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Don’t destroy a good story with fact: it gets in the way of the truth.

The PR and marketing landscape has forever changed, thanks to the ever-present giant that is the internet – never was this more obvious than when I looked at my audience at the SearchLove conference, which consisted of a plethora of technophiles looking lovingly at their laptops. Interestingly enough, I was there to speak about PR…

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Branded content: The Passion of the Russell

If Facebook shares had audio to accompany the multitude of posts, the latest commentary surrounding Russell Brand on Newsnight would be littered with loud, smug and triumphantly-toned exclamations from people saying, “Yes! Finally, somebody is speaking the truth! Look at Jeremy; he’s being rendered almost speechless!” Fresh from his guest-editing spot on The New Statesman, Brand…

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‘Twerking’ by any other name… Presenting: the most famous star the world has ever seen. Again!

The marketing and exploitation of the female image as part of the fame trajectory – for good or for evil – has a very long tradition. I first encountered the detail of helpless blind-ambition of fame-hungry starlets, whilst researching my book the Fame Formula. The manipulative craft of the publicist can be detected in the…

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BAKEOFF ROMANCE

Rumours of bake-off romance with Paul are rubbish but he is lovely, says Ruby Tandoh With her sultry model looks, Great British Bake Off contender Ruby Tandoh finally lifts the lid on her screen flirtation with judge Paul Hollywood. http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/436297/Rumours-of-bake-off-romance-with-Paul-are-rubbish-but-he-is-lovely-says-Ruby-Tandoh

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The public want dialectic interactions with brands

Whether it’s the Adidas Olympics, the lazy brand leveraging notions, the mobile space, even the Costa Book Prize, over the last decade we’ve become used to the venues and events living in symbiosis with the corporate giants. Many of these relationships have been mutually beneficial, allowing for the growth and survival of one party, whilst…

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Supernatural PR: fear that fans can love

If you’ve been anywhere near a newsfeed this week, you’ll have seen the clever “coffee shop surprise” viral ad for the remake of 70’s horror flick Carrie. The short video (it’s here if you’ve managed to miss it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlOxlSOr3_M) is set in a New York coffee shop, modified by some special effects pixies so that…

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Daily Mail’s magic trick: former half-human Red Ed, now fully formed

So the Mail/Miliband hoo ha drags on – as I write this an argument already played out a hundred times on twitter is being hashed out afresh on Question Time. I don’t want to contribute to either side of the moral debate, but I do want to make an observation. For once, the Mail, the…