Commander Hadfield is equal part astronaut and PR spokesperson. We have just witnessed the best, longest-running, "good news" PR campaign in years. It was designed to promote interest in space aviation, technology, and science, and by extension the STEM subjects -- science, technology, engineering and math -- to our next generation. Here are his communication strategy and techniques, deconstructed.

In a time where anyone with a smartphone can become a news aggregator or citizen journalist, corporations appear to following suit, and are coming down with a serious lack of continuity in their communications. I'm talking about how understanding what some companies are trying to stand for these days has become an impossible task.

The fact of the matter is that RBC didn't fire Canadian employees; a firm they contracted did. RBC responded by parading their senior executives in front of reporters with a factual account of the story, however no one wanted to hear it.

Judging from the questions I'm asked by people from every walk of life, misconceptions about publicity -- what it can do and who can get it -- abound. So, what can publicity do for you and who can get it? Let's blow up a few myths.

Consider the rise of Likelihood to Recommend (L2R) as a business metric with growing appeal. Many large businesses have collapsed complex success metrics to judge their own business by asking customers: "Would you recommend me to others?" -- the foundation of L2R or Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

Very often, businesses that serve other businesses put public relations on their "nice to have" list. Some believe that the payoff on PR is too long-term, it doesn't have an impact on sales or have a direct return on investment. The fact is, PR is one of the best ways to target your customer with a relevant message that will make them act. Here are a few things you can do to maximize your PR efforts and deliver big time to your top and bottom lines.

Public Relations is a misunderstood profession -- it's not all Samantha Jones. In a recent article entitled "How to Apply PR Skills at Networking Events," the article's author writes: "The best female publicists know how and when to reveal a bra strap." No, moron. The best publicists know how and when to get their clients' names out there.

When was the last time you discussed Time Magazine around the dinner table? Probably last week, when they published the one with the mother and her older child... breastfeeding (shhh, not so loud). Why did Time run with such a controversial cover story? They need to sell magazines.

Connecting with your target market by incorporating publicity efforts into your day-to-day operations is increasingly important in an uncertain economy, even if you can't afford to hire an agency, or consultant just yet. Here are some useful tips small business teams can implement to stand out in the crowd.

Could there be a more bitter irony than a company that built an empire on smartphones and instant messaging standing accused of being no good at commu...