By Talia Sinkinson, Editor, Media Relations, Bulldog Reporter

If you manage a PR firm or department—or if you just work in one—you've no doubt puzzled over what you can do to run things smoother and smarter. Ken Makovsky, founder and CEO of Makovsky + Company has thought about it, too, and he's given us some insights that have made his firm one of the most durable, respected and decorated in the business.

Makovsky was most recently named Agency Professional of the Year in Bulldog Reporter's Stars of PR Awards. Below, he offers secrets for avoiding PR burnout, shaping a stellar team and achieving 93% employee retention, which his firm did this past year. He also reveals the breakthrough communications tools and tactics he sees coming down the pike in 2013 and, surprisingly, what the NFL draft can teach you about intellect and integrity …

By Talia Sinkinson, Assistant Editor, Bulldog Reporter

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? We'd like to believe that even when Mom isn't looking, we'll all still be on our best behavior. Similarly, it's built into our basic psychology that if we think of ourselves as good people, we imagine we'll make the right decision, even if no one is there to give us a gold star. However, when it comes to doing good in the world, we sometimes need a little positive reinforcement. Recyclebank, a company that rewards people for taking everyday green actions, hinged on this natural impulse when it created an innovative and tech-savvy curbside recycling program. In 2004, Recyclebank partnered with numerous cities across the country to outfit municipal recycling trucks with meters that monitored how much individual households were recycling each week. Then, online at Recyclebank.com, members were compensated for their green efforts with points—determined by the heft of their bottles and boxes—which could be spent on practical products and services. With this system, for a number of years, Recyclebank successfully motivated families in participating cities to fill their bins to the brim—and win some loot, all the while.

However, six years after its inception, Recyclebank execs were no longer satisfied with their limited geographical impact. Wasn't there a way to engage families even if their cities hadn't signed on to the program? With the help of digital communications agency, Bateman Group, Recyclebank decided it would expand its reach—and recruit consumers as yet not served by the program into the society of sustainability. The Recyclebank team knew that when a meter was monitoring behavior, users were quick to act. But it was up to Bateman Group to figure out how to raise mass consumer awareness and encourage green routines worldwide. Read on to find out how Bateman Group's "Gamification Goes Green" campaign sparked member involvement across borders, caught the eye of Ellen DeGeneres and converted 97% of participants to proud proponents of eco-evangelism…

By Talia Sinkinson, Assistant Editor, Bulldog Reporter

PR pros in medicine, higher education and tech all know that credible research plays an imperative role in brand building. For many institutions and companies, research is the ready-to-wear component of media relations: It provides pitchable stories that need no tenuous twists or sketchy spins to win coverage. Oftentimes, the numbers speak for themselves and offer journalists unparalleled insight into hot-button topics and trends. However, after months (if not years) of surveys, calculations and peer-review, research still doesn't automatically take flight: Reporters don't chomp at the bit for lengthy reports, and technical jargon clogs social media arteries like trans-fat. Thus, you are met with the fear-inspiring task: Make research exciting and eminently marketable.

When California-based medical research and treatment center, City of Hope, needed a media boost, its marketing team encountered this very hurdle. In an effort to spread national awareness and increase fundraising, City of Hope decided to flex its strongest muscles—those of its doctors and scientists—and initiated a social media campaign based solely on the impressive investigations taking place within its laboratory walls.

But how to promote it? As assistant director of marketing Kelly Sullivan describes, "City of Hope's research discoveries have led to scientific breakthroughs that impact millions of people all over the world. Although we knew that engaging content was the key to social media success, the challenge was figuring out how to make medical research interesting to the general public…"

By Talia Sinkinson

What's the problem with the traditional method of promoting brand news? Not only does press information quickly become outdated, but it can also get washed out by all the other media sources producing more and more—and fresher and fresher—content. As journalists have requested, many companies are building online newsrooms to house press info. But in reality, by using your newsroom to only publicize brand headlines, you risk losing out on higher SEO, a larger-scope audience and greater authority in your industry.

An online corporate newsroom may be the perfect place to post press releases, media kits and official statements—but in a world where digital media can make or break you, the standard corporate newsroom model may not be enough to keep your digital presence afloat. So if you're a PR pro looking to make your company's website a hub—a central online destination that brings readers in and hooks them with hot content—look no further than Cisco's "The Network" as a top-level template. Read on to find out how the PR team behind The Network earned its company acclaim, press accolades, and thousands of page views per month by revamping its strategy to become "the newsroom of the future."

