It's 1:30 a.m. and I have to get up for work in five hours. Yet here I am writing this blog post because I can't sleep.
I hurt - I have a sinus headache and "arthr" decided to visit - my right ankle, knee and hip really hurt.
My cat poked my cheek with her paw.
My other cat is attacking the window, presumably because he saw a bug outside, but with him, you never know.
My mind is busy. Before I got up to write this post, I
- came up with a goofy rap song for my godson
- wondered how behavioral targeting really works
- thought of three ideas for blog posts (besides this one)
- remembered a survey that's ready to be analyzed at work
- thought of a survey question that might be useful for work
- wondered when my office's "sharing week" is going to be this fall
- worried about my dad's declining health
Now that I've dumped this randomness on you, swallowed a couple of Advil and slurped a mug of warm milk, I'm headed back to bed - if the cats have left me any room, that is.
Wish me luck, folks. Otherwise you might be soon be seeing one of those other three blog posts I mentioned above;-)
Monday, August 9, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Book Review: The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR
At PlayhouseSquare, my colleagues in the marketing department and I handle both advertising and publicity. I spend more of my time on publicity, so my curiosity piqued when I came across the book The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR, written by Al and Laura Ries and published in 2002.
Unfortunately, this book was a chore to slog through. The tone of the authors is so bitter that I suspect that one of them was humiliated by a termination from an advertising agency, or perhaps suffered a concussion at the hand of a Clio Award-wielding ex-lover.
Some of the references are so dated that I'm only familiar with the topics through anecdotes told by my parents. I can't imagine a recent college grad relating to this book. How many 20-somethings know what a Yugo is?
And then there's the litany of suggestions rejected by their clients with the not-so-subtle assertion that these clients were stupid for not listening to them.
Further, it's hard trust the assertions of authors whose foresight has proven to be less than reliable. For example, they asserted that 3G phones and Amazon would prove to be failures.
This book's coup de grace came when I was adding it to my list on goodreads.com. I mistakenly typed in "the rise of advertising" and to my surprise, up came a listing for a book entitled The Rise of Advertising & the Fall of PR, published in 2009 with a forward by Al Ries.
All this said, I did agree with some of the points made by the authors. I do believe that using PR to build a brand and advertising to maintain a brand can be the right strategy to use in many cases. But with today's fragmented communications channels, I do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all answer.
Nor do I believe that either PR or advertising is falling or rising - both are changing.
Unfortunately, this book was a chore to slog through. The tone of the authors is so bitter that I suspect that one of them was humiliated by a termination from an advertising agency, or perhaps suffered a concussion at the hand of a Clio Award-wielding ex-lover.
Some of the references are so dated that I'm only familiar with the topics through anecdotes told by my parents. I can't imagine a recent college grad relating to this book. How many 20-somethings know what a Yugo is?
And then there's the litany of suggestions rejected by their clients with the not-so-subtle assertion that these clients were stupid for not listening to them.
Further, it's hard trust the assertions of authors whose foresight has proven to be less than reliable. For example, they asserted that 3G phones and Amazon would prove to be failures.
This book's coup de grace came when I was adding it to my list on goodreads.com. I mistakenly typed in "the rise of advertising" and to my surprise, up came a listing for a book entitled The Rise of Advertising & the Fall of PR, published in 2009 with a forward by Al Ries.
All this said, I did agree with some of the points made by the authors. I do believe that using PR to build a brand and advertising to maintain a brand can be the right strategy to use in many cases. But with today's fragmented communications channels, I do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all answer.
Nor do I believe that either PR or advertising is falling or rising - both are changing.
Monday, July 12, 2010
PR Lessons from "The Decision"
I'm not a basketball fan. Before last week, I'd never heard of Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. I followed the LeBron James announcement as a Clevelander, but mostly as a communications professional, looking to see if there were any PR lessons to learn.
Boy, were there:
1. Know your audience.
As a general rule, we Americans want our sports heroes to be confident yet humble. And though they'll get the ring, the trophy, and the glory, we want them to win for us. James made it clear that he wants to win for himself, and that just doesn't sit well.
Imagine that a company held a press conference to announce, "We're introducing the new iGadget/Wonder Drug/Clean-As-New Laundry Detergent/whatever so we can make more money." Ridiculous, right? We all know companies are in business to make money, but that's not the way to position a new product launch to consumers.
