Richard Craig & Associates

07/09/2025

Further to our post on August 1, we note that media reports today have said that Pamela Anderson has hit out at accusations that her new romance with Naked Gun actor Liam Neeson - the film starring her and Neeson was released globally in early August - was a ‘PR stunt’ to promote the film.

07/09/2025

‘How Would You Spin That - PR solutions to extremely embarrassing situations’

A nine-minute pilot for a proposed satirical program on public relations.

https://vimeo.com/220275669

The pilot is animated. The proposed program would feature actors or PR and communications professionals.

Please be advised. This is the AO version. It is rather risqué. There is also a G version.

This is "Animated pilot for a proposed satirical television panel program on public relations (AO content)" by rcacomm on Vimeo, the home for high quality…

01/08/2025

We at Richard Craig & Associates reject any suggestion that the announcement this week that Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson are dating is anything other than a very nice human interest story and has nothing to do with promoting an impending film or other creative endeavour of these two enormously talented artists.

05/07/2025

We’re sure this is not a publicity stunt. But either way, this TikTok post, featuring Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top ‘busking’ on the streets of Helsinki, ‘and no one has a clue’ has had to date some 440,000 views.

Maintaining a profile and not being forgotten is, of course, one of the adages of PR and perception management.

02/06/2025

Just when one felt the role of communications and public relations people has been relegated even further down the ladder of importance we read about British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.

Several British media outlets are now claiming that McSweeney plays a key role in advising his boss what to do and say on issues of the day.

This pivotal role in how the prime minister is seen, heard and perceived reminds we here at Richard Craig & Associates of the work of communications specialist Alistair Campbell in advising former British prime minister Tony Blair.

As we have humbly noted before, in its very best manifestation, PR and comms is exciting work and, dare we say, of key importance to those who receive this counsel.

01/05/2025

We at Richard Craig & Associates have had a very enjoyable career advising clients on creative ways as to how they can be reported by the media, often the business and financial media.

Predictions of doom for many professions accelerate as a result of AI.

We are still in some doubt as to whether AI can think up a creative idea to, for example, make a chartered accountant, investment banker, management consultant or corporate lawyer stand out from the crowd in terms of saying something newsworthy which will appeal to the business editor of a publication.

Such media have, of course, an insatiable appetite for news. A good PR and comms person knows what he or she can recommend a client in the above and other professions to put to such media.

We look forward to seeing an AI application which can read the media every day, can identify something unusual that has either been said or been announced and comment on that in a
convincing newsworthy format.

Perhaps it already exists or is on the way.

Arguments to the contrary are welcome.

02/04/2025

The manufacturers of artificial sweeteners in the United States again find themselves facing a controversy, with claims in the last day or so that one particular brand actually stimulates appetite.

It would of course be deeply ironic if this were the case. The idea that people avoid sugar to lessen the chance of weight gain and other perceived advantages. Only then to hear that the supposedly helpful substitute product encourages one to eat more.

Like all crisis communications scenarios, the said manufacturers presumably would be seeking to counter the argument being advanced, with their own evidence to the contrary.

01/03/2025

Remarkable to see the ongoing diminution in the reach and apparent influence of traditional media.

Love him or hate him, Elon Musk’s X platform is reportedly now the number one news app in over 140 countries.

Increasingly, many people and organisations are posting directly on X to get their message out - recently American actor Kevin Spacey was a prime example - rather than using intermediaries.

Needless to say this trend is not great news for PR and comms people.

02/02/2025

How do you promote a once high profile famous actor who is now advanced in years?

You put out a photograph, in this case of Tom Selleck, in his car at a McDonald’s drive thru ordering a burger on his … 80th birthday.

This was picked up as an idea and run by media globally, due to its novelty factor.

Turning 80. Rich. Not having a fancy celebrity dinner at, say, Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, Musso & Frank Grill, with celebrity pals.

But queuing up in his car to enjoy a Maccas.

Another example of the creativity required for the successful publicist.

Perhaps Mr. Selleck hopes he will be offered roles in his 80s, like another Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood was.

Although Mr Selleck no doubt doesn’t need the money, we certainly hope, if this is his wish, he is successful in this aspiration.

After all, at the risk of being overtly philosophical, a busy life is a happy life. 

02/02/2025

Major geopolitical events stirring around the world.

In the United States, one historian has suggested that the current temper of the nation is similar to that which existed in 1860.

We at Richard Craig & Associates, however, remain perpetually optimistic about the future.

02/01/2025

As Richard Craig & Associates marks its 30th year in operation, we note that, looking back on recent events, even for celebrated household name actors, there is seemingly a constant need to keep their name before the public.

It’s been said many actors are perennially concerned that their last film, even though it may have won them an Oscar, could be their last.

Accordingly, a well travelled PR road is for them to speak out on social and other issues. To keep these thespians in the public eye.

The number of Hollywood actors who took a prominent political position on the recent US election was, we believe, an example of this.

Although we acknowledge that many actors hold strong political views. Comedian Ricky Gervais has also expressed some views on this.

The quest and challenge for PR and communications people advising actors is determining what issues they can they speak out on, which don’t potentially offend half of the population, who might hold a different political view to that promulgated.

30/11/2024

A traditional means of gaining support for a point of view in a public relations or communications debate or issue has been to use experts. To support one’s case.

The idea was that if an expert agrees with your point of view, it must be true.

Robert F. Kennedy Jnr, who will be taking up a position in the new US administration, recently said that he was involved in a case where his side of the argument had used experts from three prominent and very famous United States’ universities, Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

He said that his opponents in the issue also had retained experts from the same three prominent and famous US universities Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

He said that the experts from the other side had a completely opposite view on the issue in question to the experts from the same universities which his side had engaged.

This shows the challenges today in successfully mounting a public relations or communications debate, which of course is a form of advocacy, not in a court necessarily, but in the court of public opinion.