News & Opinion

Jana Henthorn is CEO of The Cable Center, an organization which describes its mission as "tell[ing] the story of the cable industry, highlighting for the global community the significant contribution made to technology, society and culture." Listen to podcast here.

In a recent report released by Clutch, a B2B research and reviews firm, Bob Gold & Associates is featured as an industry leader and Bob Gold shared his insight on how businesses should approach corporate social responsibility. Most people say businesses across industries should commit to corporate social responsibility, regardless of industry. How a company approaches corporate social responsibility can influence people’s buying decisions and people want to support businesses that share their values. Gold emphasized the importance of trust, consistency, and value to a business’s PR strategy. “There are three core qualities that are essential to every business,” Gold said. “These are trust, consistency, and value. Business need to ask themselves how do we build trust? How do we deliver consistency and what does that look like? What is value?” When approaching corporate social responsibility, businesses need to consider how they display trust, consistency, and value in their brand and how they relay these qualities to their customers. Understand the Value and Fragility of Trust With social media and the internet, the world is more transparent than ever and people expect businesses to be transparent and hold themselves accountable. “Trust is in every step of the supply chain,” Gold said. “When you say something, you should mean it.” Businesses should not only talk about why social responsibility is important, but embody social responsibility in every part of their business model. Build Trust Through ConsistencyBuilding trust is a gradual process that depends on your ability to communicate consistent messages about your brand and its value to your customers. Anytime a business adopts policies of corporate social responsibility, they should think about how it relates to their brand purpose and their customers’ values. “You always want to stay close to the mission of the brand so that it’s an authentic statement,” Gold said. “It’s authentic in that’s consistent with the values of the brand and it provides continuing value because we believe in what’s going on.” Perception in PR and Corporate Social Responsibility Matters PR and corporate social responsibility are closely linked, but are not synonymous. If corporate social responsibility is approached purely from a PR standpoint, people may view the brand as unauthentic. A brand that doesn’t consider their PR strategy at all when approaching corporate social responsibility also doesn’t consider their brand purpose or customers, which can mean people may start to view the brand negatively. “Businesses have to believe in what they’re doing,” said Roxanne Leone. “We don’t believe in publicity stunts. We believe in recommending the right publicity with the right social reason.” PR and corporate social responsibility are interconnected, but different aspects of business and brand. Businesses should consider their PR strategies when adopting socially responsible policies that are both relevant to their brand and customers. Consider What Makes Sense for Your Brand Bob Gold & Associates approach corporate social responsibility how it makes sense for our individual clients. As one of the top PR agencies, we help our clients identify their brand values and expectations of their customers so they can adopt corporate social responsibility policies that will elevate their brand, the cause they choose to support, and their customers who share the same values.

Clutch ranks Bob Gold & Associates #3. Review complete list here.

By Chris TribbeyConnections January 23, 2019 Before the show floor opened for CES 2019 in Las Vegas, online video platform and workflow management system specialist Ooyala hosted a private “Business of Video” panel, featuring Ted Schilowitz, futurist with Paramount Pictures, Laura Martin, senior analyst with Needham & Co., Belsasar Lepe, founder and CTO of Ooyala, with the trio tackling everything from direct-to-consumer models to the influx of amateur-made video. Video of the panel is now available here, and you can read the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance’s (MESA) coverage of the panel here.

