News & Opinion

When COVID-19 hit last year, like many of us Bob Gold was terrified. Amid the disruption of the pandemic shutdown, Bob sought a way to connect with and reassure friends, family and associates that they were invaluable to him amidst the separation, isolation, and growing uncertainty. So began a little project known as Words to Lift By. Partnering with a young poet in Ashville North Carolina, Ryan Ashley, Bob would describe the incredible folks in his life and Ryan would create and type out a poem on his 100 year old Smith Corona. Then send the poem via snail mail to the person who was honored.   Ryan and Bob also created videos where Bob explained why each person was so amazing and shared more broadly the specialness of each recipient to him. The irony is, after sending nearly 90 poems out, Bob came down with an almost fatal case of COVID-19. In time for the the anniversary of this fight to reconfirm our humanity, Ryan and Bob have created a book with a collection of many of the poems and called it, yes "Words to Lift By."   Take a moment to explore this volume and savor the power of uplifting words. You can purchase this and other books by Bob on Amazon. The paperback is just $9.99 and the electronic version is just $2.99. And be sure to check out many of the original "Words to Lift By" videos.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting the female members of the Bob Gold & Associates team. For week 2 Q&A we’re featuring Roxanne Leone.   Roxanne brings two decades of experience leading technology companies and their communications teams in strategic PR and marketing programs. Her thought leadership and branding efforts have secured top tier coverage putting organizations and their executives top of mind with reporters and editors.   Q&A What words of wisdom can you share with an aspiring female PR professional?   After working with some of the brightest women in the PR industry I have noticed that the most successful individuals have pursued mentorship or coaching by other industry leaders. If you are a female PR professional, I recommend you inquire about professional training and/or coaching early on in your career.   Also, self-promotion is a critical tool for career advancement. Studies show that women evaluate themselves lower than men, even when they have scored equally, which could affect your salary.   The good news is women have come a long way. In the early 2000’s, I experienced women being threatened by female colleagues and I partnered with a mentor, Fred Towns, to strengthen my skillset, become more vocal, and stand up for myself. Fortunately, over the last 20 years I have been part of a positive shift where women now view their female colleagues as ally’s vs threats. It is important to get involved with an organization such as the Women’s Global Leadership Initiative and participate in programs designed for women by women. Founder, Diana Ruiz, is a CEO focused on diversity, equity & inclusion and leadership development and her talented team of mentors and experts can help you build self-confidence.   What are some of the biggest challenges that women face today?   Today, women continue to face pregnancy discrimination and unemployment and it has been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 275,000 women left the workforce in January 2021, compared to 71,000 men. Experts believe that the pandemic will leave a lasting impact on women that are integral to the economic security of their families. Unfortunately, women are penalized when pregnant and for taking extended time off - often suffering a wage penalty when they return to the workforce. Oddly enough, some men are paid more after having children.   When do you think America will have its first female president?   I am hopeful that Kamala Harris will run for president after serving our 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden. Kamala is the first female vice president, and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history. We are in desperate need of female role models across all industries, and more women placed in top leadership positions. If we continue to support a growing female workforce more women will be equipped to go after the career of their choice. I am optimistic that I will see a female president in my lifetime, whether it be Kamala or other front-runner in our future.   Be sure to read our Women's History Month Q&A with VP, Beth Braen, from Week 1.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting the female members of the Bob Gold & Associates team. We posed a number of questions to each and asked them to tell us about themselves and their journeys. We’ll be sharing one per week throughout March 2021.   VP Beth Braen is an accomplished, passionate and creative leader with more than 25 years of experience helping companies and teams transform. During this challenging pandemic year she has done her best to find joy, treat folks with kindness, practice mindfulness meditation and when all else fails have a glass of wine (or two!). Q&A What words of wisdom can you share with an aspiring female PR professional?   Be fearless, curious and believe in yourself and your abilities. Don’t be afraid to give your insights and opinions, just be sure you have the knowledge to back it up! Who are your favorite cultural heroines? What appeals to you about them?   Some of my favorite cultural heroines are known for their fierce individualism, long careers, ability to pivot and all-around badass attitude.   - Patti Smith, singer-songwriter, musician, author, and poet who rose to fame as an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement and is often called the "punk poet laureate."   - Gloria Steinem, journalist and social political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader and a spokesperson for the American feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine, and a co-founder of Ms. magazine.   - Eleanor Roosevelt, longest-serving First Lady, diplomat and activist. An inspiring, controversial, and outspoken leader, she fought for social justice around the world throughout her life. One of my favorite quotes by her is, “A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” What in your life has given you the greatest satisfaction or sense of fulfilment?   I have gained fulfillment from the jobs I’ve had in marketing and communications including the opportunity to work with a diverse and eclectic group of clients at BG&A. Beyond that there are two experiences that bring me great joy. For more than 15 years, I’ve been in various leadership roles at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles. It’s been a pleasure to utilize what I’ve learned in my professional life to help my community thrive. However, being mom to my daughter Mollie is by far the most gratifying experience in my life. It has brought me the most insight into who I am, challenged my beliefs and taught me patience and empathy. When it comes right to the point for me, it’s all about family, and friends that have become family. I am grateful that they are the mirror  to help me see myself clearly and the telescope so I can see far beyond myself. 