You have to know your audience, tailor your message accordingly and...
2. Choose the right medium for the message.
The one-hour ESPN special only would have worked well if James had announced his decision to stay in Cleveland. It would have further cemented his status as a hometown hero and commitment to overcome the curse on Cleveland sports. Instead, he came across as selfish.
Appropriate ways to announce his decision to leave: issue a statement or, possibly, hold a press conference in Cleveland, all the while expressing gratitude for the support of the Cavaliers fans and the opportunity given to him by the Cavaliers organization. Either of these could have been followed up with media interviews.
It's important to think carefully about how you are going to deliver your message. Does it merit a press conference? A video statement? A Facebook status update? Is it wiser to start a little smaller and follow up with something wider reaching if needed?
Consider the content and the audience you want to reach with it.
3. Protect the brand.
Up until last week, the LeBron James brand was extraordinarily talented athlete, hometown hero and classy guy. Cavs fans that I spoke with told me they felt duped; they had believed he was respectable. Over and over they repeated that it wasn't the fact that he was leaving, it was how he chose to announce his decision that cost him their respect.
Make sure each and every message is consistent with the brand.
4. Don't stoop to their level.
The way LeBron James announced his decision to go to Miami hurt all Northeast Ohioans in way that we haven't been hurt before, with the possible exception of Art Modell's removal of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. As much as it may feel justified, retaliation isn't the way to win in PR. Dan Gilbert's impassioned letter to Cavaliers fans and area residents would have been the perfect response minus the digs at James.
In PR, as in life, it's always better to be the bigger person.
5. Take full advantage of your opportunities.
I may be biased because I work for a not-for-profit organization, but I find myself most disappointed by the unrealized opportunity for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Sure, they got some money and some national airtime, but James could have given them so much more.
Imagine if he had started his ESPN special like this: "Before I announce my decision, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about an organization that had a tremendous influence on me while I was growing up: the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Specifics about his experience. I would not be where I am today without the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, so I am making a donation to the Clubs in each of the six cities I met with during the past few weeks, and also to the Boys & Girls Club of Akron, my hometown. I encourage everyone watching to learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America by visiting bgca.org."
Maybe, just maybe, that would have softened the response to the mishandling of "The Decision" announcement.
When you have the stage, take full advantage of the opportunity to say what's most important.
Bonus quickie lessons:
Don't refer to yourself in the third person.
Don't announce your break-up in public until after you've told your significant other, your employer, your business partner, etc.
And please, don't use comic sans unless you are writing a letter to a child.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Book Review: St. Vidicon to the Rescue by Christopher Stasheff
Meet the patron saint of technology - St. Vidicon. During an unfortunate incident during the Pope's broadcast to the masses, Father Vidicon dies for his faith and finds himself in a limbo of sorts, battling against Finagle's General Principle, Murphy's Law and the Spirit of all Paradox. Father Vidicon recruits IT pro Tony Ricci to aid him, and in return, gives Tony a little help in matters of the heart.
The novel is a choppy and in fact reads more like a book of short stories. That doesn't stop the fun of imagining that traffic lights and television broadcasts are really made possible by tiny gnomes. And Stasheff is a master of imitating the tone, word order and pacing of a King James Bible or high mass. This mastery may make some portions of the novel tedious for some readers.
In short, a fun read for those plagued by technical problems or tasked with fixing them.
FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book and this review is unsolicited.
The novel is a choppy and in fact reads more like a book of short stories. That doesn't stop the fun of imagining that traffic lights and television broadcasts are really made possible by tiny gnomes. And Stasheff is a master of imitating the tone, word order and pacing of a King James Bible or high mass. This mastery may make some portions of the novel tedious for some readers.
In short, a fun read for those plagued by technical problems or tasked with fixing them.
FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book and this review is unsolicited.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Book Review: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
Ever wonder if the characters in all those fairy tales really live happily ever after? If so, you might want to check out The Stepsister Scheme.
