REICH COMMUNICATIONS

Super Bowl = Super Ad Showcase

 

CBS says ads for Super Bowl LIII are more than 90 percent sold out, with just over two weeks to go.  And title sponsorships have been sold for each hour of pre-game and post-game shows.

Marketers are shelling out more than $5.2 million for a 30-second spot.

CBS expects the extravaganza in Atlanta to bring in $500 million, topping the $414 million that NBC earned for last year's Super Bowl.

Understandably, CBS will milk the event for all they can get.  Starting at 11:30 a.m. eastern, with seven hours of pre-game shows.  They'll be covering the game with 115 cameras, including four with live augmented reality graphics.  CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus says the broadcast "will look as innovative as any broadcast in history."

For many people, Super Bowl is as much about the ads as it's about the football.  Top advertisers this year are automotive, beer and beverage, movie studios and technology companies.  Returningf advertisers include Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, Doritos, Avocados from Mexico (even with tariffs), and WeatherTech.

 

 

PR in 2019

Despite the changing media landscape and continuing bluster about "fake" news, 2019 should present many of the same old challenges for the publicity sector of the Public Relations practice.

Media remain media, whether traditional or "new" media.  The editors and content producers - whether at a newspaper, TV newsroom, a podcast or an online site - still want material that will draw the attention of readers and viewers.  That means that we in PR must think like editors and provide story ideas and background that's relevant.  We must spend time to develop a good pitch that clearly and succinctly outlines what we are offering and why it is relevant and timely. 

How we in PR maintain contact with editors and producers has changed from when I first got into the field.  Way back, you had meetings and lunches with editors, in order to pitch your story ideas.  These days, media people have little free time for lunch or even desk-side meetings.  They take pitches by email and via Twitter and other social media.  More than ever, a good email subject line is crucial. And since the news cycle is 24/7, journalists often respond by email during the "off" hours of the evening or weekends.  Long gone is the 9-5 business day.  

Relationships with key journalists are still important, but many of those relationships are now digital or by phone only.  The relationships come from reliably providing story ideas and/or interview subjects. 

Planning is still important, since non-breaking stories are often determined days or more in advance.  Yet we must remain alert to fast-breaking things happening in the world and online, including what's going around on social media.  There seems to be a lot more to try to keep track of.

What has changed most during the past three years is that the entire news cycle can be -- and often is -- totally disrupted by a presidential tweet.  Despite all the planning, relationship-building and carefully crafted pitching, journalists can at the last moment be totally sidetracked onto other stories.  Or the time and space that might normally be allotted for your story may disappear as seemingly every moment or column inch gets devoted to a tweet and its fallout.

That's the new reality in the news and PR business.  That's not to say PR hasn't always been a challenging field whose results often rely on things beyond our control.  The challenges have changed a bit.

But when it works, public relations can be powerful and cost-effective in shaping thoughts and actions.  And for me, as a practitioner, it can be and usually still is fun.  

 

Four Years

 

 

Remembering my pal Loki, at his favorite spot looking out the bedroom window from his chair.

It's been four years and I still miss his puppy kisses every day.

Happy New Year

 Health, Happiness and Peace

    from New York City

PR Loses a Gentle Giant

Jack O'Dwyer, who chronicled the public relations industry for 50 years, died last week at 85.   Jack's weekly newsletter, aptly named Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter, covered PR  since 1968 and it will continue to do so under the helm of his son John.

For many years, the newsletter was simply 2-4 typewritten pages, copied on cream-colored paper.  It was the first publication to regularly cover the PR business, reporting on executive moves, client gains and losses, PR campaigns and various issues facing the PR business.  His editorials and expose' stories often took to task companies, agencies and especially the industry's professional trade group, the Public Relations Society of America.  At its peak, it reached more than 30,000 subscribers.

In an obit in yesterday's editions, The Washington Post called him "an industry watchdog who, in the view of many, raised the standards of the PR profession."  It referred to his newsletters as "essential reading among PR professionals and were credited with making the field more ethical and transparent." 

