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The Message Makers: Inside PR And Advertising From an examination of BP's public relations missteps in the Gulf oil disaster to a profile of Hollywood's go-to publicist for celebrities coming out of the closet, an NPR series looks behind the scenes in the world of PR.
Special Series

The Message Makers: Inside PR And Advertising

Thursday

Under The Radar, PR's Political Savvy

Though lobbyists target Capitol Hill, often those in public relations work on issues ahead of them, conditioning the legislative landscape. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Under The Radar, PR's Political Savvy

Public relations is known as the business of promoting a product or a personality. But — in Washington D.C., at least — PR pros can be just as strategic in creating buzz for better behavior — or for policy change. Political advocacy, it turns out, is like any other PR: You try and get your message across any way you can.

Under The Radar, PR's Political Savvy

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Friday

With Billions At Stake, Firms Play Name That Mop

A branding firm came up with the name Swiffer by playing with words like "clean," "wipe" and "sweep." It's now one of Procter & Gamble's biggest sellers. Procter & Gamble hide caption

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Procter & Gamble

With Billions At Stake, Firms Play Name That Mop

The first "public relations" that a product has is its name, so it has to be good. Because a product's name can have an impact on sales, there are many do's and don'ts for coming up with one. Marketing experts reveal the tricks of the trade.

With Billions At Stake, Firms Play Name That Mop

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Thursday

Corporate America Takes On Multilingual Public Relations

Wal-Mart's ad campaign in Mandarin emphasizes family as an important theme. In this moment from one of the ads, mother and daughter talk about the value Wal-Mart adds to their household. Wal-Mart hide caption

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Wal-Mart

Corporate America Takes On Multilingual Public Relations

To better target non-English speaking communities nationwide, corporate giants like McDonald's and Wal-Mart are creating ads in different languages, including Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese. As companies build these ad campaigns, they're learning what memes and mediums best appeal to different cultures.

Corporate America Takes On Multilingual Public Relations

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Thursday

PR's 'Gay Guru' Helps Celebrities Come Out

Howard Bragman has worked as a publicist for more than 30 years. He is the author of Where's My Fifteen Minutes? Robert Mora/Getty Images hide caption

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Robert Mora/Getty Images

PR's 'Gay Guru' Helps Celebrities Come Out

LAist 89.3

Growing up gay in the Midwest, Howard Bragman knew he didn't fit in. But today he's made a name for himself as the go-to publicist for celebrities coming out of the closet — they call him the "gay guru."

PR's 'Gay Guru' Helps Celebrities Come Out

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Thursday

BP: A Textbook Example Of How Not To Handle PR

In May 2010, then-BP CEO Tony Hayward gave a news conference at Fourchon Beach in Port Fourchon, La. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption

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Patrick Semansky/AP

Opinion

BP: A Textbook Example Of How Not To Handle PR

When an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last April, BP was woefully underprepared to handle its public relations response. It failed to communicate the three key messages the public needed to hear — that BP was accountable for the disaster, was deeply concerned about the harm it caused and had a plan for what to do next.

BP: A Textbook Example Of How Not To Handle PR

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