Storytelling Is An Art, Especially In PR

If a picture paints a thousand words, then how much is a tweet worth? Ten words, a dozen?

When embracing Twitter, have you struggled to write something profound or worthwhile within the confines of 140 characters? I have. Don't get me wrong, tweet speak has its place in our digital world, but with every process that strips away the need to construct coherent and meaningful prose, not just blurts with links, we will in turn think less about what and how we write. It's already happening.

Good stories don't need to be packaged in special kits or on glossy paper to be effective. They just need to tell and ultimately sell our clients' stories very well – especially in PR.

Stories have been around for thousands of years, influencing people and their decisions. My goal is for my stories to have that kind of power, whether I’m writing for myself or about my clients.

There's an article in today's MediaPost(disclosure - written by me)“Storytelling Is An Art” , that discusses this topic.

Do you think the art of storytelling is waning? How important is it to you?

WSJ and NBC…don’t they have bigger fish to fry?

This blog is by intention strictly nonpartisan. There is a place for politics, and it’s not here. My focus today isn’t national politics – it’s the politics of the media covering it.

I read a piece in the Washington Wire last week and felt compelled to comment.

The Wall Street Journal and NBC News conducted a recent poll on Obama Exposure. At least this topic is some relief from the endless rounds of opinions and polls on the healthcare debate – right? We all know that BHO is loved and hated, passionately. He makes for a good headline and avid viewing. Media in this country have been feeding on that passion and his media blitz even before the get go. Both Fox News and MSNBC have absolutely thrived post-election, and there’s no sign of letting up. So don’t you find it ironic that two news organizations created a poll which served to reinforce the very core of the problem?

Do you see that, or is it just me?

Even White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, wasn’t lost on the irony about Obama’s media exposure - “We’re sifting through your questions of overexposure in between your interview request invitations,” he told reporters.

But surely there are more important topics the media could be addressing? Like how many Americans are looking forward to not having their homes foreclosed upon? Or is Wal-Mart is the best symbol of corporate America today? Really? (Yes, according to Vanity Fair, 60 Minutes and CBS News). Or what can be done to help California climb its way out of the enormous debt-hole - or wait, wait…what about how many Americans are feeling positive about the next quarter? (I made that one up).

Can’t we be prodded to feel good, positive and productive for a change? Cant the media be asking questions that would add a bit more meaning and value to our experience (and perhaps a more accurate glimpse into our current psyche), than whether or not the President has been over-exposed in the media? (In fairness, he IS the president at a time of national crisis. It’s probably not a bad idea to pay attention to what’s going on.)

I just think the media could use its influence in a way that better benefits the public - its constituency.

What do you think?

Media Blitz - http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/09/18/its-show-blitz-obama-tapes-today-for-sunday-talk-shows/

Obama Exposure Poll - http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/09/22/wsjnbc-news-poll-on-obama-exposure-too-much-too-little-or-just-right/

Blurring the lines of Journalism

(My opinion piece appeared in Ragan on September 24, 2009)

A big UUUM moment – looks like I’ve caused a furor over an opinion piece that appeared in Ragan.com today about the blurring lines of journalism. The central focus of my opinion piece was David Pogue, tech columnist for the New York Times, and some recent comments he made about him not being a journalist. Apparently, I took his statement out of context and applied it incorrectly.

Notwithstanding, I read Pogue’s posts religiously and I value his comments – as do thousand/millions of others. He knows what he’s talking about. That’s why he’s an expert and that’s why tech companies will continue to court him and fawn over him – as they do other influential columnists, technology-focused or otherwise.

Do I think any less of him? No.

Will I stop reading or respecting what he says? No.

Am I trying to make enemies? Absolultely not.

Can I voice my opinion? Yes.

Here’s a link to the entire post on Ragan.com, "Times' David Pogue blurs journalism lines"

Say NO To More Recession Talk!

(The original article appeared in MediaPost on July 15, 2009)

Argh! Just when we thought things were looking up, the Department of Labor spoils it with the latest unemployment figures. I'm sure many companies upped their cutbacks again, rather than upping their PR budgets this past week.

