Many know Taylor Swift as a music star and international personality. When she speaks young people listen. Then they buy her music, in droves. Her latest album, 1989, sold over 1 million copies in its first week. It is the top selling album of 2014. What many don’t know is the marketing genius behind the Taylor Swift…
Solomon/Turner principal Steve Turner spent some time with the crew at Fox2 in St Louis to talk about Taylor Swift’s new 1989 campaign, lessons learned, and tips for your own business. Originally aired on Fox 2 St Louis
President Bush Takes The Challenge-USA Today The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been a PR campaign for the ages. By now you have participated in your own challenge or at least seen one on video. The Challenge consists of a friend, associate or colleague asking you to dump a bucket of ice water on your…
I recently attended a motivational seminar in St. Louis. One of the speakers featured was a fast rising motivational star, Eric Thomas. Eric told the story of the lion and the gazelle. He recited an often quoted refrain. The original one may have be penned by Christopher McDougall in his book Born to Run: A…
Here are five simple rules to follow for anyone thinking about writing a blog for business. 1. Create a goal of what you would like to achieve. Like any other business or marketing tactic, a blog should be part of an overall strategy that helps you connect with your targeted audience. Rather than just blogging…
I had the opportunity to watch a friend and speaker, Fred Miller, http://www.NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com deliver a great talk recently on how to craft an elevator speech. The elevator speech, as defined by Wikipedia, is a pitch, speech, or statement used as a short summary to quickly and simply define a person, profession, product, service, organization or event and its value proposition. It…
I was honored to host a series of roundtables with other public relations professionals at PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) Career Development Day in St. Louis. Each PR professional was asked to facilitate a small roundtable with area college students seeking a career in public relations or communications. The goal was to gain an…
The PBS Frontline program “Generation Like” was one of the most revealing documentaries on marketing we have seen in years. While its main focus was on today’s teenagers and social media, many of the marketing strategies and approaches can apply across a wide range of age group segments. While some of the program’s insights are…
The dynamic use of photography can play a large role in any public relations or marketing campaign. Most PR professionals understand the importance of photos when used to introduce new corporate executives and key staff additions. However the use of this medium should not stop there. 1. Photos can be used to add clarity and…
The new year is upon us and that means it’s time to take a hard look at your public relations and marketing strategy for 2014. Four trending topics stand out to help you better connect with your targeted audience, confirm or change perceptions with stakeholders and clients, and convert more prospects into customers. 1. Use more…