. It hasn’t been pretty and when situations like this occur, it doesn’t do anyone any good. I attribute this strife largely to a general lack of knowledge and understanding about bloggers and blogging. So in an effort to improve relations between PR [...]
A new manifesto for PR
Is it just me or has PR been slammed more in the last month than in the last few years? The industry appears to be copping it from all sides. We’ve had: Neil Shoebridge’s AFR piece titled How to lose clients and annoy reporters. He argues that the PR industry is awash with incompetent people and outlines his top and deady PR sins. Jason Whittaker’s guest post on Mumbrella titled Precious PR [...]
Your news, your publicity, your side of the story, in full and unedited
In the words of Freddy Mercury: “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” The title of this post is a PR ‘fantasy made reality’ by the intro of a website called The FULL STORY. And not just for PR but for any business; we’d all like our news published our way. One of the best things about the internet is the ability to self publish at low or no cost. No longer [...]
Stellar* Analytics PR measurement and evaluation
You don’t know this but today is the Birthday of Stellar* Analytics; it’s officially 1 year old! We’ve been pretty quiet about our new baby but after 12 months of getting to know it, we are ready to unleash it! Stellar* Analytics is our custom measurement, analysis and reporting tool. It’s also a sophisticated online media centre which has pretty much saved our sanity here at Stellar* – but more on that later. Any [...]
What is a consumption cocktail?
Is Monday too soon to be thinking about cocktails? I say no. This is PR and of course, all we crazy PR hedonists do is booze up. So as I poured my first Hendrick’s cocktail of the week (respectfully 1 minute after 12 noon), an interesting article by Fi Bendall caught my eye. It describes, among other really interesting points, the media consumption of her Gen Y teenage kids (16 and 14 years old). “The teens are using new media at every available [...]
A quick bitch about a slack pitch
Today something happened that made me appreciate why journalists loathe PR people who ‘slack pitch’ them. Let me explain. This morning I got an email from a PR person who was pitching their client to me for a possible story on the Stellar* blog. Firstly, the email was addressed to the sender with my email BCC’d, so it was a group email. Immediately I’m thinking: if you don’t know me, [...]
Part 2: How to work with a PR agency
Here’s part two of our post on how to work with a PR agency (part one here if you need it). These tips can make the difference between having an excellent experience or one you’d rather forget. Integration PR works best when fully integrated with your business and the rest of your marketing mix. Ensure that your PR agency is looped in with your other agencies and staff and share details of strategies and campaigns. [...]
The best complaint letter ever
Having returned from Japan yesterday the memory of aeroplane food is clear in my mind (see some fine examples here to refresh your memory). After coming across Oliver Beale’s letter to Richard Branson today about the “culinary journey of hell” he was put through on his flight I was grateful that I didn’t fly Virgin (however I’d like to ask someone at JetStar when teriyaki chicken rolls became popular for breakfast?) Aside [...]
Part 1: How to work with a PR agency
Now you have gone through the selection process and picked your agency, you need to figure out how to work together to ensure the best results for you and your brand. Think of your agency as your best friend to get the best you can out of the relationship. Here is the first set of tips to get you started: Setting up the account The first [...]
How to choose a PR agency
Public Relations is unfortunately still one of those professions that I find myself constantly having to explain to people at dinner parties, in taxis, to my grandma (I have tried many times to no avail!). So if you are a PR virgin and looking for an agency, what should you really be looking for? If it is your first time wandering into the wilderness, take a moment to read on [...]
Reputation management at Christmas parties
With Christmas fast approaching, our thoughts turn to eating, drinking, presents and of course… the office Christmas party. Some see this anticipated event as an opportunity to show off their extra curricular skills – kung fu dancing, ear-splitting karaoke, jumping through their own leg (I’ve seen this and it’s awe inspiring!). Sound all too familiar? You may think of the above as such tom foolery; that surely we, as PR extraordinaires, would [...]
Rats and the rumour mill
I’ve never been fond of vermin; dirty, shifty little things they are. Somewhere in Sydney there is a rat spreading a rumour about our client, Justin Hemmes from Merivale. If you have any information, please call 1800-rat or leave a comment. Posted by Renee Creer
PR without borders
Here are some things you might not know about us relating to space and time because we’re not just Stellar* in Surry Hills; we’re Stellar* all over the world. We work both nationally and internationally. Our clients are based in all states of Australia, in major capital cities and small country towns (shout out to Brown Brothers in north-east Victoria… lovely spot that. You fly there in a 24 seat twin [...]
Social media and the evolution of the PR industry
“Change is the only constant” The last ‘big change’ change I can remember in the PR industry involved switching from faxing to emailing press releases and wow, didn’t that shake things up! In case you didn’t realise, PR is undergoing some pretty big changes and we have social media to thank for these exciting times. The evolution of technology and the creation of social tools on the web has opened up a brand new world [...]
Whose idea is it anyway?
There’s a scene in Zoolander when Mugatu says “Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigre? They’re all the same face! Doesn’t anybody notice this? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!” Crazy pills indeed. We recently lost a pitch because another agency came up with an idea that was like nothing the client had seen or hear of before. When you lose an account for that kind of reason you think “well, [...]