By Jim Bucci

For those of a certain age, "The Fonz" is the epitome of cool, wearing his leather jacket and issuing his trademark thumbs up sign followed by his "Ay!" catchphrase. However, "The Fonz" lived on the sitcom "Happy Days" 30 years ago and, while many still maintain fond remembrances of the iconic character, others might be more familiar with the actor who portrayed the role, Henry Winkler.

While Winkler has moved on from playing "The Fonz" by starring in a number of movies and TV shows throughout the years, many fans still view Winkler and "The Fonz" as synonymous. With the release of Winkler's New York Times bestseller, "I've Never Met an Idiot on the River: Reflections on Family, Photography and Fly-Fishing," public relations firm MEDIA CONNECT had to determine just how far his "celebrity" would take him. Would people be interested in Winkler only as "The Fonz" or was he still relevant today?

By Jim Bucci

In 2011, Tommee Tippee, Great Britain's top baby and toddler feeding brand, challenged its public relations team at Mullen to develop a way to engage further expectant moms in the United States, while also increasing brand awareness. To reel in new and expectant mothers, Mullen decided to tug on their heartstrings with the development of a game-changing digital idea.

Even though many apps existed to help moms track their pregnancy, the majority represented a clinical nature and concentrated on the physical aspects. Mullen veered in the opposite direction, keying on the emotional. How does mom feel? What does she want her child to know about the day he or she arrived? "The Day Baby Was Born" resulted, a free Web application enabling moms to create a digital storybook to preserve all the precious memories from pregnancy through journal entries, pictures and news headlines from the day their baby is born.

By Jim Bucci

In America's biggest cities, skyscrapers seemingly stretch to the sky. There's more concrete than open, outdoor space. As the weather turns warmer, city dwellers exit their stuffy abodes, searching for areas outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. During the summer of 2011, Affinia Hotels — which offers properties in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C. with unique outdoor spaces considered a luxury in these cities — wanted to highlight the amenities and programming available at the hotels.

Quinn & Co. Public Relations came onboard to secure consumer-lifestyle press focused on the outdoor spaces not readily available in these busy, big-building cities where the hotels reside. With a record-breaking winter gone, people craved sunshine and the great outdoors, making Affinia Hotels the perfect spot for soaking in the sun.

By Jim Bucci

The Reese's brand resided on the cusp of launching one of its most exciting new products. After undergoing years of research to perfect, Reese's billed the new product as an innovation in chocolate, poised to revolutionize the way American's eat their favorite candy in a big way. Reese's public relations campaign needed to reflect such innovation.

M Booth & Associates took on the assignment of creating a breakthrough public relations campaign for the launch of Reese's Minis—the smallest Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ever created. The agency developed "The Next Big, Little Thing" campaign and recommended unveiling the next sensation in snacking at the famous Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Much like technology, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups continue to get smaller and smaller. The concept of launching the Minis at CES provided a counterintuitive angle.

By Jim Bucci

Healthy eating options appear to be the new trend. With more Americans conscious about what they consume than ever before, opting to go green by eating a salad is a popular alternative to eating a sandwich, burger or slice of pizza. The packaged salad kit category is not new though. Like everything with years in the market, this category had turned tired and stale. Most ready-to-eat single-serve salad kits on the market were of the "mystery meat and cubed cheese" variety, and therefore lacking a healthy balance of ingredients.

Earthbound Farm looked to shake-up the tried-and-true packaged salad by offering a 100% meatless and dairy-free product, not stamped vegetarian and entirely plant-based. PowerMeals represented real change in the salad category — a line of healthy "lunch without the junk" combining organic greens, seeds, fruits and clean-burning whole grains to provide plant-based protein, fiber, antioxidants and plenty of taste, not just another plastic container featuring meat and cheese with dairy-based dressing and flavor profiles familiar to consumers, such as Caesar salad with chicken.

By Jim Bucci

For too long college news sites have been places to dump press releases and staged photographs featuring happy students or sometimes to mix it up—photos of contemplative students reading under trees. Denison University decided to flip this model on its head by launching TheDEN, an interactive, online source for the college's news, stories and ideas.

TheDEN provides prospective Denison students, current students, faculty, alumni and members of the media quick-hit, blog-style news about the college in Granville, Ohio. The site reflects the "life of the college" in a straightforward way without all the higher education jargon by creating a tool that would be effective in telling the Denison story.

"With TheDen, we knew we needed a new news website, but did not know how to approach this," explains Scott Tribble, senior associate director for digital strategy at Denison University. "Our prior website just pulled press releases and we wanted to reach more than the media, but to capture all the stories on campus and reach the campus's varied audiences."

By Jim Bucci

When the United States came under attack on Sept. 11, 2001, the world was shocked, angered and moved to profound sorrow for the nearly 3,000 lives lost. Two years later, France made headlines for its strong opposition to the U.S. invasion in Iraq, which caused widespread anti-French sentiment in the U.S. Remember "Freedom fries?"

