Paul Krugman thinks we’re uneducated. I happen to agree.

An article appeared in the NYT today that really raised my ire. Not because I disagreed with it, but because every word rang true.

Paul Krugman’s piece, The Uneducated American, hit the nail on the head on every count - leaving behind a very bent and rusty nail indeed.

In a nutshell: “... The rise of American education was, overwhelmingly, the rise of public education — and for the past 30 years our political scene has been dominated by the view that any and all government spending is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Education, as one of the largest components of public spending, has inevitably suffered.

Until now, the results of educational neglect have been gradual — a slow-motion erosion of America’s relative position. But things are about to get much worse, as the economic crisis — its effects exacerbated by the penny-wise, pound-foolish behavior that passes for “fiscal responsibility” in Washington — deals a severe blow to education across the board.”

The cost of education is prohibiting many of the finer young thinkers in our culture from obtaining a degree, being forced back into the full-time workforce before they are able to complete their education - and still end up in debt, liable for daunting school loans as they begin their path into the adult world.

“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States economy lost 273,000 jobs last month. Of those lost jobs, 29,000 were in state and local education, bringing the total losses in that category over the past five months to 143,000.”

This - at a time when we claim to be dedicating to change? We’re losing educators by the thousands? A sagging economy is no excuse to stop teaching our children. They are our future people!

Krugman’s recommendation to alleviate the problem is that congress should offer aid to the state governments, and: “Beyond that, we need to wake up and realize that one of the keys to our nation’s historic success is now a wasting asset. Education made America great; neglect of education can reverse the process.”

Thank heavens for organizations like the Kauffman Foundation and NFTE (The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) who are devoted to educating kids who otherwise would “be left behind”. While NFTE teaches important business and entrepreneurship skills, it also encourages continued education and believes that every child should be given the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential.

Life should be about choices – not just alternatives, compromises or settling for less than we have.

Education provides a solid pathway to being able to make choices in life – not having them made for us.

Isn’t that the change we are looking for?

We have seen annus horribilis ad finem. Now what?

Originally published in Mobile Markter, October 5 2009

A couple of weeks ago I had a great email exchange with someone I met online. Not that kind of online exchange, but in response to one of my opinion pieces.

Ten months later, Dave (who is also a contributor to Mobile Marketer) and I still have not met in person, but we have developed a lovely rapport – exchanging ideas on everything from how to fix the world, to writing a book on self-sufficiency to what is wrong with our industry (he is a marketer too). A lot, we have agreed.

Let us start with resounding cop-out of the past annus horribilis – the recession.

It seems that anyone and everyone is, has or was using this as an excuse for their company's ills – poor sales, fewer customers, loss of clarity. Take your pick.

To be sure, as an agency owner I have been affected too, but the truth of the matter is that marketing has imploded at the very time when “disruptive technology,” “forced innovation” and “reinvention” have become the catchphrases of the day.

Isn’t this cyclical? We grow, we learn, we stumble, we rise, we fail and then we start over, but with new visions and ideas about doing what we were doing in a far better and stronger way than before.

Creative destruction, right?

Click here to finish reading the entire post in Mobile Marketer

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.