Once I began blogging, Jack would call me periodically to discuss an issue I had written about, and he sometimes would encourage me to write about issues he cared deeply about -- professional standards, honesty and being responsive to reporters.  A few times, once his newsletter went digital, he wrote about or linked to columns I had written here on my blog.

Jack's voice will be missed in the public relations business.

The Question of the Season

 

Here's something I posted three years ago, but I feel it's worth repeating at this time of year, especially this year as we could use a little smile and spiritual uplift. 

I hope you enjoy it.  

    ....

My daughter Jennifer was taking her older son Jack, 10, to school recently and, as he got out of the car, he asked a question that worries many parents at this time of year.  His question -- "Is Santa real?"

Jen didn't have a simple answer, so she said it was complicated and she'd tell him when he got home from school.  She thought about it and wrote down her thoughts in a beautiful letter that I'm sharing below, with Jen's permission.

An interesting side note... Jen is Jewish and her husband Jon is Christian.  The boys, Jack and his brother Gabriel, 6, are being raised with traditions from both faiths.  Not necessarily the religious dogma, but traditions like lighting the menorah on Chanukah, having matzoh for Passover and, of course, at this time of year decorating the Christmas tree and waiting for Santa.

I am so proud of my daughter for expressing her thoughts so beautifully and helping keep alive a beautiful tradition that makes this time of year magical for so many people -- especially children.  Wouldn't it be nice if in this way we could all retain our inner child?

Here's Jen's note to my grandson Jack...

Dear Jack,

You asked a really good question earlier and I didn’t have time to answer it then. It is a question I knew was coming sooner than later, and I had a feeling it might come around this Christmas. It is a question that parents all over the word have to face at some time, and it is bittersweet. So I came home and gave it some serious thought and here is my answer to your question, “Is Santa real?”

Yes and no. Your image of Santa, as a big, fat, jolly man in a red suit and a beard, flying all over the world in s sleigh, is not real. You are a smart kid and you probably have questioned for some time how that could be possible. The presents under the tree that are from Santa are in fact from Daddy and I, and we fill the stockings too. After you and your brother go to sleep on Christmas Eve, Daddy and I are hard at work, sneaking quietly to make Christmas magical- just like Grammy and Poppy did for Daddy, and their parents did for them.

And that is where the other part of the answer comes in- Santa may not be real in the way you thought, but the spirit of him is a real part of Christmas. The story of Santa has been around for hundreds of years and the magic his story creates for children is a beautiful thing. And for adults too! I know that Santa is not real in an actual sense, but I still believe in his spirit as a grown up. I still feel the beauty and magic and love on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, even though I know the truth. And I hope you will too.

Santa teaches love and magic, and hope and happiness. He creates the ability to believe that anything is possible, that there are miracles in the world, and that giving to others freely is the surest way to fill your heart- and theirs- with joy.

So while now you may know that Santa himself isn’t sneaking down our chimney at night, I sincerely hope that you can still believe in the magic and beauty of his story. I hope that Christmas still feels special for you and that one day, you will make the Santa story come alive for your own children.

Learning about Santa is a big step in growing up. I have to admit, I shed a tear or two writing this as there is a certain part of childhood you are leaving behind. But here is the neat thing: you now get to be a creator of this magic, a helper, and elf, if you will. It is important to let each child realize the Santa story on their own, or the magic can be ruined. You are now a guardian of Santa- like Daddy and I have been for you. You must keep his story alive for those that still believe, like your brother and your friends. It is a really big responsibility but one that you must take seriously. You can now help spread the love and the belief in miracles and the magic of Santa- you are now on his team, as Daddy and I have been for all the Christmas mornings you can remember. Welcome.

You may have more questions, and I am happy to answer them. Or you may just need to let this sit for a while. Just know that while the Santa you see at the mall surely is not real, the love and generosity and spirit of kindness and giving that he instills in people is very real and very important. Be sure to carry the Santa story with you in your heart forever.

