Much already has been written about Steve Jobs – his marketing genius, his control of public relations, his ability to skillfully meld the products he created with a pent-up consumer demand for those products (or so we thought once his products were released).

That was the brilliance of Jobs. To paraphrase something he once said, “It isn’t up to consumers to know what they want. It’s up to us to tell them.”

Steven Jobs was one of those transformative inventors who comes along once every few generations. Perhaps it is a testament to how much he touched so many that – as President Barack Obama commented – so many learned of Jobs’ passing on a device he had invented.

He was also a public relations and marketing mastermind. His retail success came from creating powerful products backed by the buzz that made people feel they must have those devices. Apple’s iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone wowed audiences when revealed in grand on-stage debuts – with Jobs as the emcee. Journalists were awed, and their articles reflected their amazement.

And we consumers bit – hard.

Apple didn’t need “traditional” consumer electronics marketing. The company consistently avoids major announcement hubs like the Consumer Electronics Show, notes PRdaily. He launched the hype – and sustained it.

Most (dare we say All-But-Apple) cannot afford to sidestep the major events. We bend over backwards to please our patrons, and play the retail merchandising game the way the industry has created it. Yet Jobs’ prowess in product development showed us that the brand dictates the trend – and not vice versa.

By developing one-of-a-kind products with unique messages to match, marrying art and technology in a way we’ve never seen before, Jobs dominated the technology industry. As the article explains, many described Apple products as “funky” and “snazzy,” showing their appreciation for the visual appearance of the tech.

Steve Jobs was quoted once as having said, “The customer is not right, I am.” Masterfully brilliant, unabashed in his view of the world, in every essence of the word, Steve Jobs – in his jeans and black, mock-turtleneck – didn’t just sell us things. He sold us dreams.

And if you were listening, he sold us a new roadmap to successful marketing.

The University of Miami football scandal has rocked the college sports community, players, and coaches for almost a month now.

In mid-August Yahoo! Sports reported the corruption within the University of Miami football program- detailing a UM football booster’s showering of 72 players (and even administrators!) with lavish gifts including parties at night clubs, prostitutes, jewelry, clothing, and electronics. Nevin Shapiro, the culprit who is currently serving time for a $930 million dollar Ponzi scheme, wined and dined the players to get into the “in crowd,” and develop a posse of top players turning top recruits and then pro. Shapiro is serving a 20-year prison sentence for his actions- but the University of Miami as a college, community, and brand is facing serious repercussions. In fact, in their September 5^th game against Maryland, certain UM players who were deemed ineligible to play because of their part in the scandal left many inexperienced freshmen taking over their positions. The investigation will continue on.

The scandal floats like a black cloud over campus, and University President Donna E. Shalala has only recently instated a crisis communications plan. As WPLG-Miami reporter Michael Putney writes in his opinion piece in The Miami Herald on August 23^rd, “UM President Donna Shalala certainly didn’t look good the other day striding around the campus with a pasted-on grin as she welcomed reporters, none of whose questions she would answer…Not even ‘no comment.’” Even if Shalala didn’t have all of the facts, we at Boardroom Communications would have advised her to at least let reporters know she was on their side. She could have said, “I have no comment at this time other than to say that we are taking this very seriously and investigating it,” or something of this nature, from the very start. Putney puts it well, asking, “Why didn’t Shalala just call a news conference, say she wouldn’t be answering questions and read the limp, ineffectual statement her office issued…?” Maybe the media would’ve given her a break if she went humbly to the camera right away.

Then again, it probably wasn’t too fun greeting the parents and students of the Class of 2015 amidst the biggest scandal in University of Miami history.

Shalala did pen a letter to the community, and has made two videos reaching out to the university and community at large- directly addressing the incident from her own office. “When our values come into question, we only have one option,” she says in the video. “Do what is right and have confidence in tomorrow. The allegations leveled…are serious. And we are treating them with the urgency and priority they warrant.” Shalala also notes that the NCAA has instructed her and the university to not yet comment on specifics, and her personal frustration with being “unable to speak more freely and answer questions.”

Though initially faltering (and getting beaten for it), Shalala is starting to take the right steps by confidently looking straight into the camera and accepting responsibility for this scandal. When CEOS and corporate executives are faced with any sort of catastrophe, more often than not there is simply a press release, a general statement sent to publications and mass media, and nothing more. Shalala has employed a simple yet successful public relations strategy- appearing personal, humbled, and intimate with her audience and community. It’s obvious that she and the University of Miami administration are trying very hard to remain proactive in an attempt to redeem themselves and the reputation of their college. Thankfully, their current coach Al Golden remains untainted by the scandal- having arrived long after Shapiro’s departure. If he takes the reins and focuses on the future, maybe, just maybe, Miami can recover.

Well, it’s that time of year again- Hurricane Season. Though we’re bound to miss Hurricane Irene here in South Florida (at least according to the latest weather report), the freak 5.8 earthquake that struck on Tuesday, August 23^rd, has rocked the East Coast. Reporters from Virginia to New York covered the storm in great detail, and sirens blasted on Capitol Hill to alert all of the news.

