Howard Benjamin Bragman (February 24, 1956 – February 11, 2023) was an American crisis manager, public relations practitioner, writer and lecturer. He was often seen as a "PR guru".[1][2]
Bragman later served as chairman of LaBrea Media, a crisis management company he founded in 2018.[3]
Early life and education
Howard Benjamin Bragman was born to a Jewish family in Flint, Michigan, on February 24, 1956, the son of Myrna (Wolin) and Leonard Bragman.[4][5][6][7] He graduated with a B.A. in journalism and psychology from the University of Michigan in 1978.[5] Later, Bragman acknowledged that support of the LGBTQ+ Spectrum Center and accepting atmosphere of the university helped him to come out.[5]
Career
Upon graduation, Bragman pursued a career in public relations and crisis management. After serving as a vice president in the Chicago and Los Angeles offices of Burson-Marsteller Public Relations, Bragman founded Bragman Nyman Cafarelli (BNC) in 1989. In 2001, BNC was purchased by Interpublic Group, a holding company for marketing firms.[8] In 2005, Bragman established Fifteen Minutes, a strategic media and public relations agency. Bragman founded LaBrea Media in 2018 as a consultant, pundit, and content creator.[9] Bragman was an adjunct professor of public relations at the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Communication from 1998 to 2003.[10] He is the author of the best-selling book, Where's My Fifteen Minutes? (2008), through Penguin Portfolio.[11]
In 2016, Bragman was approached by film producer Glen Zipper, who was working with Paul Haggis on Lead and Copper, a documentary about the Flint water crisis. Being a Flint native, Bragman joined Paul Haggis' crew to assist with public relations and historical insight into industrial era of the city.[12][13]
Bragman provided litigation support as a crisis counselor for cases and individuals including Joseph Steffan,[14] the Lewinsky family,[15] and Sharon Smith in Smith v. Knoller. He was also involved with both the accusers and the accused in the #MeToo movement.[16]
Bragman was vice chairman of the management firm Reputation.com.[17]
Bragman was active in the AIDS/HIV community on lesbian and gay civil rights, Jewish causes, and First Amendment protections. He received awards and honors from AIDS Project Los Angeles, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and Congregation Kol Ami.[28] Bragman was the founder of the Jewish Image Awards, honoring positive portrayals of Jews in television and film.[29]
According to the online magazine Mlive, "Bragman helped organize the February 2016 'Hollywood for Flint' benefit in California that raised more than $35,000 for the Flint Child Health and Development Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint."[12]
In September 2021, Bragman made a $1 million endowment to found the Howard Bragman Coming Out Fund at the University of Michigan.[30][31] The fund will be managed by the Spectrum Center, an LGBTQIA+ support center that was formed at the college in 1970.[5][32]