With love and respect, as you grow up--

Mama

Here's something I posted three years ago, but I feel it's worth repeating at this time of year, especially this year as we could use a little smile and spiritual uplift. 

I hope you enjoy it.  

    ....

My daughter Jennifer was taking her older son Jack, 10, to school recently and, as he got out of the car, he asked a question that worries many parents at this time of year.  His question -- "Is Santa real?"

Jen didn't have a simple answer, so she said it was complicated and she'd tell him when he got home from school.  She thought about it and wrote down her thoughts in a beautiful letter that I'm sharing below, with Jen's permission.

An interesting side note... Jen is Jewish and her husband Jon is Christian.  The boys, Jack and his brother Gabriel, 6, are being raised with traditions from both faiths.  Not necessarily the religious dogma, but traditions like lighting the menorah on Chanukah, having matzoh for Passover and, of course, at this time of year decorating the Christmas tree and waiting for Santa.

I am so proud of my daughter for expressing her thoughts so beautifully and helping keep alive a beautiful tradition that makes this time of year magical for so many people -- especially children.  Wouldn't it be nice if in this way we could all retain our inner child?

Here's Jen's note to my grandson Jack...

Dear Jack,

You asked a really good question earlier and I didn’t have time to answer it then. It is a question I knew was coming sooner than later, and I had a feeling it might come around this Christmas. It is a question that parents all over the word have to face at some time, and it is bittersweet. So I came home and gave it some serious thought and here is my answer to your question, “Is Santa real?”

Yes and no. Your image of Santa, as a big, fat, jolly man in a red suit and a beard, flying all over the world in s sleigh, is not real. You are a smart kid and you probably have questioned for some time how that could be possible. The presents under the tree that are from Santa are in fact from Daddy and I, and we fill the stockings too. After you and your brother go to sleep on Christmas Eve, Daddy and I are hard at work, sneaking quietly to make Christmas magical- just like Grammy and Poppy did for Daddy, and their parents did for them.

And that is where the other part of the answer comes in- Santa may not be real in the way you thought, but the spirit of him is a real part of Christmas. The story of Santa has been around for hundreds of years and the magic his story creates for children is a beautiful thing. And for adults too! I know that Santa is not real in an actual sense, but I still believe in his spirit as a grown up. I still feel the beauty and magic and love on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, even though I know the truth. And I hope you will too.

Santa teaches love and magic, and hope and happiness. He creates the ability to believe that anything is possible, that there are miracles in the world, and that giving to others freely is the surest way to fill your heart- and theirs- with joy.

So while now you may know that Santa himself isn’t sneaking down our chimney at night, I sincerely hope that you can still believe in the magic and beauty of his story. I hope that Christmas still feels special for you and that one day, you will make the Santa story come alive for your own children.

Learning about Santa is a big step in growing up. I have to admit, I shed a tear or two writing this as there is a certain part of childhood you are leaving behind. But here is the neat thing: you now get to be a creator of this magic, a helper, and elf, if you will. It is important to let each child realize the Santa story on their own, or the magic can be ruined. You are now a guardian of Santa- like Daddy and I have been for you. You must keep his story alive for those that still believe, like your brother and your friends. It is a really big responsibility but one that you must take seriously. You can now help spread the love and the belief in miracles and the magic of Santa- you are now on his team, as Daddy and I have been for all the Christmas mornings you can remember. Welcome.

You may have more questions, and I am happy to answer them. Or you may just need to let this sit for a while. Just know that while the Santa you see at the mall surely is not real, the love and generosity and spirit of kindness and giving that he instills in people is very real and very important. Be sure to carry the Santa story with you in your heart forever.

With love and respect, as you grow up--

Mama

My daughter Jennifer was taking her older son Jack, 10, to school recently and, as he got out of the car, he asked a question that worries many parents at this time of year.  His question -- "Is Santa real?"

Jen didn't have a simple answer, so she said it was complicated and she'd tell him when he got home from school.  She thought about it and wrote down her thoughts in a beautiful letter that I'm sharing below, with Jen's permission.

