A Passion for Winning: Fifty Years of Promoting Legendary People and Products

by Aaron D. Cushman

A Passion for Winning tells the story of Aaron Cushman as he lived the "American Dream" – from his days as a struggling World War II veteran to his establishment and leadership of the 25th largest public relations firm in the U.S., which successfully served an impressive array of clients, including Keebler Cookie Co., Serta Mattress Co., Marriott, Century 21 and more. Along the way, Cushman helped to promote a host of celebrities in motion pictures, television and nightclub entertainment, including the Three Stooges, Jane Russell, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, among others. He also spent over a decade as co-owner and PR director for the Chicago White Sox under Bill Veeck’s glory days, and later produced twelve World Championship Tennis tournaments. "Whether it’s sports, show business or Fortune 500 corporations, Cushman knows how to make news. His book is filled with terrific anecdotes about famous people and familiar products," said Irv Kupcinet, the late columnist of the Chicago Sun-Times. In this behind-the-scenes story of his fifty-year career, Cushman reveals his secret to success and how one remarkable man’s creativity and integrity helped shape the PR profession.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you start your career offering services to a USA president then your professional evolution might be a bit easier than others. This is more of an autobiography than a book of solutions or ideas about the PR profession, however, you can clearly see some tips, like maintaining good relations with Journalists. Questionable ethics, especially if you are calling a killing robot toy as "educational product", the parties with Playboy girls is ok, I think is natural but "spinning" is not. Also, I like that in this book "pays" back his customers with some not so good descriptions. If you are in PR or you are interested in spinning then this is a good book to get an idea of life in this profession works and delivers....buy a football team, make contacts and then more customers :)

[Vovka · Rating 1 out of 5]

More a memoir covering the highlights of the author's time serving clients in the armed forces, theater, baseball, tennis, toys, and other industries than a guide to PR. Hundreds of forgotten names dropped with no benefit to the modern reader. Many memories and war stories, but if this book could be distilled into just the advice for PR practitioners, it would be 10 pages long.

My biggest takeaway is that Cushman was deeply enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his clients' businesses and this allowed him (and his agency) to do good work for those clients. The final chapter has "top 20 tips for success." Here they are:
1. Maintain your integrity
2. Be proactive; have a nose for news; initiate news.
3. Write for media acceptance, not client approval.
4. You cannot bury negative stories. Play it straight with the media. Counsel against hiding during trying times.
5. There's no such thing as off the record.
6. Be solid business people. Talk the client's language.
7. Maintain a daily todo list and update it daily.
8. Protect your reputation for fairness by spreading love across media.
9. Research the target media.
10. Research your clients' market.
11. Think creatively. "Make news, not news releases."
12. Spend your clients' money like it's your own.
13. Think ahead.
14. Be a good listener.
15. Become an insider. Establish a close working relationship with your client/company.
16. Nothing takes the place of persistence and determination.
17. Measure impact not output.
18. Use innovation in marketing.
19. Keep your promises.
20. Don't be an ostrich. Sometimes things don't work out. Don't hide from stakeholders.

Those are all fairly obvious... and disappointing.