Class. Conan O’Brien has it in spades. And I’m not saying that just because I’m on “Team Conan” and not “Team Jay.” In fact, I’d bet that Conan earned more than a few admirers in the “Team Jay” camp when his short stint on “The Tonight Show” ended Friday night. In his final sign-off, Conan didn’t moan about how poorly he’d been treated by NBC or blame Jay for stealing his job. No one could have blamed him for doing either, or both.
Instead, he took the high road. He thanked NBC for giving him the opportunity to hold “the best job in the world” and expressed his sincere gratitude for the 20 years of work they had accomplished together. He recognized his fans for their support and gave them credit for making a “sad situation joyous and inspirational.” And he wrapped it all up by challenging the audience to steer clear of cynicism – after all, he had just given them a primer on how to show gratitude in the face of ugly circumstances.
Winning over the competition’s audience. Creating more enthusiasm among your own fans. Staying out of the muck. Sounds like a good marketing strategy to me.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.
As a slightly biased member of "Team Conan," I couldn't agree more!