Anything else Archives - Page 7 of 9

SUCCESS STORY: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

December 14, 2011 by Scott Flood

Think schools cost too much money to build? Several Indiana state legislators and the state’s governor do, and have made attempts at cutting the cost a primary part of their agenda. A trade group of architects, contractors, engineers, and others called FAIR disagree, pointing to independent sources that show school costs in the state are far from excessive.

But when the advocates for cutting costs occupy the bully pulpit of majority leadership, it can be tough for opponents to make their voices heard. Many in the media were repeating the legislators’ claims as though they were facts. Unfortunately, the story is a complicated, multi-faceted one. How could FAIR get accurate, understandable information in the hands of media, legislators, and other key stakeholders?

SUCCESS STORIES: CHILDHOOD BANKERS

November 2, 2011 by Scott Flood

When out-of-town banks have begun to dominate the local landscape, how do you convince residents that your bank is truly part of the community’s bedrock?

Mutual Savings Bank has been serving Johnson County residents since 1890, choosing to continue its original focus of helping everyday people buy homes and save for the future while other financial institutions merged and diversified. When some of those new banks began to promote themselves as community banks, Mutual needed to find a way to remind residents that they were the real deal.

IS IT OPINION OR KNOWLEDGE?

September 21, 2011 by Scott Flood

Much of what I learned in high school was most effective at setting one up for a lifetime of therapy. But there were a few gems here and there that have managed to stay with me throughout the ensuing years. One of those was the difference between facts and opinions. Several of my teachers devoted many class periods to helping their charges grasp what separates the two.

It’s a lesson that seems to be lost on many people, who develop their own opinions about something and then state those opinions as though they were factual knowledge. While the most obvious examples are those modern-day idea marketplaces — talk radio, cable news channels, and online forums — I’ve also seen the trend drift into the ways in which companies promote themselves or their beliefs.

SUCCESS STORY: DIFFERENTIATING WITH A COLORING BOOK

September 14, 2011 by Scott Flood

If you’re selling a high-quality product in a category that’s considered to be a commodity, how can you set yourself apart?

Plymate Image Mats provides a higher-quality product with far superior service in a market that’s saturated with – and accustomed to – low-end competitors. Their challenge is twofold: convince prospects that they need more than what they’re already buying, then sell it to them.

ONE STEP TO MAKE ANY PRESS RELEASE MORE EFFECTIVE

August 24, 2011 by Scott Flood

As I’ve said before, most editors are inundated by press releases sent by companies and organizations that desperately want to be covered.

Amazingly, many of them miss a simple step that can dramatically increase the likelihood that their release will be among the few that will actually be picked up and used.

ON THE CARE AND FEEDING OF EDITORS, PT. 2

July 13, 2011 by Scott Flood

In my last post, I talked about the role of editors and why most are comfortable with publicity. This week, I’d like to offer some simple advice that will make you a valuable resource for an editor instead of being viewed as that most despised of creatures, the “flack.”

The most important advice of all is to never send an editor anything that doesn’t have relevance to his or her audience. If the editor runs a magazine for chicken farmers, his readers probably won’t care about a new device to floss swine teeth. Not only will the editor delete your news release; he’ll store your name in his memory as someone who wastes his time. Each time you do that, you lose more credibility. Eventually, your emails will be filtered directly into the trash.

ON THE CARE AND FEEDING OF EDITORS, PT. 1

July 6, 2011 by Scott Flood

Publicity is a funny animal. Those with little or no experience tend to assume one of two things: either that getting something in the newspaper or on TV involves some sort of mystical expertise, or that they have a right to demand that the media use whatever message they want to share (“Tell them to put this on page one!”)

As with so many other things, the reality is quite different from the perception. While cynics may think of publicity as a manipulative tool for influencing the news, it actually serves the important role of making the media aware of things they might not otherwise know about. Most editors and producers actually count on publicity to help them with the newsgathering process — even more so today, as staffing has been slashed to the bone. There are more pages and hours of news to fill than staff members to fill them.

CHOOSE THE FAMILIAR DEFINITION

June 8, 2011 by Scott Flood

I noticed that mother began to materialize around the edges of the copper vessel.

Did that sentence startle you? Confuse you? Baffle you? You might be surprised to know that it is a completely legitimate and accurate statement. It’s not unusual for mother to appear when someone is making alcoholic beverages, and it has nothing to do with the personal habits of the woman who brought you into this world.

WHEN SCREENWRITERS GET LAZY

June 1, 2011 by Scott Flood

I’m not a big movie fan, but I do manage to watch a few now and then. As you’d expect, I probably pay as much attention to the writing as what happens on the screen. I studied playwriting fairly extensively in college, and many of the devices and tactics used by screenwriters were developed by playwrights.

I have a fascination with how screenwriters use the script to advance the plot, but there is one device I absolutely despise. To me, it’s the sign of a lazy screenwriter who is looking for an effortless way to move the plot forward or explain something to the viewer. I cringe every time I see the device, which crops up more often in comedies than in other types of films.