Discussing impact across Mobility, Cable, Smart Cities and IoT   5G and Wi-Fi 6 are poised to be two of the biggest tech disruptors of the century. In a hyperconnected world, data will flow freely between more people, more places and more devices at speeds and volumes we’ve not seen before. With a wider, safer, faster network the possibilities are endless, giving way to a more inclusive future where everyone has the opportunity to stay connected to people and information, regardless of geography.   In an exclusive virtual roundtable Cisco brought together senior industry execs, media and analysts to discuss the impact of these technologies across industries. Experts from multiple industries looked holistically across networks and platforms and dove into the realities of where we are today, challenges overcome, and how soon we can reap the benefits. It's a conversation that should not be missed. Click below to watch:   [caption id="attachment_12559" align="aligncenter" width="300"]  [/caption] View here:  https://events-cisco.webex.com/events-cisco/lsr.php?RCID=f5399e6915fad433f96f37fb3634e9f7   Host/Moderator: Peggy Smedley, industry influencer, host ‘The Peggy Smedley Show’, author of “Sustainable in a Circular World: Design and Restore Natural Ecosystem Through Innovation”     Panelists:  Mo Katibeh, Chief Product and Platform Officer, AT&T Business, AT&T  John Chapman, CTO Broadband Technologies and Cisco Fellow, Cisco  David Graham, CIO, Office of Innovation + Economic Development, City of Carlsbad  Israel Madiedo, Innovation and Technology Director, izzi (Televisa Group)    Please share your comments around 5G and Wi-Fi 6 or contact us below if you have any questions.  We hope you enjoy this insightful discussion!

If you missed this week’s PR Tech Wednesdays organized by Eric Schwartzman featuring BG&A's very own Bob Gold and PR pro Kimberly Goodnight of Media Playground PR, no need to fret - watch below!   In this episode, Bob and the PR super panel discuss the entirely new challenges and uncertainty our industry is facing in this unprecedented time of global shutdown. How must businesses evolve to not only survive, but thrive during this pandemic? And what can businesses, marketing teams and PR pros do to stay top of mind with media and consumers to succeed in a rapidly shifting landscape?   Be sure to watch the video below for these critical insights and more! You can also watch past episodes of PR Tech Wednesdays here.  

Implications For Linear Vs. Mobile Viewing Captured in Recent Doubling of NFL Viewers on Mobile Devices while Linear Viewing Declines Report Highlights: Smartphone-only video starts topped 50% globally for the first time, a 13.2% year-over-year change and the largest in five quarters Mobile-video plays (including tablets) grew 9.8% globally year-over-year in Q2, following slowdown in Q1 For the second time, mobile video (including tablets) starts exceeded 60% Total time watching long-form on smartphones topped 75% in North America Recent NFL report shows 65% increase on digital devices over past year and a 147% 2018 season boom in smartphone NFL content consumption   Smartphone video starts topped 50% globally for the first time, a 13.2% year-over-year change and the largest in five quarters, per Ooyala’s Q2 2018 Global Video Index Report. Despite a temporary leveling-off in the first quarter of 2018, video plays on mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) surged 9.8% globally in the second quarter, exceeding 62% of all online videos for the first time. "We see the Q1 pause in mobile video’s rapid growth curve as a normal transition as consumer habits and content creators’ initiatives get in alignment," said Jim O'Neill, Ooyala principal analyst.  "Q2 represented a reignition of mobile-video consumption coinciding with new content initiatives, season-finale TV events and sports-season finales.” “More content creators, seeing the trend toward greater long-form video consumption on mobile devices -- a trend we’ve been noting since last year -- are now developing content concurrently for multiple platforms and are transitioning beyond snackable mobile-only content,” O’Neill added. Regional Mobile Video Viewing Trends In North America, mobile plays increased to 56% of all video starts, up 4% year-over-year and up 14% since Q2 2016; mobile starts in North America have exceeded 50% for eight quarters; long-form time watched on smartphones topped 75%; In the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region, mobile video hit 54% of all starts, up from 49% a year ago; Mobile video’s share of all plays in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region was 74% -- the highest ever, and up 64% in two years; Latin America’s (LatAm’s) mobile starts topped 65%, an increase of 20% year-over-year and 38% over two years.   “We’ll see a massive uptick in Q3 as more fans watch NFL games on their mobile devices, and, just as legacy TV networks use NFL games to drive traffic to other television content, this promises a spillover effect for other genres of mobile content,” O’Neill concluded.  “Content owners and distributors need to take advantage of this unprecedented period of demand to pivot into treating technology operations much as manufacturing-based industries treat manufacturing operations.  The move to a ‘content supply chain’ is a fundamental, data-driven change transforming the media industry." The full Ooyala Q2 2018 Global Video Index Report can be found here.

