Argyle Commmunications

The news cycle of the last 24 hours has shown us examples of how public relations can serve the public interest, and also how public relations can do damage when ethics are ignored.

I write this from the Public Relations Society of America’s annual Counselors’ Academy conference at Lake Las Vegas, Nevada. The resort is a man-made oasis in the desert – an appropriate metaphor for an event that enables leaders of many leading independent PR firms to reflect on their businesses and their profession.

As the conference kicks off, the chatter is about PR commanding today’s headlines, but not in a way any of us can celebrate: It’s the story of Facebook hiring a public relations firm to plant negative stories about Google in the media. more »

We’ve all heard it. We’ve all probably even lapsed into it from time to time. Corparatese. Biz-speak. It’s that annoying jargon that infects meetings, memos, and, yes, even some communications plans and news releases. Jargon may work well in specific settings. Accountants, for instance, talk frequently of P&L. But will those letters resonate with consumers, without whom there would be a whole lot of L and not a lot of P? more »

Ever had one of those “commoditized” travel experiences? You know, the kind where you get a great deal on a generic hotel, with generic food, a bit of golf and a swimming pool thrown in for good measure? In this type of travel, cost – not culture – drives decisions, and local communities reap little benefit.

While commoditized travel is still popular among some tourists, there is a new type of travel on everyone’s lips today. It’s called sustainable tourism – and it balances the environmental, social and economic goals of a destination with the need to deliver a great travel experience. more »