In the most recent PR Week Career Guide, I came across the section “Employer Zone” a sponsored resource guide in which PR firms can pay for a full page ad followed by a company profile. The company profiles were a good read, and I found the section on company benefits particularly enjoyable. Apparently GolinHarris offers pet care discounts to its employees while Cone PR has an on-site fitness room and Fleishman-Hillard offers domestic-partner benefits. Good stuff.
But the real problem with the guide is not the written profiles but the accompanying ads. Good Lord! Why can’t PR agencies spend some mullah and hire an ad agency to develop their brand ads? Now, this is just my opinion, but I have a pretty keen eye for advertising having worked alongside some great ad agencies in Canada. So here goes my two cents with some of my favourites and not so favourites:
GolinHarris: This one is hilarious. My daughter’s Grade One yearbook had better art direction. The tag line: Real People. Real Stories. The ad shows various digital photos of GH’s events and parties. It’s cute and they probably saved a ton of money using low-res digital shots from someone’s camera. Just a little too saccharine for me. Save it for the internal company newsletter.
Cone PR: Tag line: Find your potential. Then a series of pictures of rubber bands, a plane, a pair of glasses, a mask and a charm bracelet. I don’t get it! I don’t get it! This one is really bugging me!
Ketchum: The copy basically looks like a ransom note. A variety of type face colours and sizes, oddly laid out. The photo is from Bizarroland, too. A woman holding a red umbrella who looks like she is about to take flight. Looks like the front cover of the book The Nanny Diaries. What is she doing with that umbrella? It’s not even raining in the picture. Bloody hell ...
Manning Selvage & Lee: This ad simply makes me want to scratch my head on go, “Hmmmmm? “ The tag line: To change the way others see you, change the way you see yourself. Change minds. Kinda catchy, eh? The ad has a shot of a woman, wait no, it’s a man … no it’s a woman … nope, (is it Pat?) wait a second those shoes are definitely male. I couldn’t tell the gender from the photo because it’s all blurred. And the guy is wearing a white suit!
Porter Novelli: Tag line: Look beyond the obvious. Too bad the creative is so blatantly obvious. A guy peeling an apple only to reveal an orange underneath the peel. Ooooooh, must have taken these guys 10 minutes and a bottle of Cutty Sark to come up with that creative.
Cohn & Wolfe: This has to be that ad that was developed by an account coordinator while she was taking the train into their Manhattan offices. The ad simply reads “Cohn & Wolfe” (I think it's their new logo) with their URL listed on the bottom. Deep. But hey, they were too busy merging with GCI to think about creating an ad. Give them a break.
Weber Shandwick: Finalmente! Very interesting creative and compelling ad copy. It's taken from Weber's web-site so I like the consistency of messaging. An über-cool Asian girl standing on a crate and wearing the latest in street attire, complete with ipod earbuds. Tag line: The Advocate. Love it. It speaks to their future employees and dares to be different. Thank goodness for courage over there.
Equally good …
Ogilvy PR Worldwide: Amazing ad copy, it says everthing: Smart people create new rules. Ya ... Brilliant. Big, bold, simple, typeface, nice use of space. Beautifully laid out. They clearly know their audience.
Oh, wait a second. Isn’t Ogilvy one of the world’s best ad shops too? It figures.
Showing posts with label Messaging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Messaging. Show all posts
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Why I like it behind the camera
Last month I was asked by the producers of the MoneyTalk show to appear on the segment which is hosted by Patricia Lovett-Reid. The show airs on Canada’s BNN and it airs nationally three times during one week and then posted to the web site.
I was more than happy to be interviewed since the topic was right up my alley – women entrepreneurs. I can talk all day about entrepreneurship and women’s struggles and accomplishments, the do's and don’ts, the pitfalls and opportunities, the children and, of course, the whole work-life balance thing.