So, really, this isn't a recession anymore -- it's a global gut-check. And there aren't any Lucky Dip bags filled with taxpayer money waiting for us at the end of the recession rainbow. Businesses everywhere have been paralyzed over which course of action to take. Be bold, be innovators? Or bring out the hatchet to those bloated costs and inefficient operations driven by years of faux-plenty? It's been a wake-up call for all.

Inevitably, in such a challenging (and changing) environment, many businesses have trended toward batten-the-hatches, slash-the-budget tactics. But in these actions, they may have failed to see that strategic positioning and public relations could actually help their companies gain market share, increase sales, and experience organic growth.

You may think I'm biased, but when we look at recent history, we see such opportunities have indeed arisen out of uncertainty.

Click here to read the whole article, Say No To More Recession Talk

8 Reasons Why Marketers Should Ramp Up Their Visibility Strategy

(My original article appeared in Mobile Marketer on August 18, 2009)

Are we in the throes of a recession hangover yet? Yes and no, depending on who you listen to.

Recession or not, however, businesses and consumers remain wary and cautious about spending. The road to recovery is likely to be slower than we thought. But as I wrote in my column in Mobile Marketer today, this is precisely the time when businesses and marketers should be ramping up their visibility and getting back on their customers radars.

Why now?

Because history has proved time and again that the bold survive. Knee-deep in the discount dustbins is not a strategic position, nor is being invisible to your customers. Companies that survive and grow are marketing from a position of strength, not a defensive crouch.

A conservative approach, prudent as it may seem after almost a year of negative GDP, is actually counterproductive.

It is shortsighted to view this recession, or any recession, as anything less than an opportunity for future growth. It is impossible to engage with your audience if your brand has gone into hiding, waiting for the markets to rebound.

And it is very hard to make a comeback without being visible or without customers.

Click here to read the article in Mobile Marketer 8 reasons why marketers should ramp up their visibility strategy.

The Tale Of PR And Social Media

(This article appeared in MediaPost on July 28, 2009)

Like any disruptive innovation, social media has come at a time when everything in our lives – online and offline – has changed so dramatically. We could almost document the rise of social media over the past 18 months of turbulence in the US and abroad. So it’s no coincidence that social media will become the marketing be-all as we kick off a new decade: social media will be to 2010 what email was to 2000.

We’re starting this journey and mapping out a new course, making it up as we go along, friending each other – PR and Social Media – until we get it right. There are many lessons to be learned and like anything new, there are bound to be mistakes. Practice, after all, makes perfect. Companies big or small are not immune to public ridicule in having “tweeted” out of line or handled a social media crisis poorly. Corporate Tweeting now comes with a 25-page “how to” manual. PR companies, digital marketers and corporate Tweeters – we are bound to mess up along way. The point is that most of us simply don’t know until we try.

To read my entire article in MediaPost’s Marketing Daily,"A Tale Of PR And Social Media", please click here

Journalism Rocks

(This appeared in MediaPost on May 29, 2009)
Talk is cheap, but good content, labor and product are not. In an era of thrift and the return to newfound values — where less of everything is the new world order — everyone is talking about what will happen to American newspapers. I think, more importantly, we should be asking what will happen to American journalism right now? I’ve been harping on about this topic for some time (like as far back as 2006), and my words have usually been met with equally strong worded opinions.

Opinions, coarse or otherwise, are good. In fact, they are to be encouraged — they stimulate critical thinking and discourse. Look, plain old-fashioned thinking is good — that’s why we live in a democratic society, right? But opinions are just that — a personal viewpoint like this very piece you are reading. And so, while I like to think of myself a good writer, a journalist I am not.

Journalism is a profession, ignited by a thirst for the facts and the truth, accompanied by deep passion for telling it how it is and in a way that will impact lives. These are skills which cannot be acquired via a webinar or a Bulldog Reporter Media Blitz one-day circus for $399.

While the business model for newspapers may be broken — and, yes, they’ve been irresponsible, unresponsive to changing needs — let’s not miss the point here. What happens to news, and in two words, our intelligence, if we don’t support journalism?

To read the entire article "Journalism Rocks", click here.