An interesting side note... Jen is Jewish and her husband Jon is Christian.  The boys, Jack and his brother Gabriel, 6, are being raised with traditions from both faiths.  Not necessarily the religious dogma, but traditions like lighting the menorah on Chanukah, having matzoh for Passover and, of course, at this time of year decorating the Christmas tree and waiting for Santa.

I am so proud of my daughter for expressing her thoughts so beautifully and helping keep alive a beautiful tradition that makes this time of year magical for so many people -- especially children.  Wouldn't it be nice if in this way we could all retain our inner child?

Here's Jen's note to my grandson Jack...

Dear Jack,

You asked a really good question earlier and I didn’t have time to answer it then. It is a question I knew was coming sooner than later, and I had a feeling it might come around this Christmas. It is a question that parents all over the word have to face at some time, and it is bittersweet. So I came home and gave it some serious thought and here is my answer to your question, “Is Santa real?”

Yes and no. Your image of Santa, as a big, fat, jolly man in a red suit and a beard, flying all over the world in s sleigh, is not real. You are a smart kid and you probably have questioned for some time how that could be possible. The presents under the tree that are from Santa are in fact from Daddy and I, and we fill the stockings too. After you and your brother go to sleep on Christmas Eve, Daddy and I are hard at work, sneaking quietly to make Christmas magical- just like Grammy and Poppy did for Daddy, and their parents did for them.

And that is where the other part of the answer comes in- Santa may not be real in the way you thought, but the spirit of him is a real part of Christmas. The story of Santa has been around for hundreds of years and the magic his story creates for children is a beautiful thing. And for adults too! I know that Santa is not real in an actual sense, but I still believe in his spirit as a grown up. I still feel the beauty and magic and love on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, even though I know the truth. And I hope you will too.

Santa teaches love and magic, and hope and happiness. He creates the ability to believe that anything is possible, that there are miracles in the world, and that giving to others freely is the surest way to fill your heart- and theirs- with joy.

So while now you may know that Santa himself isn’t sneaking down our chimney at night, I sincerely hope that you can still believe in the magic and beauty of his story. I hope that Christmas still feels special for you and that one day, you will make the Santa story come alive for your own children.

Learning about Santa is a big step in growing up. I have to admit, I shed a tear or two writing this as there is a certain part of childhood you are leaving behind. But here is the neat thing: you now get to be a creator of this magic, a helper, and elf, if you will. It is important to let each child realize the Santa story on their own, or the magic can be ruined. You are now a guardian of Santa- like Daddy and I have been for you. You must keep his story alive for those that still believe, like your brother and your friends. It is a really big responsibility but one that you must take seriously. You can now help spread the love and the belief in miracles and the magic of Santa- you are now on his team, as Daddy and I have been for all the Christmas mornings you can remember. Welcome.

You may have more questions, and I am happy to answer them. Or you may just need to let this sit for a while. Just know that while the Santa you see at the mall surely is not real, the love and generosity and spirit of kindness and giving that he instills in people is very real and very important. Be sure to carry the Santa story with you in your heart forever.

With love and respect, as you grow up--

Mama

It's Winter in New York

                       Welcome to winter... and 60 degrees outside. 

Bagels ... Good Tastes and Good Memories

 

Thanks to my friend Toby Bloomberg in Atlanta, I'm reminded that today is National Bagel Day.  In her Facebook post, she asked what goes best on a bagel.  My preference ... lox, cream cheese, some onion and maybe a thin slice of tomato.  I also like scallion cream cheese, or on a plain or salt bagel, just some butter melted in if the bagel is hot.

I also told Toby I like New York bagels best, with Montreal bagels a close second.  The Montreal pick is thanks to Mark Goren, who I met at the Blogger Social 11 years ago.  We got into a debate about bagels and he brought me some fresh bagels from his hometown on a subsequent trip to New York.  The bagels he brought were very convincing.

