Thanksgiving
dates back to 1621 with the celebration at Plymouth in Massachusetts. The
Thanksgiving tradition continued to New England, but harvest festivals were not
regular events until the 1660s. On November 26, 1789, President George
Washington declared the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Happy Hanukkah
Happy Hanukkah from Centel Media. In honor of the holiday, we present eight crazy days of online reputation management. Check back here for posts about new products and services. We’ll keep the candle burning for you.
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Government Goes Nuclear
It has
finally happened. After a 52-48 vote in the Senate, the Democrats have taken
away the Republicans’ ability to filibuster them. This is a pretty big deal in
our current political climate because the Republican Party has basically taken
every opportunity to filibuster as much of the Democrats’ legislation as
possible. At the same time, the filibuster was the last defense Republicans had
to prevent Democrats from seizing total control of some governmental processes.
The merit
of this move rests in a very grey area, because, from this point forward, all
minority parties will have no ability to negate important actions taken by the
majority. Yet, this 'nuclear option' was only considered because the stalemate
in Washington made any form of progress impossible. In all, this is a desperate
effort by the Democrats to end the government’s negative image in the eyes of
the American people.
Political
gridlock doesn't do a thing for the voting public and it makes the entire
government look incompetent, reinforcing the popular viewpoint that our
government can't do anything to help those it’s supposed to serve. If the
government was a business, they’d never make it off the ground, especially if
they kept the poor reputation they have now. Unfortunately, the government has
a lot more room for failure than any business would.
But, if
the government was a company looking to fix its image, what could it do? Well,
actual results would probably help, but that’s not enough. When the public is
set on a general opinion, it’s very difficult to break it. The only option is
to tackle that opinion head-on and reinforce another image, one that shows a
willingness to change and a plan to do so. Fixing a negative reputation is hard
enough, but online it’s an even greater challenge.
Centel Media™, the premier online reputation management firm, has many resources that could help any organization solve their negative image problems. Our negative suppression services, which cover articles, reviews, images, and videos, are designed to push aside negative criticism directed towards an individual or group. To help improve a reputation in need, we can also post press releases about what our clients are doing correctly. While it is easy to bash the government, one should keep in mind that there is always a chance for redemption. With the right reputation, strategy and action, even our dysfunctional government can be saved.
Jonathan
Wong,
Creative
Writer,
Matthew
Shaffer,
Editor-in-Chief,
Friday, November 22, 2013
Nokia Can't Take the Heat: Opts to Sell Out
Nokia was
once the king of portable phones, being the largest mobile phone company in the
world. Then, what happened? The smartphone. It left their mobile devices with a
feeling of antiquity. While they still sell other products, such as home phones
and networking equipment, mobile phones were how they stayed in the limelight
as a household name. The possible buyout from Microsoft might be the key to
recovering their image, but what could they have done differently in the PR
department to stay relevant on their own?
Commercially, there are a few factors that caused Nokia to fall off the pop culture radar. Their electronics, design-wise, always had a very dated feel to them, unlike the sleek appearance of modern phones like the iPhone and Galaxy. When those phones first arrived on the market, Nokia's brand was already established, but the company seemed unable to shed that old phone image. Thus, try as they may, it was inevitable they would fail.
Those silver, grey and black colors of Nokia's phones did categorize the ‘90s and early 2000s, but the company struggled to adapt as technology grew beyond their products. They have recently tried to change their image by designing decent smartphones, but their new models haven't added enough to distinguish themselves from the pack. That outdated image of theirs really followed them through the years.
Nokia could have used a more innovative phone redesign, but they also needed to change their appearance. How? Through advertising on social media sites. Go for a more aggressive marketing campaign by targeting younger demographics who’d be more likely to use mobile phones. With the right tactics, Nokia could have stripped away its old image and adopted a better, more modern, identity.
A company like Nokia should have used the services of a top-rated online reputation management company like Centel Media™. We deal with all things online, from social media support to the suppression of negative criticism from sources such as articles, images, videos, and reviews. We can even provide ways for your company to rebrand itself by designing websites, creating press releases, and optimizing Google AdWords. Hopefully Nokia can improve after their expected deal with Microsoft, but don't let your company fall to Nokia’s lows before taking action. If you’re without the right online approach, call on Centel Media™ to secure your online reputation management strategies.
Jonathan
Wong,
Creative
Writer,
Matthew
Shaffer,
Editor-in-Chief,
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: An Honest Role Model?
The
outspoken and embattled mayor of Toronto has certainly grabbed headlines around
the globe. Rob Ford prides himself on his honesty and refuses to step down no
matter what he confesses to. He feels the voters of Toronto should decide
whether or not he leaves office when they vote next year.
The city
council does not agree. For some odd reason, they don’t like videos of their
drunk mayor going viral. They don’t like his admission of smoking crack cocaine
last year during a different drunken episode. And, they haven’t seemed to be
fond of reports that he bought illegal drugs while in office. But, as the
council scrambles to divest Ford of his powers, he’s stood by his promise that
he will not take a leave of absence.
Yesterday
the allegations against the mayor reached a new level as he was accused of
sexual impropriety. This infuriated him, causing an epithet-laden tirade that
stunned reporters. Yet another apology followed. His explanation? “When you
attack my integrity as a husband and a father, I see red.”
