By Lisa Fels Davitt Last week, I posted a tribute to PR in Washington, DC, the city that molded me professionally. Now, I am commemorating NYC, the city that molded me both professionally and personally. So, let’s talk NYC PR. My first taste of true corporate PR and communications, supporting Fortune 500 financial and professional … Read More
Thank you, DC PR
By Lisa Fels Davitt What can I say about Washington, DC? It’s the city that took me from an 18-year-old public communications major at American University to a full-fledged adult and business owner. It’s the city that gave me my start. I cut my teeth in politics at NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg’s office and volunteered … Read More
With the Arrival of the Omicron Variant, Here’s How PR Can be Prepared
This article originally ran on PR Daily. Consider these five rules to help meet the moment of a new wrinkle in the fight against the pandemic What can we say when—let’s be honest—we have no freaking idea what’s going to happen and how it could affect our clients and their audiences? The COVID-19 pandemic has … Read More
How PR Pros Should Respond to ‘Cancel Culture’
This article originally ran on PR Daily. I think PR people are predisposed to hate cancel culture. We’re in the business of promoting brands and individuals who serve brands, and cancel culture makes our job much harder to do. Also, I don’t think most PR people support “canceling” a person or brand for entertainment. However, … Read More
The 2021 Communicator’s Imperative: Take a Stand
As I read about the first-ever second presidential impeachment, I consider the reaction thus far from our nation’s top company leaders and communicators. The messaging and tone in response to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol is a far cry from what I witnessed in the late 90s when I began my career. … Read More
Five Years Later: What’s Changed and Some Advice for PR-osperity
I could not have predicted that my firm would evolve and grow so much throughout the past five years. Succession Communications was born on October 27, 2015. Since then, the work has been challenging and rewarding, but never boring. I’m forever grateful to my phenomenal clients, colleagues, partners, family and friends. But enough about Succession. … Read More
COVID-19: Media Training Ain’t Dead, It’s Different
Reports of media training’s death are greatly exaggerated. But in the COVID-19 era, it is different. Spokespeople are no longer focused just on the messages they deliver, but on their background scenery and performance of their technology. As a former journalist, and now with more than 20 years in the public relations, I have conducted media … Read More
How to Choose a Public Relations Firm? A Consumer RePRts Guide
“All PR firms are the same. I can just give them direction and get what I need out of them.” A client who has never worked with an agency might think that. Guess what? It’s not true. Budgets are tight and expectations are high especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-house communications pros and other clients … Read More
Consumer RePRts: The Best Clients…And the Ones to Avoid
“COVID-19 has screwed the economy, so we have to take the clients we can get.” Wrong. That’s not only short-sighted, it could be very damaging to PR firms. A shaky economy is not an excuse to compromise our standards in the PR business. PR firms should seek out the best possible client base (similarly, in-house … Read More
Want to Earn Media Coverage? Do These Three Things…At Least
“Oh, I don’t call to follow up with the journalists I send my email pitch to. They are too busy, and I don’t want to disturb them.” …um I’m sorry, what? That’s what a former colleague of mine told me she was told by a public relations practitioner. I couldn’t believe what I heard. As … Read More