When I received the questions in advance of the taping, I knew I would be in my element and couldn’t wait for the gems to flow out of my mouth. When you know a topic inside and out, it makes any interview smooth as silk. I rehearsed in front of the mirror for a few days prior (I always prep in front of a mirror, stops me from frowning). I was confident and ready for my close-up.
I arrived very early in the morning at the BNN studios where I went directly to the makeup room. I was greeted by the effervescent Pattie (who is much cuter in person than on TV!). She’s a real fireball and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. She greeted me with a big hello and then said, “Julie, since you’re in PR and a branding expert, I thought we could talk about personal branding and what it means in business as opposed to corporate brands. Sound okay with you?”
Huh? Personal branding? What the heck does that mean? What happened to the entrepreneurial stuff you were gonna ask me? I know about corporate branding and messaging (heck, we do that every day).But personal branding? All I could think of was, “Geez. Am I ever f^$%!"
After an inch thick of pancake foundation was applied, I was led into the deep freeze of a studio where I was rigged for sound under my jacket, given a mug of warm water and was told to look at Pattie and not the camera during the 10-minute interview. Ok, I got that part. As for the interview itself, I had no idea what was going to come out of my mouth.
So if you want to have a good laugh, have a look at my interview here and watch me squirm. I have no ego, so be brutally honest with me. I think I managed a few good sound bites, too bad they can’t cut down the interview to 60 seconds. Check out my ummms and "you knows." Brutal!
This abysmal interview further validates my decision to stay behind the camera at all times. I mean, I can tell someone else what to do in front of the camera -- no problemo. But sweet baby Jesus – I can’t save myself.
I was more than happy to be interviewed since the topic was right up my alley – women entrepreneurs. I can talk all day about entrepreneurship and women’s struggles and accomplishments, the do's and don’ts, the pitfalls and opportunities, the children and, of course, the whole work-life balance thing.
When I received the questions in advance of the taping, I knew I would be in my element and couldn’t wait for the gems to flow out of my mouth. When you know a topic inside and out, it makes any interview smooth as silk. I rehearsed in front of the mirror for a few days prior (I always prep in front of a mirror, stops me from frowning). I was confident and ready for my close-up.
I arrived very early in the morning at the BNN studios where I went directly to the makeup room. I was greeted by the effervescent Pattie (who is much cuter in person than on TV!). She’s a real fireball and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. She greeted me with a big hello and then said, “Julie, since you’re in PR and a branding expert, I thought we could talk about personal branding and what it means in business as opposed to corporate brands. Sound okay with you?”
Huh? Personal branding? What the heck does that mean? What happened to the entrepreneurial stuff you were gonna ask me? I know about corporate branding and messaging (heck, we do that every day).But personal branding? All I could think of was, “Geez. Am I ever f^$%!"
After an inch thick of pancake foundation was applied, I was led into the deep freeze of a studio where I was rigged for sound under my jacket, given a mug of warm water and was told to look at Pattie and not the camera during the 10-minute interview. Ok, I got that part. As for the interview itself, I had no idea what was going to come out of my mouth.
So if you want to have a good laugh, have a look at my interview here and watch me squirm. I have no ego, so be brutally honest with me. I think I managed a few good sound bites, too bad they can’t cut down the interview to 60 seconds. Check out my ummms and "you knows." Brutal!
This abysmal interview further validates my decision to stay behind the camera at all times. I mean, I can tell someone else what to do in front of the camera -- no problemo. But sweet baby Jesus – I can’t save myself.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Pleasantville meets The Stepford Wives
This Thursday night I will be attending the annual IABC Ovation Awards in Toronto. This is one of Toronto’s most prestigious and important award shows for the PR industry. MAVERICK is not only going to grab a few awards that night, but we are the proud sponsors of the Student of the Year Award.
I really look forward to this event as it’s nice to get out every once in a while and see some old friends and colleagues in the business. Since you can’t write on my Facebook wall ('cuz I don’t have an account), this is a great way for me to catch up.