Despite
his confessed actions and suspicions of greater wrongs not yet uncovered, Ford
has his share of fans. In an era when politicians often try to portray
themselves as patriotic, family oriented, and trustworthy, only later to be
debunked by scandal, Ford’s honesty has a refreshing ring. In most of his
interviews he talks about staying in office to serve the people, and he
genuinely seems to mean it.
But how
far can a political leader go before his mistakes become too much? It raises an
interesting question of conscience for voters. What mistakes are unforgivable?
Shady financial dealings? Drug use? Alcoholism? Extramarital affairs? Or is
everything okay provided when caught, the politician apologizes profusely and
appears repentant?
Right now
the public can’t seem to get enough of Rob Ford and his out of control
behavior. Monday it was announced that Rob and his brother Doug would now host
a TV show. Maybe crime does pay.
At Centel Media™, we know the Rob Fords of this world are rare, but everyone has a
reputation to consider. Your competition may be trying to smear yours with
innuendo or outright untruth. Our team can monitor your online presence to make
sure that you are accurately and positively portrayed. We can monitor your
online reputation and suppress negative online articles, videos and reviews. Don’t
be caught unaware or unready for whatever media coverage might come your way.
Let us help you.
Chris
McEachern,
Creative
Writer,
Matthew
Shaffer,
Editor-in-Chief,
Monday, November 18, 2013
NSA Compromises Cisco's Future
Recent
stumbles by the U.S. government (the federal shutdown, Snowden's disclosure of
the NSA's spying program, the slow pace of Obamacare) has made people
understandably worried about the direction the country is heading. Most of
these topics are highly debatable, but we often overlook the repercussions
these events have on organizations that aren’t directly involved. Not all
actions have immediate consequences, and knowing how to deal with these
problems as they come is a large part of running a successful business or
nonprofit.
One company that knows the ramifications of government influence is Cisco, responsible for the creation and manufacturing of communications equipment. Many items off their catalog are used by the United States government, and because of the NSA disclosure, products, such as their phones, are not selling well this quarter, mainly because foreign markets are putting less trust in their equipment out of fear that the NSA may be spying on them as well. Thanks to the shutdown, much of the business sector has been cutting back on purchases, citing dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the economy by willingly throwing the market under the bus in order to play political games. Cisco has admitted that all of these factors resulted in $90 million of lost profit.
Cisco is one of many companies affected by forces they cannot control. There are several business solutions to approach such a problem. To curb their losses, Cisco needs to do all they can to prove their equipment is free of NSA spying devices. Another solution could be to market themselves more heavily to the public. With the right approach, they could highlight their accomplishments to change public perception.
One effective way they can redeem their reputation is to utilize online advertising strategies. Centel Media™ is rated as the top online reputation management company for our great services in the support of online ventures. To better advertise an individual or business, we have several tools, including press release formation, Google AdWords optimization, social media and website page creation, and Wikipedia submissions. Our trained staff can create compelling and fascinating content to attract more attention from potential fans or clients. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish online, Centel Media™ is there to guide you to a better online experience.
Jonathan Wong,
Creative
Writer,
Matthew
Shaffer,
Editor-in-Chief,
Friday, November 15, 2013
Baldwin's Stalker Will Get the Last Laugh
Alec
Baldwin is one of those Hollywood actors with a mixed image. On one hand, he is
respected for his acting talent and charisma in movies and television. On the
other hand, he has well-publicized scandals that involve airliners, mobile
games, and hurling insults at his own daughter. Like him or hate him, he
remains an influential and popular actor. Most actors and actresses deal with
harassment from the paparazzi constantly, an act many would consider a legal
form of stalking. But it’s when there’s a true case of stalking that an actor
or actress runs into problems that may spiral away from their control.
Enter one
Genevieve Sabourin, a Canadian woman who met Baldwin on a movie set in 2002 and
later in 2010 at a dinner. She claims to have had a very intimate relationship
with him starting in 2011, but Baldwin has flatly denied her allegations in
court hearings, adding that she was imagining all of these scenarios in her
head. While one can make the argument that Baldwin is lying due to his past
mistakes, Sabourin's behavior and activities have not made her case supportable
in the least. Baldwin has been avoiding journalists regarding the trial, while
Sabourin gleefully absorbs the media attention. She was also arrested many
times and even defied a restraining order by attempting to contact Baldwin and
his wife online.
Baldwin
has a big problem here. Once again, he’ll be needing to spend some time
cleaning up his image after the trial. Even if Sabourin's story was proven to
be completely false in the future, he still has to deal with the current media
backlash and negative comments by people who don’t like how Baldwin handled the
case. Even worse, if someone manages to prove his side of the story wrong, his
marriage would most likely end and nobody would ever take him seriously again.
Any negativity will have an adverse impact on the targeted person or organization. Centel Media™, the top-rated online reputation management firm, has the ability to restrict negative commentary surrounding a client on the Internet, especially if the criticism is unwarranted. The service suppresses negative articles, reviews, images, and videos down from the top pages on a search engine. To counteract damage, we also create press releases that steer public attention towards positive characteristics that show your value and originality in comparison to others in your field. Don't let negativity, stalker or otherwise, damage your reputation, consider letting us handle your problems.
Jonathan
Wong,
Creative
Writer,
Matthew Shaffer,
Editor-in-Chief,
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