If you needed a reason to categorize music companies as humorless corporate entities that have no heart, here’s a woman being ordered to remove a YouTube video of her kid, because there’s a Universal Music song playing in the background. The average person has no idea how vigorously these companies pursue documentary makers, store owners and others who have the bad luck to have a song intrude on their work. Even someone casually humming a song can lead to copyright problems. It’s gotten to the point that filmmakers treat an incidental bit of sound as a tragic occurrence, instead of serendipity. Technorati Tags: video,youtube,copyright,legal,lawsuits,music,corporate,mother,universal music,rights,public relations [Read more]

The White House probably wishes it could take a mulligan, after widely distributing a Reuters story in which the Iraqi president agrees with Barack Obama on the timetable for U.S. troop withdrawals. The flurry of attention from the boo-boo came as Republic John McCain had to respond to the Iraqi presidents comments without appearing to back down from previous statements about a possible lengthy U.S. military presence in Iraq. Just a blip in the blogosphere, but always interesting to see when someone inadvertently appears to be endorsing a news story by sharing it with others. Technorati Tags: iraq,john mccain,barack obama,u.s. presidential race,eleciton 2008,foreign policy,u.s. troops,white house,error [Read more]

For some bands, an arrest for cocaine possession is just another week of media attention. But for any entertainers trying to market themselves to children, drug arrests, unwholesome sex acts or disrespect for religion can be career stoppers. The initial response from The Barenaked Ladies website said Steven Page had pleaded not guilty and “the validity of the charges against Steven will be strongly contested.” While there’s a lot of societal tolerance for booze, “soft drugs”, and addictions to bad haircuts, the murmurs of understanding seem to die out when cocaine, meth, heroin or any of the harder drugs are involved. While the cheerful, energetic lead singer’s legal case is being built, he and the band will... [Read more]

The interconnectedness of public relations and marketing is evident when you see a company effectively differentiating itself from its competitors. But even the most coordinated efforts have to amplify something true about your company. Revolutionary advertising teamed up with bland media relations won’t get you where you want to be. Setting yourself apart in the public’s mind will fail miserably if the customer experience doesn’t live up to the billing. If employees and business partners don’t buy into the idea that you really are a different company, they’ll pass on their skepticism  to customers. Southwest Airlines and Canada’s WestJet have been very effective creating a corporate culture that reinforces... [Read more]

This tip works for executives, employees and just regular folks. If you can see yourself years from now talking about what a waste of time and energy your job (or relationship, or business venture) was, stop complaining and start getting out of your current situation. In some cases, I’ve been able to renegotiate my role. Other times, the smartest thing to do was bail quickly and not look back. I’m not advocating infidelity or corporate backstabbing. But there are some situations where you just can’t win, so stop trying. Other Quick Tips. Technorati Tags: business,communications,advice,jobs,relationships,life,decisions,wasted lives,crappy jobs,toxic environments [Read more]