Can You Adapt Your Communications as Newspapers Shrink?
Newspaper print and online ad revenue. Source: Pew Research Center The Gannett Company joined the ranks of media companies that are dropping newspapers from their empires. Gannett, publisher of USA Today and dozens of local newspapers, just spun off its print holdings...
Let Me Count The Ways…
Shakespeare was on to something when he wrote that headline. Turn the pages of almost any magazine and you will find a listicle--an article in the form of a list. Five things we’re excited about this month…Ten steps to healthier eating.Why are they so prevalent? In...
One-Word Communication Strategies.
I’m done with six word memoirs. Whole Foods had shown us that all it takes is one word to tell a story. And they did it by relabeling their bins. No longer do you put your discards in the ‘Trash’ or Recycling’. You now either “Compost” or add to “Landfill”. Why is...
Media Ready, Set, Go!
A recent two-minute segment of the Today Show featured four guests from around the country talking about the role of family in education. One was a nationally known expert from Harvard. The other three had personal stories to share. In today’s media-savvy world, I...
College Application Website Flunks Communications
Applying to college has changed dramatically since I typed my essays, corrected them with whiteout and took them to the post office to mail. Today students fill out an online application that is seamlessly beamed though cyberspace to all of the colleges on their...
Media Relations: It’s What You Know Not Who You Know
In discussion of media relations strategy, one question inevitably comes up, “Do you know… (fill in the blank with the name of your favorite reporter)?” After 20 plus years in the communications biz, I can definitively say that knowing your story is far more important...
Olympic Communications Challenge
I’m over the jet lag but still overwhelmed by the tremendous feat of the London Olympics. In addition to the games and festivities, there were plenty of good communications to observe on the other side of the pond. London’s integrated communications program included a...
Build An Integrated Marketing Program
Integrated marketing may be a hot new buzzword in the communications world, but it is also a reminder that understanding your audiences, and why they care about your organization is the basis of good marketing communications. Integrated marketing means that you define...
Push Buttons, and Other Rules for Elevator Speeches
An ‘elevator speech’ is a quick and concise summary of what your organization does and what makes it special. While we rarely find opportunities to make speeches on elevators, the elevator speech comes in handy in all kinds of situations. Here are some tips to make...
Thinking About a Communications Audit?
I’m a linear thinker—systematic and deadline oriented. That’s why I like communications audits. Audits are systematic ways to assess where you are, what’s working and what needs tinkering. You get a realistic sense of your impact.We linear thinkers know that...