As a result, a standard cliché appeared in the American media that the French did not remember what the United States had done for them during World War I and World War II.

To attempt to reverse this perception, four French citizens living in the U.S. formed a grassroots organization in 2003 called The French Will Never Forget (TFWNF) to help strengthen the long-standing friendship between the two countries. Since 2003, the organization has paid tribute to the United State in annual displays of fellowship, such as making a human chain with 2,500 people on Omaha Beach.

With the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 approaching, TFWNF recognized the big opportunity at hand to create a meaningful symbol for the victims and send a message of friendship to the U.S. that would get people talking. The group, which included a renowned architect, decided to create a 75-foot replica of the Twin Towers that read, "The French Will Never Forget Sept. 11" and listed the names of each victim.

By Jim Bucci

Numerous challenges existed when Murphy O'Brien Public Relations began working with the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR) in 2008. The second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Nicaragua had a history of revolution and civil war, a president known for anti-American sentiments and very little or any visibility among North America as a tourist destination. The government also had a tiny marketing budget for tourism development.

After digging into the country's attributes, the PR team quickly learned that Nicaragua presented much of the ecotourism opportunities of its neighbor and popular travel destination locale Costa Rica — and even more unspoiled natural beauty. The country featured a host of top beaches and eco-resorts at half the price of those in Costa Rica as well.

"We were trying to get the word out about Nicaragua as a destination location," explains Murphy O'Brien Public Relations account supervisor Sharon Boorstin. "A lot of fear existed from tourists about the country, that it was unsafe due to its political history. We wanted to convey to tourists that Nicaragua was safe and actually one of the safest countries in South America along with Costa Rica."

To dispel such misperceptions about Nicaragua as dangerous and unstable, Murphy O'Brien needed to entice top travel journalists to write about the country's beautiful scenery, warm hospitality, accommodations and rich culture.

By: Jim Bucci

Each year, nearly one in five U.S. adults — which amounts to more than 45 million people — will experience some form of mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

In California alone, this means 7.4 million adults suffer from mental illness. Due to the stigma and embarrassment often associated with mental health problems, many of these millions of people fail receive the professional help they need.

Research showed that happiness in general might be harder to come by for residents of the Golden State, further complicating matters for Californians with mental illness. According to a study by the University of Warwick and Hamilton College, California ranked at the bottom of the list of the happiest states in the U.S.

All of this data represented an opportunity for California's marriage and family therapists, who can play a significant role in helping to treat mental illness. To define and raise awareness for their expertise in treating mental illness and to help Californians find marriage and family therapists in their area, The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) retained Porter Novelli to lead a media relations campaign.

By Jim Bucci

Looking for a way to significantly raise the awareness of its brand and its travel category, HomeAway.com — the world's largest online marketplace for vacation rentals — decided that advertising in the 2010 Super Bowl would represent a platform for a year-long marketing program.

In partnership with MM2 Public Relations, HomeAway.com promoted the message to consumers that "You can rent a whole house for half the price of a hotel" through their domestic and international websites. Because the advertising would be the centerpiece of the company's marketing efforts and budget for the year, the plan had to maximize awareness before, during and after the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl ad also reunited celebrity actors Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in a reprise of their roles from the popular "National Lampoon's Vacation" movie.

By Jim Bucci

When queried during a 2008 television interview what he would like for his upcoming birthday, The Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr answered, “More Peace & Love.” Thus launched a campaign where Ringo encouraged everyone everywhere to say “Peace & Love” at noon their local time on July 7—the date of his birthday. To honor his 70th birthday, Hard Rock International offered to host a birthday celebration at its flagship café location in Times Square, inviting friends worldwide to continue the tradition of wishing Ringo “Peace & Love” on his birthday at noon.

To generate excitement with the press and the public, Starr’s team from Beautiful Day Media called on Coyne PR to help reinforce Ringo’s message of “Peace & Love” throughout the world. PR efforts also called attention to Hard Rock’s collection of iconic Beatles memorabilia and commitment to philanthropy.

By Jim Bucci

Seeking to reinvigorate its brand through a strategic partnership with a celebrity athlete to increase relevance and attract new customers, Jockey International, Inc. enlisted pro football quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, to be the new face of the brand.

Jockey hadn't had an athlete pitchman in nearly two decades since a sponsorship with baseball player Jim Palmer, so they needed a new athlete and found one in Tebow. Regarded by many as the greatest collegiate quarterback in history, Tebow is ranked as the third most influential athlete in the nation.