I particularly love chatting it up with other agency folks. But, I swear, I have the same conversation each year. PR agency types are known for their warm handshakes, ear-to-ear grins and gushing positivity. It’s like the Stepford Wives descended into Pleasantville for a night.
If you’re not going to the show, don’t worry. This is how most of the conversations will go. I will write the dialogue à la James Frey (that Million Little Pieces faker):
Heeeeeeey! Great to see you!
Omigod, great to see you too! Love that outfit!
Did you cut your hair? Looks awesome!
Thanks! Seeing this wonderful stylist in Yorkville.
Are you up for any awards tonight?
Of course! And I’m here with my client too.
Oh, that’s great. How is business?
Amazing, having one of our best years yet. And you?
Oh fantastico. Just landed a huge client. We’re so thrilled.
That’s terrific. How is (insert name here) working out?
Oh, just grand. One of my best hires yet.
That’s great to hear.
Well, it was wonderful seeing you. You look great, as usual.
Ya, you too! See you around. Have fun tonight.
You, too!
(end with big teeth smiles and air kisses)
Feel a sugar rush coming on? ‘Cuz that’s basically the dialogue most of the night. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that PR people are fake or laying it on thick, but PR people pretty much stick to a standard core message. After all, didn’t we invent the message track?
Once, just once, I would love to hear a conversation go something like this:
Hey, are you okay? You look like crap.
I’m so bloody tired.
Why?
I’m short staffed and I can’t seem to find anybody at the mid-level with half a brain.
I hear so and so is looking. Have you talked to her?
Are you kidding? I heard that miserable cow can’t hold down a gig for six months. What about you? How’s biz?
Not bad, but just had one of my big clients back off a huge project this quarter.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
No kidding.
I heard you won the XYZ account. How’s that working out?
Talk about high-maintenance. We’re over servicing it big time. I think we’re 50K in the hole already.
So glad we lost that pitch to you!
Listen I gotta run. My table ran out of drink chits and they’re too cheap to buy any themselves.
Yeah, me too. Gotta go.
Bye
See Ya
(both shrug and wave a gentle goodbye)
What conversation will you have on Thursday night?
Til then…
I really look forward to this event as it’s nice to get out every once in a while and see some old friends and colleagues in the business. Since you can’t write on my Facebook wall ('cuz I don’t have an account), this is a great way for me to catch up.
I particularly love chatting it up with other agency folks. But, I swear, I have the same conversation each year. PR agency types are known for their warm handshakes, ear-to-ear grins and gushing positivity. It’s like the Stepford Wives descended into Pleasantville for a night.
If you’re not going to the show, don’t worry. This is how most of the conversations will go. I will write the dialogue à la James Frey (that Million Little Pieces faker):
Heeeeeeey! Great to see you!
Omigod, great to see you too! Love that outfit!
Did you cut your hair? Looks awesome!
Thanks! Seeing this wonderful stylist in Yorkville.
Are you up for any awards tonight?
Of course! And I’m here with my client too.
Oh, that’s great. How is business?
Amazing, having one of our best years yet. And you?
Oh fantastico. Just landed a huge client. We’re so thrilled.
That’s terrific. How is (insert name here) working out?
Oh, just grand. One of my best hires yet.
That’s great to hear.
Well, it was wonderful seeing you. You look great, as usual.
Ya, you too! See you around. Have fun tonight.
You, too!
(end with big teeth smiles and air kisses)
Feel a sugar rush coming on? ‘Cuz that’s basically the dialogue most of the night. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that PR people are fake or laying it on thick, but PR people pretty much stick to a standard core message. After all, didn’t we invent the message track?
Once, just once, I would love to hear a conversation go something like this:
Hey, are you okay? You look like crap.
I’m so bloody tired.
Why?
I’m short staffed and I can’t seem to find anybody at the mid-level with half a brain.
