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Last week, Price Floyd, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs (that’s a mouthful), spoke about the Pentagon’s communication challenges in the age of social media. Elizabeth Sicuso, an account coordinator at PR firm Adfero Group, had this to say about Floyd’s talk. “I walked out of the presentation with this one simple thought: If the Department of Defense (and all of its many players and moving parts) can balance security, information sharing and t…

Would you wear jeans to an important meeting? You might, if they’re “power jeans.” And what might those be? “Power jeans are increasingly common in high-ranking business and political circles,” Christina Binkley wrote in The Wall Street Journal . “Indeed, jeans are now a legitimate part of the global power-dress lexicon, worn to influential confabs where the wearers want to signal they’re serious — but not fussy — and innovative.” Halfway through this…

TechCrunch is one of the most popular tech blogs, breaking stories more often than many traditional publications. The founder, Michael Arrington, has a contentious relationship with PR professionals. He expounded on these feelings in a recent  Inc. magazine story. “I don’t like PR people for the most part,” he said. “I like going to CEOs directly. If a PR person suggests I meet the CEO of this new company, I always say yes. But if they say, ‘Can we set up dri…

Malaria No More , a nonprofit organization aiming to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015, launched a series of humorous commercials starring various celebrities.  One features a smorgasbord of famous people; another  video  stars the comedian Ed Helms (of The Hangover fame). What do you think? Are they funny?

Teaming with Chicago-based coffee brewer Intelligentsia, Windy City rockers Wilco — who already have their own namesake beer — have added coffee to their resume, launching Wilco Selects, reports The Consumerist . Described as a blossoming brew that’s “light and silky, like fresh whipped cream,” the group has also introduced a decaf version called Wilco Doesn’t Select. At $21 for a one-pound bag ($17 for decaf), the price definitely rocks the wallet a bit, though w…

That first conference can be a bit intimidating, says Ragan Communication’s healthcare editor Jessica Levco. But it’s a rite of passage for every young PR pro. “I was hit with a double whammy when I attended back-to-back conferences,” Levco wrote for Ragan.com . “I started with Ragan’s health-care social-media summit at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and then reported on Swedish Medical Center’s ‘Innovation in the Age of Reform’ conference in Seat…

Is your company kicking around the idea of hiring a media trainer? Better ask the potential trainer these  10 questions to help get a better idea if that person is a good fit. Here’s one of the questions: “If the stuff hits the fan, can you provide us with spot advice on what we can say?”

ALERT! ALERT! Here’s a Cyber Monday deal (a day late) you just can’t afford to miss — especially if you’re shopping for a new job. Mashable explained  six ways to find and land a job through Twitter.

“Dutch airline KLM has started a new campaign to surprise travellers who check in on Foursquare with something personal that might make their travel a little less stressful,” reports the  About Foursquare website. Here’s how it works: When someone “checks in” at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, KLM’s team gathers as much public information shared by the person through social networks as they can to then surprise them with a personalized gift. The airline is usi…

Yeah, OK, it’s pretty cute — it’s a kitten and a little kid for crying out loud — although as one  Ragan.com editor noted, the picture is a bit cloying. What do you think? Cutest ever?

A small survey of 101 editors, section editors, journalists and IT managers (all presumably in the U.K.) found that people working on news desks “dislike the PR industry” — despite their growing reliance on it because of media layoffs, reported Iain Flemming at Journalism.co.uk . Flemming conducted the study. One major finding from this survey is that 95 percent of respondents said they experience problems with PR e-mail on a daily basis. Based on the survey, Flemming also said, “…

“After a year’s worth of debate and speculation about public options, pre-existing conditions and ‘death panels,’ it’s now up to hospital managers and communicators to let their staffs and their communities know the facts of the health care reform law,” writes Ragan.com ‘s Matt Wilson. So far, the law has effected 25 changes. So, how are hospitals getting their message across? Wilson has the scoop .

To make sure your PR efforts keep up with this season’s holiday trends, you should check out these five trends, says Mickie Kennedy of PR Fuel . One of the trends: social media. “The rise of social media as an outlet in public relations campaigns is more than just a passing trend, and nowhere is it more noticeable than in holiday marketing,” Kennedy writes. Expect a huge influx of ads and messages from retailers on your Facebook and Twitter this year. — Matthew Royse

Social media is a game everyone wants to win. Correct? Then it’s a good idea to heed this advice from Pam Moore, CEO of FruitZoom, Inc. She offered  10 ways to develop a social media plan. — Susan Young

You often hear that PR is a contact game. “He/she with the best relationships wins” is the old adage. PR pro Heather Whaling begs to differ. She claims there is much more to it — and she’s right. “Businesses looking to hire a PR person need to find the person who can create a solid pitch to grab the reporter’s attention and secure solid media coverage — not just the person with the longest contact list,” Whaling wrote on her blog, prTini . — Jackson W…