On July 31, 1993, “Two Princes,” a song by the New York City-based band Spin Doctors, reached no. 7 in the United States. After the song’s initial release, however, it was all downhill for the one-hit-wonder of a band. In fact, Blender magazine gave the song its no. 21 spot on its “50 Worst Songs Ever” list. Fortunately, when people mention the term “spin doctors” in today’s day and age, rarely are they referring to the gosh-awful 90s band; moreover, they’re speaking of one of the world’s fastest growing industries: public relations.
Public relations firms and—in many instances, marketing agencies—have the task of maintaining a favorable public image for their respective clients. Currently, that’s primarily accomplished through digital means: social media, content marketing, top-tier digital publications, etc. With respect to public relations, seeing as how things are drastically different now than they’ve ever been before, it’s interesting to take a peek into the past to see what’s worked.