I hear so and so is looking. Have you talked to her?
Are you kidding? I heard that miserable cow can’t hold down a gig for six months. What about you? How’s biz?
Not bad, but just had one of my big clients back off a huge project this quarter.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
No kidding.
I heard you won the XYZ account. How’s that working out?
Talk about high-maintenance. We’re over servicing it big time. I think we’re 50K in the hole already.
So glad we lost that pitch to you!
Listen I gotta run. My table ran out of drink chits and they’re too cheap to buy any themselves.
Yeah, me too. Gotta go.
Bye
See Ya
(both shrug and wave a gentle goodbye)
What conversation will you have on Thursday night?
Til then…
Friday, December 07, 2007
Best word of mouth ... came from on high
“Oh, it's the meek! Blessed are the meek! Oh, that's nice, isn't it? I'm glad they're getting something, 'cause they have a hell of a time.” From the movie - Monty Python’s Life of Brian
There is a ton of buzz out there about word of mouth campaigns. My friend Sean Moffitt, the guru on the subject, can fill you in on how companies design and implement WOM campaigns to support everything from free hugs on city streets to mobile phones. According to WPP Media Edge:cia 76 percent of consumers trust a friend’s recommendation; editorial comes in at 22 percent; ad placement -- 15 percent; website -- 8 percent (somebody better tell those corporate web guys).
But my personal opinion is this ... the world’s best word of mouth campaign, which started without the use of Internet, or any form of technology was started by just one Man, Jesus Christ and 12 of his closest buddies. OK…Judas is a bit of a stretch but he had a few good moments.
Imagine, you have a story to tell, a vision of universal hope, a message from your Father and a mission to save the world from its sins. And the only way you have to communicate all this, is through a word of mouth campaign sans technology and through multiple languages!
Your geographic reach is well, the world, and you have a short time to do it. No help from bloggers, no YouTube posting, no Flickr photos of His time in Galilee and no universal Wiki to get the masses scribing His teachings. Imagine a Wiki around this time, everyone contributing to the New Testament. Cool. I digress.
Jesus was the master of word of mouth proliferation. He told 12 guys, who told a bunch of other guys and gals, who told crowds and built legions of followers. And with each personal appearance (yes, He managed His own speaker’s calendar too) Jesus had standing room only on hillsides and mountain tops (thanks to pre-event buzz), and He had no PowerPoint support either. He spoke to crowds who didn’t Twitter, or pop open laptops to jot down his keynote address. You couldn’t Google anything about Him and yet the world became well aware of His inspirational message.
Now imagine trying to mount a word of mouth campaign today without the use of any social media. Without a doubt, we’d all say that would be next to impossible. More than 2,000 years ago, it seems the impossible was possible. This proves one thing: great storytelling and content is at the heart of a successful WOM campaign. We have plenty of newfangled tech tools to get the message out quickly but one thing they can’t do is make a story better.
Amen to that.
There is a ton of buzz out there about word of mouth campaigns. My friend Sean Moffitt, the guru on the subject, can fill you in on how companies design and implement WOM campaigns to support everything from free hugs on city streets to mobile phones. According to WPP Media Edge:cia 76 percent of consumers trust a friend’s recommendation; editorial comes in at 22 percent; ad placement -- 15 percent; website -- 8 percent (somebody better tell those corporate web guys).
But my personal opinion is this ... the world’s best word of mouth campaign, which started without the use of Internet, or any form of technology was started by just one Man, Jesus Christ and 12 of his closest buddies. OK…Judas is a bit of a stretch but he had a few good moments.
Imagine, you have a story to tell, a vision of universal hope, a message from your Father and a mission to save the world from its sins. And the only way you have to communicate all this, is through a word of mouth campaign sans technology and through multiple languages!
