Papal palpitations and Catholic communications
Despite all the noise surrounding Pope Benedict’s resignation, we will doubtless see the same arcane processes in the choosing of the next Pope, highlighting all the inadequacies of the Catholic brand at a time when it is weaker than ever. Betting websites are already placing odds on who the next Pope is going to be, […]
The extraordinary life of Jeremy Paxton – a tribute.
This is my account of the extraordinary life of Jeremy Paxton. It’s an assembly of vivid memories I shared with a unique human whom I loved and cherished. Woody Allen once said ‘Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering – and it’s all over much too soon.’ Sadly true when death takes a 53 […]
Jeremy Paxton – The passing of a great maverick
I was devastated to discover that a great friend and former client, Jeremy Paxton, passed away on Tuesday. Jeremy understood the stuff of PR and we were proud to represent his interests. He had an emotional intelligence and understood what was needed to generate a great narrative. Jeremy was a man who allowed me to […]
Beckham and the Bounce-Back Brand
David Beckham epitomises the modern celebrity age: in any other era, we wouldn’t have blinked an eyelid at a 38 year old footballer, other than for the sheer amount of time he had managed to stay in the game. Past his prime, we may no longer celebrate his on-pitch prowess in the same way, but […]
Harry: Prince of Propaganda
Prince Harry is the ultimate recruitment poster boy for the Call of Duty generation. As a soldier Prince, he is in his element: today’s media is plastered with pictures of him in subtle battle dress, poses framed by an apache helicopter gunship, underlining his sense of purpose and presenting him in hero-like dimensions. From Las […]
Lacklustre Lance Better Peddle Fast If He Wants to Remain in the Fame Game
Stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, and most recently, his Sydney Olympic medal, the only wheels turning under Lance Armstrong right now are those of the press machine. After months of denying the allegations placed against him for doping and being placed under a life ban, Armstrong’s missing the taste of the fame […]
HMV's Off to the Pound, But Indie Ain't Out of the Dog House
As HMV calls in the administrators, spare a thought for the indie retailers who are now more exposed than ever to the wave of internet megafauna that have come to dominate the retail landscape. I’ve been involved with the music retail industry for a number of years, and represented Virgin Megastores for almost a decade […]
From Opulence to Obsolescence : Tarantino and the Decline of the Media Junket
Quentin Tarantino’s outburst last week should have come as no surprise to anyone involved in the juggernaut of movie promotion. If anything, it is surprising that it hadn’t come sooner. It is all too easy when watching a five minute long video clip from such an interview to forget the hours and hours – if […]
Selfridge's Guide to Suprasexual Seduction
AS the January sales wear on urging us to grab our discounts before they end, we should spare a thought for Harry Gordon Selfridge, born 149 years ago today. It is only fitting that the week of Selfridge’s birthday has been marked by the launch of two television series celebrating the rise and rise of […]
Embracing chaos
As we settle into the New Year, commentators continue to declare the present state of flux to be the ‘new normal’. In the wake of increasing globalisation and atomisation, humanity is simultaneously more connected and more fractured than ever before – how can brands manage in this new era? The tension of our age lies […]
Never Mind the Mayans, Here's the Apocalypse
Whether or not the Apocalypse is approaching this Friday is speculation that I will leave to the Mayans. As life flashes past us, however, the approaching end of year provides a good opportunity to contemplate the changes that have happened in our world over the course of this past year and some of the PR […]
Harnessing the Girl Power: Social Media's Impact on the Theatre Crowd
Last night, I went to see Viva Forever with Krista Madden, the lady behind the highly influential Handpicked Media network. It corrals the best digital talent, from a hemisphere of independent networks of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blogs. These are the people that grew up with the Spice Girls. In their youth, they lived and […]
The Royals Must Not Let Their Zygote Be Seized by the PR Zeitgeist
The only thing more nauseating than morning sickness has to be the wearisome and banal Royal baby chatter that has been assaulting my senses this week. It hasn’t just been politicians and celebrities clamouring over crowds of well-wishers to be the first to congratulate the Royal couple; the pranksters are back in town and have […]
The Joy of Fabulous Nobodies: Naked Whitehall Guy, I Salute You
This afternoon, Twitter has been captivated by a brand new golden balls. We don’t know who he is yet, or why he did it, but he ensured Whitehall was shut down for several hours after he scaled the statue of the first Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, stripped off and performed a number of acrobatic […]
PRs on Top: Why New Senior Figures are Great News for the Industry
Autumn is a time for change. Recent weeks have seen a number of significant individuals take up prominent leadership roles: not only in Washington and the China Communist Party, but also in the major powerhouses of the communications world. What is heartening is the fact that positions at the top are increasingly being occupied by […]
Dorries' Jungle Stunt Takes Balls
Before even gobbling down her first kangaroo gonad, Tory Nadine Dorries has unleashed a storm of criticism for her decision to appear in televisual Hades I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, with David Cameron yesterday backing her suspension from her duties as MP. A rash of politicos have been quick to follow suit. […]
Embracing Your Faults: Why Flawed Heroes Triumph
What with the recent slew of allegations around Savillegate (and the numerous other stars who’ve faced a barrage of less than savoury attention ), something has been preying on my mind- is a spotless reputation an attainable goal anymore? Eric Schmidt once said that “Now that information is ubiquitous, the obligation changes. It’s no longer […]
Brands like Red Bull like Felix
So #Felix is no longer just a brand of cat food or a defunct cartoon character, but embodies a new marque of heroism and maverick adventure. A stuntman extraordinaire, who last night earned much sort after one word equity. Felix Baumgartner, a 43-year-old Austrian, former military parachutist, skydived into the record books. Jumping from 23 miles above the earth, Felix […]
Prince Harry Delivers
Back in August Mark predicted Prince Harry’s overexposure in Vegas would result in a significant tourism boom for Sin City, writing in his blog: ‘(Prince Harry’s) party machine focused exceptional attention on Las Vegas this week. It’s now enjoying astonishing and unprecedented Royal endorsement, the kind of patronage money can’t buy… Without spending a cent, […]
Jimmy Saville and the Fleet Street Gravediggers
Savillegate rages on today, with Mike Smith’s impassioned and lengthy rebuttal of claims of institutional sexism at the Beeb made over the weekend during an hour long appearance on Richard Bacon’s Radio 1 show. With accusations of child-abuse against the TV presenter mounting day by day, it is becoming apparent that the true character of […]