Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris – a case study

Not that long ago I blogged about Taylor Swift’s pretty immaculate record when it comes to well played moves in Twitter spats. Well, it seems I was tempting fate as the internet has been buzzing with Swift’s name this week,...


Is Justin Gatlin’s decision to boycott the media right?

When it comes to the media, most celebrities tend to take a cautious, even fearful approach. There’s no doubt that we have seen some horrible invasions of privacy by (mostly tabloid) journalists and some pretty devastating stories about high profile...


Social media: how to fight nice

I took a few days off last week and as a consequence found myself delving into the lives of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry through the medium of Heat magazine. Both are two vastly famous and successful young women who...


A lion called Cecil, a witch called Walter and a wardrobe full of Twitter abuse

Admittedly, it's quite difficult to generate a massive amount of sympathy for Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer. In case you've forgotten, he managed to see off Zimbabwe's favourite lion, Cecil, while on one of those awful big game shoot safari holidays...


How not to get yourself in a compromising position online

The tabloid allegations surrounding Lord Sewell this week put me in mind of a great book I read recently...


How not to make a tit out of yourself in a PR crisis

Recently, a woman posted a very disturbing story on Facebook breastfeeding activism forum Free to Feed, where she alleged a security guard in a Leicester branch of discount retail chain Primark forcibly removed her nine-month-old daughter from...


Why your brand can be worth a fortune

Business bible Forbes recently released its eponymous list of the world’s most valuable brands, and while the big names on there are in a branding superleague all of their own,...


Two tragic events – two very different PR outcomes

The tragic incident at Alton Towers earlier this month has been all over the news. The crash on the park’s Smiler ride left 16 people injured, four very seriously, and immediately hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Luckily...


Is imperfection the way to your clients’ hearts?

The Duchess of Cambridge is one of the most photographed women in the world and both her pregnancies have attracted a mind boggling amount of press and public attention, from her maternity outfits through to the design of the royal...


Lessons in Twitter love

Twitter is a wonderful tool – an easy way to reach existing, and new, audiences and to grow a public profile. But you don't have to search too many hashtags for startling examples of Twitter-gone-bad especially so among high profile...