In this book, we have a chance to catch up with Cinderella (Danielle) after she marries her Prince Charming (Armand). Things are going along quite, well, happily until she is attacked by one of her step-sisters and discovers that Armand has been kidnapped by fairies. To set things right, Snow (White, of course) and Sleeping Beauty (Talia) come to Danielle's aid. How do they know she needs aid? They were previously taken in by Danielle's mother-in-law, Queen "Bea."
During the trio's adventure, we get the real story on Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, who has become quite the warrior princess since we last knew her. We also discover what happened to Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters after the wedding. Let's just say it's not pretty.
The first in Jim C. Hines' Princess Series, The Stepsister Scheme is clever, engaging and overall, well-written. His explanation of the "real" nature of the Seven Dwarfs is somewhat clunky and not well-developed, but does not distract from the overall enjoyment of the story. I already have the next installment, The Mermaid's Madness, waiting in my to-read pile of books.
FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book and this review is unsolicited.
In this book, we have a chance to catch up with Cinderella (Danielle) after she marries her Prince Charming (Armand). Things are going along quite, well, happily until she is attacked by one of her step-sisters and discovers that Armand has been kidnapped by fairies. To set things right, Snow (White, of course) and Sleeping Beauty (Talia) come to Danielle's aid. How do they know she needs aid? They were previously taken in by Danielle's mother-in-law, Queen "Bea."
During the trio's adventure, we get the real story on Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, who has become quite the warrior princess since we last knew her. We also discover what happened to Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters after the wedding. Let's just say it's not pretty.
The first in Jim C. Hines' Princess Series, The Stepsister Scheme is clever, engaging and overall, well-written. His explanation of the "real" nature of the Seven Dwarfs is somewhat clunky and not well-developed, but does not distract from the overall enjoyment of the story. I already have the next installment, The Mermaid's Madness, waiting in my to-read pile of books.
FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book and this review is unsolicited.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Book Review: Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth
Vampires are everywhere these days, but Christopher Farnsworth has created a unique and intriguing premise...The President's Vampire.
In the first of what promises to be an entertaining series of books (and possibly films, as Blood Oath has already been optioned), we are introduced to Nathaniel Cade, a vampire who was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1867 and is now oath-bound to protect the United States and its Presidents against supernatural enemies.
As Blood Oath begins, the arrogant, ambitious young politician Zach Barrows finds out that he has been assigned to take over for the likeable Agent Griffin as Cade's handler. Barrows doesn't have much time to come to grips with this new reality before he and Cade have to set off across the country to hunt down a supernatural threat.
The ensuing action is gripping, with a number of unexpected twists. Adding to the reader's enjoyment are excerpts from "Cade's Briefing Book," letters and news articles that explain Cade's abilities in relation to vampire lore and provide additional background on his service to the office of the President without bogging down the story at hand. Aside from one crudely written sex scene that seemed to drop in out of nowhere, I found Blood Oath to be an entertaining read and I can't wait to find out what Cade and Barrows are up to next.
FTC Disclosure: I received a free, preview copy of this book through a contest on goodreads.com.
In the first of what promises to be an entertaining series of books (and possibly films, as Blood Oath has already been optioned), we are introduced to Nathaniel Cade, a vampire who was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1867 and is now oath-bound to protect the United States and its Presidents against supernatural enemies.
As Blood Oath begins, the arrogant, ambitious young politician Zach Barrows finds out that he has been assigned to take over for the likeable Agent Griffin as Cade's handler. Barrows doesn't have much time to come to grips with this new reality before he and Cade have to set off across the country to hunt down a supernatural threat.
The ensuing action is gripping, with a number of unexpected twists. Adding to the reader's enjoyment are excerpts from "Cade's Briefing Book," letters and news articles that explain Cade's abilities in relation to vampire lore and provide additional background on his service to the office of the President without bogging down the story at hand. Aside from one crudely written sex scene that seemed to drop in out of nowhere, I found Blood Oath to be an entertaining read and I can't wait to find out what Cade and Barrows are up to next.
FTC Disclosure: I received a free, preview copy of this book through a contest on goodreads.com.
Monday, May 24, 2010
My Thoughts on the LOST Finale
*SPOILER ALERT* Stop reading now if you have not yet watched the LOST finale.
