We always knew she was a rock star… now others do too.

It’s with great pride and pleasure we tip our hat to Eastwick’s own Kimberly Stoddard for being recognized as one of the top tech PR pros by PRSourceCode.

This is Kimberly’s second time on the prestigious list and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving pro.

While we’re a bit biased and think that many of our staff could make the list, we definitely understand why Kimberly has been singled out.

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Walter Cronkite

Eastwick Communications bids a fond farewell to Walter Cronkite, the quintessential anchorman and once most-trusted person in America.

He wasn’t the first anchorman, and only time will tell if he was the best, but he, more than anyone in recent history, personified respectability.

The landmark events he covered during his 46-year career as a journalist are too numerous to list; fortunately, we have a permanent record of each and every one.

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Mario Sundar, Source: Marketing Nirvana

Back in September 2008, I attended BlogWorld Expo and on the panel of my first session was Mario Sundar. He spoke about the value of corporate blogging and, during the Q&A, I challenged him with a few real-world examples that were challenging me.

Mario not only did his best to answer my questions, he invted me to come talk with him further after the session had concluded. Unfortunately, I got caught up speaking with another panelist and never got the chance to speak with Mario. We’re remedying that today as he is our featured guest on our Break through the Noise podcast.

[Listen]

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Harry McCracken, Source: HarryMcCracken.com

Today we’re thrilled to have Harry McCracken as our guest on our podcast, Break through the Noise.

I’m my opinion, Harry has one of the great Silicon Valley stories: Starting in the “traditional” media world to creating the blog Technologizer. I’ll be asking him about that part of his personal journal and a whole lot more.

[Listen]

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By Lyda Velez, Senior Associate

Tony La Russa, Source: Examiner.com

When I heard that St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was suing Twitter over the claim that someone created an account under his name and sent out derogatory remarks that damaged his reputation and caused him “significant emotional distress,” I couldn’t help but wonder…

if Tony La Russa were my client, how would I have advised him to handle such a situation?

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Peter Shankman

My guest on Break through the Noise this week may need no introduction as he’s already infamous to so many… (infampus in a good way, apologies to Mrs. Shankman)

So let’s go straight to hus bio, shall we? PR Week Magazine has described Peter as “redefining the art of networking,” and Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective.” Peter Shankman is a spectacular example of what happens when you harness the power of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and make it work to your advantage.

That’s our man this week. Peter Shankman. We love to love him, if only for creating the infinitely useful HARO (Help a Reporter Out) which has seen his fame - and rumored wealth - grow.

[Listen]

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 By Andrew Evangelista, Associate

Eastwick's Elizabeth Hilton, The Chronicle's Benny Evanvelista, eWeek's Chris Preimesberger and post author Andrew Evangelista

It’s ironic how I should be assigned to write a blog post focused on the value of personally meeting with the media.

I guess I can explain this value with in terms of an annoyance everyone has faced and some, on a nightly basis: Telemarketing Calls. “Hello, this is X from Y company, looking to offer you a once in a lifetime deal on Z product – can I speak with the head of the household?”

Bear with this analogy for a moment and place yourself in the shoes of that particular telemarketer. Would you rather call a stranger? Or would you rather call someone with whom you have met in person and had the pleasure of having a semi-coherent conversation; I should also add that this person will at least remember your first name and the sound of your voice.

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Welcome to this week’s Influence Report, Eastwick’s way of keeping you up to date on the changing communications landscape.

This issue’s feature is on the changing role of press releases, a hotly debated topic in the PR and media worlds. The name press release is even outdated since these documents are used to communicate with many more audiences than just the press. Our view is that companies and PR pros need to take a fresh look at when and how they distribute news and information. News releases are an important way to communicate directly (the ultimate vendor-generated content says my friend Barbara Krause, Krause-Taylor Associates) and there are now many other ways to push that content out. A few things that may change your thinking about news releases:

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Source: The New Yorker, January 15, 2007

My typical workday is never really typical, which is great. But, I guess that’s what makes it so hard to explain what we do sometimes?

When people ask what I do, I usually answer with the compendious “Tech communications,” and I almost always get asked… “What’s that?” And then something clicks, “Ooooh, Public Relations, so that’s when you write press releases and get coverage, right?”

I’ve even received the evil eye and a negative response referring to corporate/political flacks who make their living covering up everything from the public.

<Deep breath>

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Drop and give me 20!

Bootcamp leaders Elaine and Barbara

Yes, I actually uttered those words on Friday and no, the offenders did nary a push up.

But it was Bootcamp day at Eastwick and I’m happy to report that our team was up to the task and then some.

Unlike past bootcamps (our version of an all-day professional development exercise), this one was less about PR skills and more about critical thinking skills.

The PR business is undergoing a radical transformation, which means we need to look at our clients’ challenges in new ways and offer different solutions.

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