I had high hopes for this book, which by all rights should have been the defining text of this era. What I found was a moderate amount of useful information totally obscured by repetitive slush. Some variation of "Companies today need to rethink their strategies to compete in the new economy" appeared on nearly every page. I wish Don had summarized the results of his research in a pamphlet.

Adding insult to injury, the text seemed time and time again to have been doctored at the last minute to cope with the dot-com crash. These PR strategies are not for the Wired World we are now entering, but for the short-lived Net Bubble.

6 of 7 found the following review helpful:


Very informative and practical advice  Dec 21, 2000 By Christopher Walker
I've read a lot fo PR books and this one puts the rest to shame. Middleberg offers real world case studies and very practical advice for how to take your company into the 21st century via smart communications strategies and tactics. Winning PR illustrates how the line between pr and marketing are eliminated as the Internet has enabled us to communicate effficently and directly with your target audiences online. A must read for anyone who works in marketing or PR or is considering it.

7 of 9 found the following review helpful:


Winning PR in the Wired World-- Required Reading  Nov 29, 2000
Leading edge - A required handbook for all executives, PR Practioners and PR students. Don Middleberg is one of the wired PR pioneers and innovators. He lays out a wired working blueprint for action. He hits all need-to-know points from Cyber-PR strategy to tactics. I appoint Don as the leading wired PR teacher in the world. I'm glad he's willing to share his exciting ideas with professionals and students. Don is a winner, and so is his Winning PR in a Wired World.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:


Insightful!  Aug 04, 2001 By Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract"
Don Middleberg adapts key public relations strategies to the new media landscape, transformed by the Internet and wireless communications. He emphasizes the need for response speed and short-term - as well as long-term - planning, since this new environment changes so quickly as to render the future unpredictable. He outlines techniques for getting buzz, which is now a critical element in effective branding. However, this book cannot help but be affected by the dot-com downfall: Many of its examples refer to now defunct companies, or to those who are in deep trouble (and may well be deceased by the time you read this review). Still, if you overlook the problems that come from writing during the Internet reality-warp, we [...] recommend this executive guide for its solid PR strategies, which although geared for a high-tech world, are firmly rooted in traditional method.

2 of 3 found the following review helpful:


Letdown ... big letdown  Feb 27, 2002
I purchased this book because of Don Middleberg's good reputation in the PR field. Put simply, it would be an understatement to say that this book is terrible. Three main reasons for my drawing this conclusion: 1. outdated anecdotes and examples to illustrate ideas, 2. the thrust of the book (i.e., what value you get out of it when finished) is bland and generic at best, and 3. poor writing. Middleberg is definitely a successful PR professional but this book is a stinker for certain - and a big waste of money.

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