One of the biggest headlines of the day, it seemed, was the fact that President Obama and his family were vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard- where they could feel the earth rumble. In fact, according  an article in  the Washington Post, he was actually on the golf course when it happened! Obama’s 10-day vacation in Martha’s Vineyard makes for a stark contrast with much of the country’s current economic woes, but it turns out it was a natural disaster that, as the Post puts it, “pierced his vacation bubble.”

For us, perception often becomes reality- and this mental image of Obama playing golf while the country is shaking both literally and figuratively- with the economic crisis, unrest in Libya, and fire in the Middle East- has hit many hard. Obama needs to up the ante in making us believe he’s there for us. It’s all about perception, and maintaining a positive image in the press. At first, Obama kept a low profile on his vacation, according to an article in the Boston Globe,  and White House aides made it a priority to stress that the president was working each day and keeping correspondence with economic adviser Brian Deese and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan.

In light of recent events, however, Obama needs to put down the clubs and address the nation. He needs to conduct a serious crisis communications plan to score a more positive image with American citizens and, ultimately, regain our trust. His aides need to convey that he has been working around the clock, 24/7, even in the beautiful setting of Martha’s Vineyard. In public relations, Obama’s situation provides us with a valuable lesson about branding oneself. We want to see him as our Commander in Chief, our guiding light, and inspire us to believe once again that, yes, we can!

“The time for putting party first is over. If you want to see a bipartisan #compromise, let Congress know. Call. Email. Tweet.” –BO

BO, our Buddy Ol’ pal, our Best (presiding) Officer— Barack Obama himself tweeting YOU to make a difference and take charge in the debt ceiling issue.

This was just one of the over 100 tweets spewed out from Barack Obama’s twitter account on Friday, August 1, 2011, pleading tweeters of all parties—all 9 million of his followers—to poke and prod at Republican legislators through any and every form of media in hopes of their surrender, and eventual compromise.

According to CBS News, New York Times reporter Brian Stelter said that White House Communications director Dan Pfeiffer truly believes the tweet blitz helped force Congress to come to some form of agreement, Obama lost over 36,000 followers on Twitter, and angry Republicans accused the White House of spamming.

Obama has been a social media maverick all along, using tools like Facebook to capture voters in his presidential campaign before Twitter was even born. Although this tweeting may have influenced the end decision, our buddy BO leaves us with some questions: Is twitter really powerful enough to sway a congressional debate?  And most importantly, does BO use Tweetdeck?

Obama’s loss of 36,000 followers is trivial in comparison to his 9 million loyal disciples; but if he keeps churning out tweets thinking he’s Justin Bieber, he could be at risk for losing many more. Though twitter is a new, hip platform: media is media. People don’t like being bombarded with messages from companies about promotions and special features 24/7; they become less special that way.

If Obama, or any firm for that matter, wants to keep up interest, they should send their messages—whether sent via snail mail, an electronic newsletter, Facebook post, or tweet— more sparingly to truly make them count.When using social media,  don’t  over tweet or put out more than one status or email blast a day.  It lessens the importance  of your message and eventually followers might just press delete or take themselves off the mailing list – and your messages will be lost altogether, forever.

It’s important to be strategic about sending out messages regarding your company. For CEOs, partners, and those with something to say, be smart about it. Keep those interested informed without attacking them with news. For Obama, it’s great that you’re using social media- but slow down there Mr. President! And get back to doing more important things, like getting us jobs!

Is your online-self really you, or just an alias? Google Plus seems to think you’re one in the same. That’s why the new social networking site, as an article on CNN Tech reveals in its title, is starting to “boot ‘fake name’ users.”

Though praised by the tech community for its innovative features like Circles and group video chats, Google Plus has instated a policy that users must use their real names “to fight spam and prevent fake profiles.”

The debate is simply whether or not people want to be identified by their image online, and take responsibility for it. Facebook wants you to escape into a parallel universe and care less about the reflection of your online behavior. You can go by a fake name, have a picture of the Lochness monster as your own, and call it a day. Google, on the other hand, truly wants people to be able to find you— the real you— through your Google profile.

A Google spokeswoman said in an email, “By providing your common name, you will be assisting all people you know— friends, family members, classmates, co-workers and other acquaintances— in finding and creating a connection with the right person online.”

But what if you don’t want to be found?

College-bound seniors and job-seeking young adults often change or abbreviate their names on Facebook to preserve their image for future bosses, co-workers, schools and universities. Though Google’s position may be a little strong, it’s important to remember that whether you’re a CEO or 17, you never know who’s watching you online.

If Google sticks to this position, it will be even more important to monitor the information you post and posts about you.

It’s the case heard ‘round the world, and everyone seems to have something to say about it. Yes, Casey Anthony’s controversial trial and her equally controversial choice in counsel, Jose Baez, have made national headlines and dominated the media. With virtually no personal effort of his own besides taking on Anthony as his client, Baez has found his name all over the media before, during, and after the trial.

