David E. Johnson – Alister & Paine

Press Release or Media Pitch?

David E. JohnsonSeptember 22, 2014

I am often asked by business leaders how press releases differ from media pitches. It seems everyone has heard of a press release and believes they need one for their public relations campaign. But beyond that they are not sure what a press release...

Communication Lessons that Business Leaders Can Learn from Historic Personages.

David E. JohnsonFebruary 18, 2014

Business leaders need to be strong communicators. Today’s consumer and media expect the CEO, President, or Chairman of the Board of a company to be the company’s spokesperson. Businesses have several audiences – the public, employees, the media, an...

Strategic Public Relations Plans are ESSENTIAL for Businesses

David E. JohnsonNovember 4, 2013

As Warren Buffet once said, “it can take 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it.” This is a lesson that businesses learn over and over again. Of course, everyone wants a good reputation. But how do you get one – and more ...

Lessons Learned from the Crisis Communications Blunders of 2013

David E. JohnsonSeptember 16, 2013

Paula Deen. Anthony Weiner. A-Rod, Bob Filner. This summer has been filled with public relations disasters. It’s not just politicians and celebrities who face PR disasters, businesses do as well. Think about Carnival Cruises, BP, and Toyota. Ea...

Why Service Companies Need Branding Lessons

David E. JohnsonJuly 29, 2013

One of the most frequent comments we hear is, “We are a service oriented company and not a product based company and therefore branding doesn’t make sense for us, or it just won’t work.” We hear it from lawyers, medical service professionals, and th...

The Art of the Sound Bite

David E. JohnsonJuly 15, 2013

It was Jack Faris, former president of the National Federation of Independent Business who first gave this lasting lesson on the art of the sound bite. “People don’t really watch television. They listen to it.” In today’s multi-media-driven wor...

Can Paula Deen Save Her Brand?

David E. JohnsonJune 24, 2013

If ever someone is in need of crisis communications, it’s celebrity chef, Paula Deen. Deen admitted to using the ‘N’ word in reference to African-Americans. Usually any scandal involving race is a career killer, just ask Michael Richards, Jimmy the...