Your geographic reach is well, the world, and you have a short time to do it. No help from bloggers, no YouTube posting, no Flickr photos of His time in Galilee and no universal Wiki to get the masses scribing His teachings. Imagine a Wiki around this time, everyone contributing to the New Testament. Cool. I digress.
Jesus was the master of word of mouth proliferation. He told 12 guys, who told a bunch of other guys and gals, who told crowds and built legions of followers. And with each personal appearance (yes, He managed His own speaker’s calendar too) Jesus had standing room only on hillsides and mountain tops (thanks to pre-event buzz), and He had no PowerPoint support either. He spoke to crowds who didn’t Twitter, or pop open laptops to jot down his keynote address. You couldn’t Google anything about Him and yet the world became well aware of His inspirational message.
Now imagine trying to mount a word of mouth campaign today without the use of any social media. Without a doubt, we’d all say that would be next to impossible. More than 2,000 years ago, it seems the impossible was possible. This proves one thing: great storytelling and content is at the heart of a successful WOM campaign. We have plenty of newfangled tech tools to get the message out quickly but one thing they can’t do is make a story better.
Amen to that.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Obama gets my vote for public speaking
Donna Papacosta’s blog recently points to Heidi Miller’s blog on public speaking. It’s a great blog and I recommend it to anyone teaching public speaking.
I love watching great speakers. In my opinion, one of the best and most charismatic speakers of our time is presidential hopeful Barack Obama. What a pleasure is to watch him. He embodies every quality I can think of that’s needed in a talented public speaker. Beyond his good looks (sorry, I know that sounds sexist, but it helps when the camera likes your face!), Obama is a reflection of our times and delivers a fresh and truly genuine quality of public speaking.
It doesn’t matter what your political views are – just watch and learn. He is skillful at delivering key messages, uses humor eloquently (this is a long video ... but the first minute and a half of this footage is hilarious) and he has an uncanny ability to draw the audience in. He connects almost instantly with his audience. Once he starts to speak, he’s like the Starship Enterprise tractor beam … you get sucked right in. The combination of superb speechwriting and delivery is what makes him outstanding.
Obama is highly intellectual, yet he doesn’t pontificate on the podium or bore us with hyperbole. And every single one of his speeches contains the three most essential ingredients a speaker should try to deliver at the podium: entertainment, information, and moving you to action. If you can’t accomplish any of that through your speech, please sit down and shut up.
For anyone teaching media training or presentation skill training, be sure you get loads of YouTube footage on Obama to study because he’s pure genius.
I realize that this talent alone won’t get him to the White House … but he sure beats what’s in there now!
I love watching great speakers. In my opinion, one of the best and most charismatic speakers of our time is presidential hopeful Barack Obama. What a pleasure is to watch him. He embodies every quality I can think of that’s needed in a talented public speaker. Beyond his good looks (sorry, I know that sounds sexist, but it helps when the camera likes your face!), Obama is a reflection of our times and delivers a fresh and truly genuine quality of public speaking.
It doesn’t matter what your political views are – just watch and learn. He is skillful at delivering key messages, uses humor eloquently (this is a long video ... but the first minute and a half of this footage is hilarious) and he has an uncanny ability to draw the audience in. He connects almost instantly with his audience. Once he starts to speak, he’s like the Starship Enterprise tractor beam … you get sucked right in. The combination of superb speechwriting and delivery is what makes him outstanding.
Obama is highly intellectual, yet he doesn’t pontificate on the podium or bore us with hyperbole. And every single one of his speeches contains the three most essential ingredients a speaker should try to deliver at the podium: entertainment, information, and moving you to action. If you can’t accomplish any of that through your speech, please sit down and shut up.
For anyone teaching media training or presentation skill training, be sure you get loads of YouTube footage on Obama to study because he’s pure genius.