By Chris TribbeyHITS January 08, 2019 LAS VEGAS — Ted Schilowitz, futurist with Paramount Pictures, looks at the state of entertainment today, and sees a mixed bag. “We’ve effectively TV’d everything in our life,” he said, speaking Jan. 8 during a panel discussion at the 2019 CES. “We’ve taken our screens that lived in our living rooms, made them portable and we take them everywhere.” And while that’s convenient, it’s also resulted in almost too much content, an endless array of video choices for consumers today, he said, calling the result the “YouTubing of the world.” “There’s almost no separation between what an expensive camera can create and what any camera anyone has can create,” he said. And just sticking with professionally made content, we’ve possibly hit a point where too much is coming out too fast, according to Laura Martin, senior analyst with Needham & Co. “I think there’s too much content being made,” she said. “Whoever’s funding your [content creation] right now will pick winners and losers. There’s a huge controversy right now around whether Netflix is a winner or a loser.” She said the future likely lies in what Disney is doing with its own streaming service, where the consumer data will be just as important as the initial subscriber numbers. “When you talk OTT, I think Disney is trying to change the definition to direct-to-consumer (DTC),” she said. “OTT you don’t own the content. DTC, with Disney, they’re creating a direct relationship with the consumer.” Belsasar Lepe, founder and CTO for Ooyala — which hosted the panel — offered a different perspective: all this content, regardless of length or quality, has a role to play for bringing in revenue for both distributors and content owners. “Niche content has a role to play,” he said, pointing to services that offer both short- and long-form video. “It can be content they get addicted to after they become a subscriber.” Jonathan Huberman, CEO of Ooyala, doesn’t disagree that it’s a different entertainment world than it was just a few years ago. Consumer expectations — and patience — are more difficult to predict, he said. “The money that’s being pumped into content creation and delivery … it’s a very volatile marketplace,” he said. “It’s a very exciting marketplace.” Also see story here: https://www.mesalliance.org/2019/01/08/ces-2019-ooyala-paramount-execs-talk-future-of-video/

Former Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News Publisher Brings Years of industry Experience and Expert Knowledge to the Organization The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) announced today the appointment of Charles Weiss as SVP, Business Development. The announcement comes a few months before NATPE Miami commences in January of 2019. The three-day event will take place from January 22nd until the 24th at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami and has confirmed keynote addresses from newly tapped NBC Co-Chairmen George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy. Weiss joins NATPE from Future Plc where he served as Vice President, Group Publisher for Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News. There, he successfully presided over their advertising sales division and extensive event portfolio, including the B&C Hall of Fame, MCN Wonder Women, and NYC Television Week.  His overarching responsibilities included sales management, business development, client media solutions, custom event sponsorship, digital transition, new platform innovation, marketing and strategic content. Weiss currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Broadcaster's Foundation of America. Prior to Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News, Weiss held executive-level positions at Backstage, Nielsen Business Media and Reed Business Information. In his previous roles, Weiss was responsible not only for sales and marketing, but for providing cross-platform solutions and management for evolving entertainment industry trade media and event businesses. “We are excited to have Charlie join us here at NATPE. He brings with him invaluable experience and insight that align perfectly with NATPE’s mission to steer the business of content said JP Bommel, President and CEO of NATPE. “Charlie is one of the most respected executives in our business and we are proud to have him join our team to grow the organization year-round. He’s uniquely qualified to navigate the constant change in our industry.” “I’m privileged be joining NATPE – a highly respected organization that stands synonymous with growth and innovation. As our industry continues to evolve, fueled with the inertia of content creation and distribution, NATPE has remained at the forefront of ambition and relevance. I look forward to building on their decades of amazing work of education and connectivity, and to providing our clients with the strongest opportunities, vehicles, and value industry-wide.”

The Clutch 1000 features the top 1000 B2B companies around the world, ranked by reviews, clients, work portfolio, and brand reputation.   B2B research, ratings, and reviews company Clutch announced the top 1000 B2B companies around the world based on their ability to deliver: number, recency, and quality of client reviews; clients served, work portfolio, and brand reputation and visibility in their target market. This is a new and exclusive honor for B2B services firms in 2018. It recognizes the companies that have gone above and beyond for their clients.   Review complete list here.

  Mihret Melaku isn't old enough to vote, but the sophomore at New Roads School in Santa Monica said the last two years of political conflict in the U.S. have been a wake-up call for his young generation. "People have entered these really hostile arguments, and sometimes I see people that are even friends just not speaking to each other just because of their political beliefs and their political views," Melaku said. Read complete article here.

Chris Huppertz is the director of public relations for Bob Gold & Associates, a boutique Los Angeles-based PR firm specialized in entertainment technology. Huppertz joined BG&A as a summer intern in 2013, and quickly established himself as an excellent writer and accomplished team leader for staff and multiple clients. He has leveraged his PR insights and professional skills to connect with media in technology, entertainment and advertising. Today he leads the strategy and PR initiatives across the agency’s clients and teams, and manages the day-to-day relationships with clients. View complete list of winners here.