Soon after the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication moves into its new digs in downtown Phoenix in August, it will start a multimedia bureau with ABC News.   Story here.
Seems like another in a series of big moves at the Cronkite School. Last year it brought in Dan Gilmor, the godfather of citizen […]

Valley PR Blog’s “Buzz” is back!
For those new to the blog, Buzz is our whenever-we-feel-like-it, hang-out-and-have-a-beer meet-up for Valley PR Blog readers who like made-up combinations of words-with-dashes-in-them.
Really, it’s an opportunity to simply meet and hang out with other serious Valley PR and marketing pros who don’t take themselves too seriously.
Special bonus tease: Buzz will […]

I am not even sure we could call this treatment information graphics anymore. The New York Times online has started using some really mind-blowing graphics that go beyond illustrating the story.
Take a look at this story on disease and genetics. Redefining disease, genetics and all. The story is about disease mapping, and the illustration […]

Things must be hoppin’ over at Lavidge. We received a news release yesterday about the firm’s major growth. According to Stephen Heitz, director of interactive services, the company’s Interactive department has “risen from a department of five, to one of fifteen since Lavidge Interactive was founded in 2006.”
Here are the newbies:
Shaun Schulman was hired as […]

Freelance writer Geri Koeppel sent ValleyPRblog the following note:
“I’m compiling a dining news column for Phoenix Magazine in the months ahead, so if anyone has restaurant clients, please put me on the e-mail list. I’m specifically looking for newsy tidbits such as openings, chefs moving around, etc.
I’m also on the lookout for creative drinks, so […]

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Southwest Airlines blog, Nuts About Southwest, launched a completely redesigned version this week. It’s a very well thought out design, and for people who are all into brand ’synergy’ it nicely reflects the main Southwest Airlines web site.
It incorporates other bits of social media such as video blogs, and […]

As you may know, Valley PR Blogger Angelo Fernando writes the “Tech Talk” column for IABC’s Communication World (CW) magazine.  It is now the award winning Tech Talk column.
IABC alerts us that over the weekend, CW and Fernando won a Maggie Award from the Western Publications Association for Best Regularly Featured Column in a trade magazine.
The Maggie Awards is an […]

Tom Cruise returned to the scene of his sofa crime this week and attempted to regain his reputation on Oprah. Associated Press writer Tara Burghart checked in with some PR “experts” to see how he did.
The best bit of insight in the article came from “Hollywood media expert Michael Levine” who said:
“When you’re in a […]

Can a text message cause a consumer to drop what they’re doing and head to your business? Apparently so.
As reported in Saturday’s Republic, Phoenix-based Juice-it-Up is using text message offers to solicit customers with special “flash” offers and the tactic is working. Juice-it-Up owner Mike Hodges says he loves the service.
The first time Hodges sent […]

Counselors Academy of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has announced the election of Michelle Olson, APR, president, Olson Communications, Inc. (OCI), Phoenix, as its chair for 2008. Counselors Academy is a Professional Interest Section within PRSA for public relations firm owners and leaders.
Olson founded Phoenix-based OCI in 2002 and acquired SoapBox PR early […]