Category Archives: Ronn Torossian
Google strikes at Apple with Android Pay
Apple Pay has become a go-to tech upgrade for companies and individuals looking to streamline their point of purchase interactions. With (almost) everyone carrying a smartphone these days, mobile pay is the next step in “what everyone will be doing soon.” Believe it or not Millennials, there was a time when paying with “plastic” was unheard of. In the early days of credit – and then debit – cards, most people still opted to pay cash. They distrusted plastic for a variety of reasons. In Read More + Read More +
PR Fail: Star-Kist Tuna Gaffe is Some Fish Tale
Over two years ago the law firm of Bursor and Fisher brought a class-action lawsuit against Star-Kist Tuna. They claimed the company failed to include the required amounts of product in their 5 oz. cans of chunk light tuna and white albacore tuna. Depending on which type, Federal law requires there be either 2.84 oz. of tuna or 3.23 oz. of tuna in 5 oz. cans. This affects purchases of the cans made from February 19, 2009, through October 31, 2014. Read More +
Netflix Not Fazed by Apple Competition
Apple is coming after streaming TV, and they are coming at lightning speed with a huge budget pushing R&D. If the current market players are concerned, don’t count Netflix CEO Reed Hastings among them. The notoriously cavalier Hastings claims he’s not worried about Apple at all. Hubris? Maybe. We’ll see. The market isn’t feeling the love. Recently, shares of Netflix fell 8 percent after the news that Apple is considering a move into original streaming programming. That programming would almost certainly compete against Netflix, Amazon Read More + Read More +
Tesla Engineer Defectors Join Apple’s Car Team
Apple is getting serious about its electric car program. The company recently “hired” a senior engineer from electric car pioneer Tesla Motors … another step in Apple’s commitment to build a team and a program focused on automated driving. Engineer Jamie Carlson posted on his LinkedIn profile that he has exited Tesla in favor of Apple, one of seven professionals with “self-driving tech” experience to join Apple in recent weeks. Read More +
Kids Company Closes its Doors
Embattled British youth nonprofit, Kids Company, recently closed its doors, but not before a barrage of negative PR destroying the company’s reputation on two continents. The BBC recently reported that local authorities have begun to draw up emergency plans in an effort to offer support to many children who now find themselves without the succor previously offered by Kids Company. Read More +
Trump Continues to Command Headlines
Say what you want about Donald Trump, but today’s most polarizing political candidate knows how to work a room and write a headline. Trump’s media understanding is driving his political appeal. Here’s how he’s doing it. Read More +
Brady loses suspension appeal, Pats win new round of negative PR
So, it’s official, Tom Brady will have to sit out four games at the beginning of the next NFL season. Bob Kraft is incensed and, JETS fans are ecstatic. But the decision impacts more than the wins and losses on the field. It opens up a whole new barrage of negative PR for a Patriots team that seems to be unable to stop hurting themselves off the field, even as they excel on it. Read More +
Amazon just passed Walmart, but has the web surpassed the brick and mortar store?
Did Amazon Prime Day signal a sea change in retail? Some called it a flop, some questioned if Amazon was crazy and they predicted a bad outcome. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is crazy like a fox, and explains what seemed like farce at the time is turning into the stuff of PR legend. This week the quarterly reports hit the news and Wall Street – Amazon is now worth more than Walmart. Let that sink in. Read More +
This New Eatery Hopes to Steal Chipotle Customers
Sweetgreen is a new fast food chain gaining momentum, and it is so vital to understand your brand is more than just the food you sell,. Sweetgreen opened its first location in 2007 when three recent grads from Georgetown University decided they wanted to create a healthy, affordable, and delicious fast food establishment. Eight years later and they have 31 locations in New York, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Read More +
T-Mobile Continues Giving It All Away
In the race for Number Three it seems there is little some telecom brands will not do to keep pace with the industry’s big dogs. And, this next gambit just might work. Soon, T-Mobile customers will be able to call Canada and Mexico – and make their call when traveling in those countries – without any additional international fees. The offer, which the company is calling “Mobile Without Borders,” is another facet of the carrier’s attempts to wrestle customers away from closest rival, Sprint. And, Read More + Read More +