And so we have come to the end. The responsibility of crafting an appropriate finale for any television series, but especially an epic one like LOST, is not something to be undertaken lightly. Mess it up and you ruin the entire series (Will & Grace) for fans forever. For LOST, a series to which fans have devoted countless hours re-watching, researching, blogging, discussing and dissecting, messing it up might well have left Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof with prices on their heads.
As the finale approached, I fervently hoped that Carlton and Damon would not let us LOSTies down. Little did I know that I should have been worrying about a monumental technical failure at my local ABC affiliate that pretty much ruined the experience for me, though perhaps I should be thankful that they saved me about $20 worth of tissues.
Overall, I'm more than satisfied with the LOST finale. My closest peeps know that I get about as excited about sappy love stories as I would at the thought of jabbing a dull pencil in my eye. In this case, however, after all of the heart-wrenching emotion, physical torture and loss these characters experienced, it was gratifying to see all the right couples together, happy and at peace, together at the end.
The highlights: Hurley's grin when Charlie opened the door to his hotel room, Sawyer and Juliet's reunion at the vending machine, Locke forgiving Ben, seeing Bernard and Rose and VINCENT!, Miles - "I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape," Sun and Jin remembering and then being able to speak perfect English, seeing Boone
The lowpoints: I don't think Kate deserved to be the one to kill Flocke, Shannon's hair, the omission of Jack speaking over the water before Hurley took over his role as protector of the island
The questions: I knew that LOST would leave us with plenty of questions to ponder. These are the ones I would most like to see answered or further explored at some point: Walt's magical/supernatural abilities; Charles Widmore's full back-story and motivations; Charlotte's complete report on the archeological dig that seemed to be a discovery of artifacts from the island; who were the ancient inhabitants of the island that built the statue, the "glowy cave," etc.; the story of Eloise Hawking Widmore; what happened to Helen, Aaron, David and Ji Yeon.
My gratitude is forever due to the creators and everyone involved with LOST for having the courage to create a television show that required viewers to think; for giving us so many unforgettable characters (most especially for me - Sawyer, Charlie, Hurley and Locke); for raising the bar of the television musical score to a soaring height; and for remembering to include Vincent in the finale. Namaste.
And so we have come to the end. The responsibility of crafting an appropriate finale for any television series, but especially an epic one like LOST, is not something to be undertaken lightly. Mess it up and you ruin the entire series (Will & Grace) for fans forever. For LOST, a series to which fans have devoted countless hours re-watching, researching, blogging, discussing and dissecting, messing it up might well have left Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof with prices on their heads.
As the finale approached, I fervently hoped that Carlton and Damon would not let us LOSTies down. Little did I know that I should have been worrying about a monumental technical failure at my local ABC affiliate that pretty much ruined the experience for me, though perhaps I should be thankful that they saved me about $20 worth of tissues.
Overall, I'm more than satisfied with the LOST finale. My closest peeps know that I get about as excited about sappy love stories as I would at the thought of jabbing a dull pencil in my eye. In this case, however, after all of the heart-wrenching emotion, physical torture and loss these characters experienced, it was gratifying to see all the right couples together, happy and at peace, together at the end.
The highlights: Hurley's grin when Charlie opened the door to his hotel room, Sawyer and Juliet's reunion at the vending machine, Locke forgiving Ben, seeing Bernard and Rose and VINCENT!, Miles - "I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape," Sun and Jin remembering and then being able to speak perfect English, seeing Boone
The lowpoints: I don't think Kate deserved to be the one to kill Flocke, Shannon's hair, the omission of Jack speaking over the water before Hurley took over his role as protector of the island
The questions: I knew that LOST would leave us with plenty of questions to ponder. These are the ones I would most like to see answered or further explored at some point: Walt's magical/supernatural abilities; Charles Widmore's full back-story and motivations; Charlotte's complete report on the archeological dig that seemed to be a discovery of artifacts from the island; who were the ancient inhabitants of the island that built the statue, the "glowy cave," etc.; the story of Eloise Hawking Widmore; what happened to Helen, Aaron, David and Ji Yeon.
My gratitude is forever due to the creators and everyone involved with LOST for having the courage to create a television show that required viewers to think; for giving us so many unforgettable characters (most especially for me - Sawyer, Charlie, Hurley and Locke); for raising the bar of the television musical score to a soaring height; and for remembering to include Vincent in the finale. Namaste.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)