I realize that this talent alone won’t get him to the White House … but he sure beats what’s in there now!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Life Is Beautiful
Last week I watched Idol Gives Back, the special American Idol broadcast in which celebrity singers performed to raise funds for needy children in Africa and the United States. It was a phenomenal show packed with star-studded performances like Annie Lennox, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson and even Madge made a personal plea from Malawi. Idol Gives Back rose more than US$30 million. While the show combined a lot of great entertainment, it also managed to highlight the real tragedy in Africa and what’s happening closer to home. The highlight reel showed African children dying of malaria and described the rampant illiteracy rate amongst American children. It was very sad to watch.
I watched the program with my six-year-old daughter who kept asked me why the children were crying or why the kids had no books and food. She couldn’t comprehend this at all. But I just couldn’t bear to tell her that bug bites at night kill one million people in Africa or that the AIDS pandemic leaves millions of children without parents. I thought that would be a bit too much information for her little noggin to grasp.
Instead, I took a page out of Roberto Benigni’s triumphant film La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful) by spinning the story my own way. In the movie, Benigni’s character, Guido, and his young son are shipped to a deadly Nazi-run concentration camp. To preserve his son’s quality of life, Guido shuns his son of the real horrors of the camp by telling him that the entire incarceration is a “game” and the prize at the end is a giant “tank”. Guido proves to be a real spinmaster in the movie, taking every tragic turn and making it bearable and funny for his son. For Guido, shielding his young boy of the horrors in the concentration camp was Priority Number One, and he spun a believable story. I chose to fabricate my own story of why the children in Africa and the U.S. were sad, if only to spare her from shedding real tears herself.
In a way, I became what we in this business dread being called – a “spinmaster” - at least with my daughter. Because the truth isn’t always the best approach for those who are too young or incapable of understanding it. My daughter is six, and like many of my friends’ children she leads a life of privilege. Her world is filled with endless laughter, stuffed animals and toys, a safety net stronger than steel, and the love of everyone she meets. Why do I need to spoil her life bubble with talk of tragedy and death?
Maybe I’m doing the wrong thing spinning her with fables, but I don’t want her to lose some of that innocence and wide-eyed optimism. After all, she’ll come to know what a crappy world we live in at one point … but not now.
So what did I learn the other night? I guess it’s that there’s a time and place to spin a story.
Because sometimes, life really is beautiful.
I watched the program with my six-year-old daughter who kept asked me why the children were crying or why the kids had no books and food. She couldn’t comprehend this at all. But I just couldn’t bear to tell her that bug bites at night kill one million people in Africa or that the AIDS pandemic leaves millions of children without parents. I thought that would be a bit too much information for her little noggin to grasp.
Instead, I took a page out of Roberto Benigni’s triumphant film La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful) by spinning the story my own way. In the movie, Benigni’s character, Guido, and his young son are shipped to a deadly Nazi-run concentration camp. To preserve his son’s quality of life, Guido shuns his son of the real horrors of the camp by telling him that the entire incarceration is a “game” and the prize at the end is a giant “tank”. Guido proves to be a real spinmaster in the movie, taking every tragic turn and making it bearable and funny for his son. For Guido, shielding his young boy of the horrors in the concentration camp was Priority Number One, and he spun a believable story. I chose to fabricate my own story of why the children in Africa and the U.S. were sad, if only to spare her from shedding real tears herself.
In a way, I became what we in this business dread being called – a “spinmaster” - at least with my daughter. Because the truth isn’t always the best approach for those who are too young or incapable of understanding it. My daughter is six, and like many of my friends’ children she leads a life of privilege. Her world is filled with endless laughter, stuffed animals and toys, a safety net stronger than steel, and the love of everyone she meets. Why do I need to spoil her life bubble with talk of tragedy and death?
Maybe I’m doing the wrong thing spinning her with fables, but I don’t want her to lose some of that innocence and wide-eyed optimism. After all, she’ll come to know what a crappy world we live in at one point … but not now.
So what did I learn the other night? I guess it’s that there’s a time and place to spin a story.
Because sometimes, life really is beautiful.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Stop Messaging Me!