When I was young, bagels were pretty much a Jewish food, found mainly in cities were many Jews lived.  Even back then, New Yorkers were kind of snobbish about our bagels being the best.  "Its the water" was the common reason given.

Bagels, like pizza and tacos, have moved beyond their ethnic roots and are now American food, available almost everywhere.  Thanks to a baker in New Haven, who came up with the idea of selling frozen bagels, Lenders and others are now commonplace in supermarkets pretty much throughout the U.S.  Do they stand the taste test against real bagels?  Not even close.

And thanks to modern technology and franchising, locally-made bagels are found just about everywhere.  Taste-wise, though, it's hit or miss -- mostly miss.  Even chains with Jewish-sounding names like Einstein's and Bruegger's or New York Bagel just don't make it.

I've tried bagels in other places with big Jewish populations and most of the time I've been disappointed.  I haven't yet found great bagels in Chicago. L.A., Baltimore, Atlanta (sorry Toby) nor points east, west, north or south.

Even here in New York, it's not a slam-dunk when you buy a bagel.  Most deli and bodega bagels seem like plain white bread with a hole in the middle.  You have to know where to go for a real good New York bagels -- even here in New York.  Ess-a-Bagel on 21st and 1st and also on 3rd and 51st are among the best.  Zabar's and Zaro's are pretty good.  H&H, if it's still around, was also great.

The best bagels EVER may be tainted by memory, since I haven't had one for more than 45 or 50 years.  There was a bagel bakery under the Jerome Avenue el in the Bronx, just above Mosholu Parkway.  They made bagels that were distributed to other bakeries and restaurants throughout the Bronx and Westchester and maybe also into Manhattan.  And they also sold them to walk-in customers.

Back in the mid-1960s, I would go down to the Bronx many Saturday nights to pick up fresh, hot bagels to bring home for breakfast the next morning.  I'd usually head down around 10 p.m. with my friend Tommy Larkin.  Tommy had a beat-up old 1950 Ford that someone had given him and he was constantly working on it. The floorboards had rusted through, so you could see the pavement moving by under your feet.  For a few weeks while he was restoring the seats, we sat on milk crates, hanging on for dear life every time he made a turn.  And I don't think the heater ever worked in that car.

We'd freeze our tushes off on the way down to the Bronx.  When we'd get back in the car, each of us with a bag filled with a baker's dozen of steaming hot bagels right out of the factory, we'd open the bags to have a bagel on the ride home.  And the steam from those bagels would fog the inside windows and keep us warm for the ride home.  And the smell.... heaven!

There was nothing like those Bronx bagels and, for me, there probably never will be.

What We Do: Drive Safe Los Angeles

Just finished a few days at the Los Angeles Auto Show, exhibiting for The National Road Safety Foundation.  

We had a chance to speak with hundreds of parents and teens about driving safety and gave them good info about safe driving behavior.  We also debuted the winner of the Drive Safe L.A. PSA contest.  Click here to see the 30-second spot.

Looking forward to coming back next November.  Our next auto show project will be at the Chicago Auto Show in February.  Brrr!

 

Who's Listening?

 

Americans spend nearly four hours a day listening to some form of audio, according to a study reported recently in The Wall Street Journal.

The bulk of audio time – 50 percent -- comes from traditional broadcast radio stations, both AM and FM.  Nearly tied as the second and third most popular sources are streaming (16 percent) and personally-owned music (14 percent), from CDs, downloaded music and even records. 

Following distantly is satellite radio – SiriusXM – at eight percent despite the fact that virtually every new car these days comes with a 3-month free trial.  SiriusXM is costly, so they probably lose many listeners once the free trial period expires.

And then there’s podcasts, today accounting for about four percent of listening.   But the relatively small portion of total listening time doesn’t give the full podcast picture.  About 26 percent of Americans listen to a podcast at least once a month – twice what it was only five years ago.  That’s about 73 million people ages 12 and up. 