Though we all seem to have differing opinions regarding the verdict(s), there’s one thing we can agree on: Baez has gone from a nobody to a somebody, and might just be here to stay.

Baez, a high school drop-out and relatively new lawyer (he’s only been practicing for three years), has made quite the reputation for himself. His peers in the field have named him the luckiest man in America, and just one day after the sentencing, he sat down with the one-and-only Barbara Walters to discuss his thoughts. He told Walters, “After I heard the last not guilty verdict in the court yesterday…I thought to myself, ‘My life may start to change.’”

And it has.

Rumors of potential book deals, bio-movies, reality TV shows, and more surround the lawyer.

The lesson us PR folks can take is simple. You don’t have to be a lawyer to recognize the idea of sacrificing in the short term for long term gains. Sometimes it’s better to give up time and money in the short term for the publicity, exposure, and post-benefits that await us in the long run. So while the aggressive tactics Baez used in the courtroom remain questionable, his PR skills have most definitely served him well.

Recently, The Wall Street Journal and South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel reported that the U.S. group ICANN, the organization that regulates the world’s Internet domain names, is now allowing companies and organizations to create their own version of “.com.” ICANN is saying this innovation is “one of the biggest changes ever” to the online naming system. Now, companies will be able to end their addresses with the name of their company, such as “.coke,” or use their city, such as “.FtLauderdale.”

With the shortage of .com web addresses, the change can produce hundreds of millions of dollars in business for companies whose business is managing the Internet’s vast registries, as well as those selling the names. Companies could also gain new tools for highlighting their identities and networking with suppliers and distributors.

Industry associates are worried that creating new suffixes could cause confusion to consumers. But not to worry because according to the articles, you will have to shell out $185,000 in order to obtain a personal suffix.  Additionally ICANN has the final decision on all the new domains and applicants must prove they have the technical capability necessary to keep a domain running. This will help reduce the amount of new domains created.

Speculators say the new system will not diminish the value of existing Web addresses. After all, Web names that were created by ICANN in 2000 never really caught on.

In the wake of the Weiner scandal, Spirit Airlines has proved that capitalizing on hot topics in popular culture can be an effective marketing strategy.  As explained in a recent Miami Herald article, the Miramar-based company is now roasting up “The Weiner Sale”—a 9 dollar fare with round trip purchase.  Though Spirit never mentions the congressman specifically, the jabs do anything but shy away from Anthony Weiner. The airline touts that its Weiner deal is “too hard to resist” and that patrons should “hurry to book now, before this sale gets hacked!”

While Congressman Weiner faces public humiliation, Spirit might just make bank off its “shock marketing” strategy. Current pop culture crazes like Weiner’s lewd photo or Rebecca Black’s hit single “Friday” can serve as potential marketing platforms, outlines for jingles, puns, wordplay and instant consumer recognition.

Spirit’s charade has garnered the airline national attention, with spreads in The New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal and a segment on MSNBC. As Arun Sarma, marketing professor at University of Miami explains, “They’re quick decision-makers in the sense of, ‘Why not take advantage of this?’” Why not, indeed.

You don’t have to be as big as Spirit Airlines to take advantage of a public relations opportunity like this. If you see a chance where you can tie into a hot news story that could make sense with your campaign or your product, as Sarma says, why not? The publicity you could generate via email and word of mouth could bring you just as much buzz as Weiner himself!

In the May issue of Website Magazine, Linc Wonham updated readers on the recent disruption of “shady” SEO tactics in his article titled, “Grow Profits From the Farmer Update.”  According to the article, nearly 12 percent of all Google searches in the U.S. were affected by this change. Google is encouraging all online businesses to reassess its own content because of the change, especially merchants. 

Many e-commerce sites have seen their rankings slip since the change, without knowing they were practicing shady SEO tactics. Now the goal is that merchants’ content will be original, and this will help online consumers easily find the business and products they are searching for on Google. 

To ensure your rankings go up, start by auditing the content. It’s important to review all existing content from recent to past blog posts and clean up or remove anything that has errors, copied from another site or both.Then check the links. Linking your business to poor content will hurt your rankings.

Finally, produce great content. In Google’s eyes quality, originality, authoritativeness, presentation and value make for great content. Make sure you avoid misspellings, factual errors and outdated information. Don’t copy what users can find somewhere else. Lend expertise, make it easy to consume and that it’s visually pleasing and engaging for users.

Almost everyone you speak to seems to be in the process of a website redesign.  
They are recognizing website-of-old a.k.a. “brochureware,” just won’t due in today’s dynamic marketplace. 

A short read by Phil Edelstein appeared in a recent issue of Website Magazine.  One of the most important take-aways you will glean from the column is the importance of not destroying the rankings you already have with the major search engines by essentially deleting your old site completely.  Specific website pages that already garner good rankings for your targeted keywords should be maintained on your server in the background with redirects attached to them bringing the visitors to your corresponding pages contained in the new site.  This will ensure that you do not essentially lose the seniority you have already earned with Google, Bing and Yahoo.

To read the Phil Edelstein’s full article and for more tips click here.