I once had a boss who, whenever he spoke, made you feel like you’d just been “key messaged.” He always had a rehearsed line for everything -- crisp, clean and perfectly tuned for even the most mundane question. He was slick and buttery to the point where everyone was trying to read between his lines. It wasn’t natural, and I think eventually even clients caught on to his smarminess and constant word posturing.
But I didn’t blame him for being choosy with his words (radio host Don Imus taught us that lesson this week). After all, leaders are in the spotlight. When you’re off your game, say the wrong thing or show too much emotion, you could lose respect from those around you. Or worse, you could lose your job.
I understand the need for a key message track in our line of business. But when do you turn off the carefully crafted sound bites we’ve been conditioned to deliver and simply lay it on the line?
I think this is why I like the idea of blogging as a forum for genuine expression of thought. I assume that’s what a blog should be about. Are we to use our blogs for self-promotion and corporate messages? Isn’t that a turnoff? I think it was Shel Israel who said, “Corporations don’t blog. People do.” So shouldn’t we remove our corporate message hat, open our hearts, and say what’s honestly on our minds -- making that connection with our audience by being unabashedly genuine? I’m not saying corporate messages aren’t honest, but is that what people want to read all day? They can get that fodder from their own boss! I gravitate to blogs that let me into the inner sanctum of someone’s thinking and position – their position, not the company they work for.
Senior PR practitioners, I think, are the worst to simply let it all hang out there on a blog, yes, there are a few exceptions! After all, our clients could be reading this, as could potential employees, competitors, etc. We’ve been weaned on the message track mentality and, unfortunately, sometimes we forget that this is not the forum to get all tight-assed and commercial. I’ve stopped reading the blogs that simply want to tell me how perfect the grass is on the other side.
On his blog, Toronto PR guy Michael O’Connor Clarke listed a number of turn-offs when podcasting and the reasons why most podcasts are "rubbish." He came out swinging, and he’s right, but I think the same philosophy can be applied to blogs.
So here’s what I learned about blogging these last eight months: dump the business-style prose, type from the heart and tell it as you see it.
How’s that for a key message track?
But I didn’t blame him for being choosy with his words (radio host Don Imus taught us that lesson this week). After all, leaders are in the spotlight. When you’re off your game, say the wrong thing or show too much emotion, you could lose respect from those around you. Or worse, you could lose your job.
I understand the need for a key message track in our line of business. But when do you turn off the carefully crafted sound bites we’ve been conditioned to deliver and simply lay it on the line?
I think this is why I like the idea of blogging as a forum for genuine expression of thought. I assume that’s what a blog should be about. Are we to use our blogs for self-promotion and corporate messages? Isn’t that a turnoff? I think it was Shel Israel who said, “Corporations don’t blog. People do.” So shouldn’t we remove our corporate message hat, open our hearts, and say what’s honestly on our minds -- making that connection with our audience by being unabashedly genuine? I’m not saying corporate messages aren’t honest, but is that what people want to read all day? They can get that fodder from their own boss! I gravitate to blogs that let me into the inner sanctum of someone’s thinking and position – their position, not the company they work for.
Senior PR practitioners, I think, are the worst to simply let it all hang out there on a blog, yes, there are a few exceptions! After all, our clients could be reading this, as could potential employees, competitors, etc. We’ve been weaned on the message track mentality and, unfortunately, sometimes we forget that this is not the forum to get all tight-assed and commercial. I’ve stopped reading the blogs that simply want to tell me how perfect the grass is on the other side.
On his blog, Toronto PR guy Michael O’Connor Clarke listed a number of turn-offs when podcasting and the reasons why most podcasts are "rubbish." He came out swinging, and he’s right, but I think the same philosophy can be applied to blogs.
So here’s what I learned about blogging these last eight months: dump the business-style prose, type from the heart and tell it as you see it.
How’s that for a key message track?
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