"Tim's reputation for excellence on the field aligned well with Jockey's brand direction," explains Amy Russ, vice president in Cone's Brand Marketing Group.

By: Jim Bucci

The maker of Bubble Wrap, Sealed Air Corporation, sought to celebrate the 50th birthday of the product with a widespread pop of national consumer media exposure. The iconic brand is best known for protecting and providing fun and stress release to millions of people each day. But, with no "new" news other than the commemorative milestone, Coyne PR would have to be creative in developing a strategy to celebrate the golden anniversary.

Coyne set out to raise awareness by reinforcing that Bubble Wrap is a brand trademarked by Sealed Air Corporation because many consumers see all cellular cushioning material as bubble wrap. To separate from the rest, Coyne developed a limited run of special gold Bubble Wrap for the birthday, deviating from the well-known clear bubble wrap, which created a great visual and compelling story to tell.

"For Bubble Wrap's 50th Anniversary, we wanted to celebrate the fun-loving aspects of this great cushioning product and help promote the innovative spirit that is still the culture of Sealed Air Corporation's growth today," explains Coyne PR vice president Joe Gargiulo.

By: Jim Bucci

For decades, scientific experts have told us that the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in fish make it an amazing health food. Recent evidence has also emerged that these health benefits far outweigh any risks associated with consuming the trace amounts of mercury that have always been in seafood. Unfortnately, much of that advice has been drowned out by a handful of activists who've exploited understandable concerns about contamination in order to control a national debate about food safety.

As a result, Americans now eat far less seafood than the USDA's dietary guidelines recommend. Now, hardly any of us are getting an adequate supply of omega-3s. But, there hasn't been a single U.S. mercury poisoning case in the medical literature related to store-bought seafood. So, why all the worry?

By Jim Bucci

Having dinner as a family used to be the norm for households across the country. Dinnertime together represented a moment during the day for families to connect—for children and parents to share details about their day. But, with our over-scheduled and busy lives of today, with parents logging longer hours at work and children participating in various sports and after school activities, it's harder than ever to line-up everyone's schedule to share dinner together. Now, instead of a meal as one, family members end up eating dinner separately at different times during the evening.

By Jim Bucci

For MicroStrategy, a business intelligence (BI) software developer, Apple's 2010 launch of the iPad wasn't simply another innovative consumer product. They saw the portable iPad as an opportunity to advance their own series of BI apps. Recognizing the iPad as a perfect fit for managers, sales representatives and content consumers, MicroStrategy was among the first companies with a business intelligence offering. They released MicroStrategy Mobile for the iPad, a free app with data analysis, reporting, graphing, dashboards, data visualization, data mining and forecasting against enterprise data within three months of the iPad's release date.

By Jim Bucci

For the launch of Hershey's tasty new Bliss chocolate, execs wanted to do something yummy to match the candy's rich, creamy, bite-size wonderfulness. For this new indulgent chocolate, Hershey's wanted Bliss to celebrate the bliss of girlfriend-to-girlfriend bonds in a way that also celebrates life's everyday bliss. To do this, Hershey's brought in JSHandA Public Relations to bring the girlfriend-to-girlfriend theme to life.

By Jim Bucci

The choice brand for pro photographers, Nikon began focusing on the amateur market as great technology became cheaper and amateurs were able to take world-class photos. To reach this wider audience, they incorporated celebrities like Ashton Kutcher into their promotions.

In 2008, Nikon and agency MWW Group found the perfect host for a new campaign in Carson Kressley, who'd achieved fame in the "Fab Five" of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and as the host of Lifetime's "How to Look Good Naked."

By Jim Bucci

For children, pop-up books are among the most thrilling gifts. Pop-up maps have added another dimension to navigating unknown terrain and exploring unknown lands and cities. The "Pop-up Video" became a VH1 icon. Pop-up stores have also become a recent innovation in brand-building buzz stunts for mega-retailers like Kohl's and Target.

But, what about launching a pop-up PR agency?

For a group of eight twenty-something Porter Novelli staffers, the pop-up PR agency would translate this universal and suddenly trendy theme into a tool to revolutionize PR.

Prior to the 2009 National Football League season, T.G.I. Friday's and the Dallas Cowboys hadn't much in common, besides the fact that the popular restaurant chain and prestigious football franchise were both based in the Dallas area. But, that would all change when the Cowboys opened their new state-of-the-art stadium on August 21, 2009, which was home to the world's largest high-definition video board—a monstrous 60 yards long, stretching from 20-yard line to 20-yard line. When Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso hit the video board with a punt during the stadium's first pre-season game, he caused an incident that would ultimately bring the two organizations together in a quirky PR campaign that brought T.G.I. Friday's much needed publicity.