What I find interesting is which podcast publishers today have the biggest audience.  Not the networks.  Not Spotify or Pandora.  NPR (National Public Radio) has the biggest podcast audience, with almost 19 million unique listeners every month.  iHeart Radio is second, with 14 million monthly listeners.  Two public radio programmers -  This American Life and PRX – have 9.9 and 7.2 million listeners.

The New York Times is at #6, with 7 million listeners for its daily news and analysis podcasts, followed by New York’s public radio station WNYC, with 6.6 million.

Podcasts often are supported, in part at least, by ads.  Podcast ad revenue this year is expected to hit $400 million, up from about $260 million last year.   Analysts expect it to exceed $600 million by 2020.

The big streamers Spotify and Pandora do carry podcasts, but they haven’t yet been a significant revenue stream for them.  Spotify carries about 150,000 podcasts and Pandora has a few hundred.  They say listening time for podcasts on their platforms represents less than one percent of their total listening time.

But that will likely change in the next few years, as the big streaming services see the potential and want a big piece of the anticipated growth in podcast ad revenues.  Their goal, says The Wall Street Journal, is to take more listeners – and more revenues – from broadcast radio.  The radio broadcasters don’t want to lose any share, but with total annual ad revenues of $14 billion, they’re hardly panicking.   

 

Going to Pot

TV news this morning showed long lines of people in the rain as they waited for the first legal recreational marijuana shops to open in Massachusetts, the latest state to make recreational pot legal.  It's the first state east of the Mississippi that's gone legal, although several more are expected to follow in the coming years.

As a child of the '60s, I sometimes wonder why it's taken so long.  Back in the day, it seemed like the majority of young people smoked pot.  Many of us thought as our generation became adults and took the reigns of power in business and in politics, pot would eventually become legal.  We knew it wouldn't be overnight, but nearly 50 years?

In grad school, I wrote a paper on how the big tobacco companies would market pot once it became legal, and I recall some research that showed Big Tobacco already had taken copyrights on brand names like Acapulco Gold.  Back then, experts were saying pot would be legal in about ten years.

Two years ago, while in Seattle on business, I walked past a pot store.  Curious, I went inside, expecting to walk into a dark and smoky den.  Instead, it was brightly lit with beautiful displays and counter and after counter of cannabis products and related paraphernalia.  The saleswoman, nicely dressed, could tell I was overwhelmed and asked what kind of high I was looking for.

What kind of high?  Huh?

She explained there were products that would relax me, make me feel wide awake, give me the munchies and lots of other types of effects.  I bought a chocolate bar that was supposed to make me feel mellow.  I ate it and... nothing.

But that shopping experience was a far cry from the days when your retailer was a friend of a friend, and you never knew what to expect when you took a toke.

Adweek recently devoted an entire issue to what it called "Flower Power."  The cannabis industry is expected to grow to some $200 billion.  I'm not sure if R.J. Reynolds or whatever else remains of the big tobacco companies have any holdings in cannabis companies, but Constellation Brands, which has Corona and Modello among the beer brands it imports, recently offered $4 billion to buy Canopy Growth, a Canadian cannabis producer that is the world's largest, producing mainly medical marijuana at this point. Clearly, Constellation sees some real potential in the marketplace. 

I did some publicity about two years ago for a guy who wrote a book called Pot Luck that explained and extolled the benefits of medical marijuana.  It was a good read and did a good job explaining how herbal alternatives including cannabis often -- but not always -- offered relief or cures where traditional medicine didn't.

As someone who works in the traffic safety field, I am also seeing evidence of more crashes in states where pot has become legal.  Unlike when you're drunk, you can be high and still manage -- or think you're managing -- to drive safely.  But reaction time is slowed and if something happens quickly on the road, a high driver -- an impaired driver -- may have a problem.

So I think that, along with legalization, should come a public education campaign to make drivers aware of the dangers of driving while high.  We've done it for alcohol over he years, so why not help people understand the risks of driving while high.  It can help those who want to indulge do it safely, without putting everyone else on the road at risk.