Think It Through!

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 22nd, 2012

I read an article recently about a computer company in Germany that undertook what they thought was a smart promotion. They began gluing hard drives to alarm clocks and sending them to companies with a note reading, “Your time is running out.” Well, many of the people who received them were terrified and called the police, thinking the package held a bomb. You can read more about it here.

It reminded me of an old episode of WKRP in Cincinnati in the late 70s/early 80s, where they did a Thanksgiving promotion by dropping turkeys out of a helicopter……

The Little Things Matter a Great Deal

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 19th, 2012

There is an unflattering news clip making the rounds right now of B.C. Premier Christy Clarke’s new communications director. I am sure it is going to be included in every media training session for the next decade – it is a perfect example of what not to do. If you haven’t seen it, you can view it here.

I have an entire rant about how valuable journalists are to a free and just society and how I believe communicators and journalists actually work in partnership (we don’t always have to agree or even like each other, but we…

New Doesn’t Always Mean Better

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 15th, 2012

I am sitting in a ferry lineup as I write this blog post. I commute from Gibsons, BC – a pretty little seaside town on the Sunshine Coast that is only a 40-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver. We have our AHA office in Gibsons and we have a business development office in Vancouver. (I am rarely in the Vancouver office because I go to the offices of our clients.)

We have an Internet stick that I use when I commute, when I travel, and even if we are out and about on the Sunshine Coast and I might need…

Maintaining a Fresh Perspective

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 13th, 2012

They say: “timing is everything.” It’s true. And perspective is right there beside it.

We have a fun, interesting looking clock in the AHA kitchen. I am sure it was inspired by the works of Salvador Dali. It is kind of melting and surreal, and when a person first sees it, they are unsure how to tell what time it is. It’s been hanging in the kitchen for about a year now. It seems perfectly normal to those of us who spend any time in the room.

We had an AHA crew member come by a few days ago and…

Review your crisis and communications plan

Posted by Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies on March 09th, 2012

In today’s AHA Fast Take Friday, Ruth is in Edmonton talking about reviewing your crisis and communications plan – especially the social media component.

Engaging your senior executive

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 06th, 2012

As I write this, I am on my way to Edmonton to present on the value of media relations and social media to a client’s senior executive team and the board of directors. I love this part of my job. It’s always interesting to hear what the leadership of an organization thinks about media relations and social media – and believe me, it’s different every time.

We are often asked by clients to present to their senior executive, to their board of governors or directors, and to other leaders within their organization. There are times when having an unbiased “outsider”…

Be authentic to your brand

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 02nd, 2012

In today’s AHA Fast Take Friday, Ruth is in Las Vegas talking about staying true to your brand.

Change is good if you recognize it, adapt and evolve

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on February 27th, 2012

We have clients throughout North America and often I need to be in the AHA office for an early conference call. I tend to get here early anyway, so that I can review blog posts, articles, read newspapers, and briefly watch several news and morning shows. (Yes, I have a TV in my office!)

I love my time in the morning. With coffee in hand, I have the opportunity to learn something new everyday. The information and knowledge shared online allows me to put information into context, to see different perspectives, and to better understand how, when and why different…

Public relations as strategic counsel

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on February 21st, 2012

Sometimes you read something and you think, “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” This piece is one of those. It’s about what happens behind closed doors in the world of PR.

It’s worth a read.

It’s about the connection

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on February 16th, 2012

I had the opportunity to speak to communications students at Capilano University earlier this week. They are smart, engaged and are going to bring some great, new energy to the PR world. Connecting with students always inspires me, it makes me realize how fortunate I am to work in PR and it reminds me how valuable PR is to an organization.

There are many, many functions of PR. At the foundation, we help our clients to build positive relationships with their “publics.” (You can replace the word publics with the noun that works for you: stakeholders, audience, target market, employees,…