LIKE APP MOMENTUM IS UNSTOPPABLE - MORE THAN 5 MILLION NEW USERS DOWNLOAD LIKE EACH MONTH Los Angeles – May 23, 2018 - LIKE App, a breakthrough social video platform with body recognition special effects app has experienced explosive growth following its launch in August 2017, surpassing more than 50 million downloads globally. LIKE has quickly become one of the most talked about and fastest-growing video apps on Google Play and Apple App Store, particularly among users 13 to 25 years old, with more than 5 million new downloads each month. “Like may just be the coolest video app to ever come out,” said Aaron Wei, Sr. Vice President, BIGO Technology. “We’ve created something so simple, fun and shareable that reflects unleashes the creativity of our mobile users. It is one of those amazing apps that turns your phone into an original and personalized entertainment studio.” The LIKE App leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and body recognition software to instantly enhance videos with special effects only previously found in the most lavish Hollywood film. After downloading the free app, users have access to thousands of effects and audio options, face filters and voice modifiers with sounds effects to effortlessly create engaging videos at the touch of a button. Some of the app’s unique features include: Super Power – LIKE’s latest augmentative reality innovation is based on skeleton tracking and classification technology, empowering creators to add supernatural like effects 4D Magic – features independently developed intelligent human segmentation technology paired with image synthesis, image editing and special effects processing that allows for interchangeable backgrounds and can accommodate multiple people in the video Music Magic – identifies and classifies music while accurately matching special effects to any sound, enabling users to express emotions freely by choosing different themes Dynamic Stickers – applies face-detection technology to give more choices for users’ video overlays Since its launch, LIKE has received praise throughout the app community and user base, winning three categories in the Google Play Awards in 2017 and topping #1 on iTunes charts with the debut of its 4D Magic Video Editing feature earlier this year.

(Forbes, by By Robert Wynne, Contributor, 4/10/2013, original article here ) What Does A Public Relations Agency Do? We don't buy ads. We don't write stories for reporters. We don't put up billboards. We don't come up with catchy phrases to make people buy more products they probably don't need. So what do public relations agencies do? PR agencies, as opposed to advertising agencies, promote companies or individuals via editorial coverage. This is known as "earned" or "free" media - stories appearing on websites, newspapers, magazines and TV programs - as compared to "paid media" or advertisements. PR agencies and advertising agencies share the same goals: promoting clients and making them seem as successful, honest, important, exciting or relevant as possible. But the paths to creating awareness are vastly different. Most people understand advertising is paid for by the client and should be viewed with skepticism. Articles or TV appearances in respected publications have the advantage of third-party validation and are generally viewed more favorably. The Public Relations Society of America defines the management of public relations as: "Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the organization. Counseling management at all levels in the organization with regard to policy decisions, courses of action and communication, taking into account their public ramifications and the organization's social or citizenship responsibilities. Researching, conducting and evaluating, on a continuing basis, programs of action and communication to achieve the informed public understanding necessary to the success of an organization's aims. These may include marketing; financial; fund raising; employee, community or government relations; and other programs. Planning and implementing the organization's efforts to influence or change public policy. Setting objectives, planning, budgeting, recruiting and training staff, developing facilities - in short, managing the resources needed to perform all of the above." That's a good overview of the general functions of a public relations agency. The tactics include some or all of the following: Write and distribute press releases Speech writing Write pitches (less formal than press releases) about a firm and send them directly to journalists Create and execute special events designed for public outreach and media relations Conduct market research on the firm or the firm's messaging Expansion of business contacts via personal networking or attendance and sponsoring at events Copy writing and blogging for the web (internal or external sites) Crisis public relations strategies Social media promotions and responses to negative opinions online Firms and individuals should hire a public relations agency when they want to protect, enhance or build their reputations through the media. A good agency or PR practitioner can analyze the organization, find the positive messages and translate those messages into positive media stories. When the news is bad, an agency can formulate the best response and mitigate the damage. "A good agency is a strategic partner who helps clients successfully talk to and with their audiences," says Bob Gold of Bob Gold & Associates of Redondo Beach, CA. "An agency is a good listener to the marketplace and knows what conversation starters will work, but also what just might catch fire. How well can your agency push back on ideas without offending? And are they an innovative partner, or a bunch of "yes men and women?" Gold advises clients to look for the best cultural fit. "Can your agency find and " get" your voice? And do they lead the conversation, like a good dinner partner or are they too busy gathering clips?" Effective publicists have great relationships with many different journalists in many different industries. Many PR pros are former journalists, so they know the best ways to pitch a story and to reach editors and reporters. Since they are not employees of the firm that hires them, they can give an honest, outsider view of the firm and the potential for what story ideas will work. The relationship between client and agency should not be passive. Clients should inform the agency what messages they would like to promote and make suggestions on where they would like to appear. Very few stories make the front page of the New York Times, but with a media atmosphere that includes blogs, websites, TV shows, magazines and other media that evolves every day, a good PR agency will help clients increase their visibility via increased recognition on as many respected editorial platforms as possible. Long term, public relations can be an investment in the brand and the visibility of a firm or individual that results in increased recognition and reputation.