Area 224 Ltd.

Content + Communications Consulting

You are here: Home / Archives for Uncategorized

Uncategorized

They’re Not Press Releases, They’re News Releases

Want to be a thorn in the Area 224 side? Send us a bunch of words on a page and call it a “Press Release.”

We just got another one of these and, frankly, it was pretty bad.

What qualifies us here at Area 224 HQ to say that? Well, we’ve written our fair share of them. And we’ve shepherded countless more of them either through the approval process or, in many cases, to the scrap heap where they belong.

Let’s dissect this one, with identifying information changed to protect the offenders.

Subject Line of Email: “NEW XYZ Associates Press Release!”

What’s wrong with this picture? Well, aside from the fact that I’m deathly afraid that whoever wrote this subject also dots the letter i with a smiley face, I now know nothing more than this fact: XYZ has a press release. Leading us to…

Maxim #1: Putting “Press Release” or “News Release” on top of Marketing Material does not make it news.

Let’s continue…

First Sentence of News Release: “XYZ Associates, Inc. is proud to announce six more customers are using its service.”

This, also, does not make it news. Bringing us to…

Maxim #2: They are called “News” Releases for a reason. News.

In the first paragraph, the “release” goes on to explain just how many people, through these six additional customers, can access this service. And it talks about the fact that it’s a free service. Setting us up for dissection of the following:

Quote from one of the six new clients, paragraph 3: “XYZ Associates’ service allows us to (blah blah blah) and we can do (blah blah blah) in one place!”

I’ve always wanted to be one of those folks who says “empasis added” for effect. But, unfortunately, this quote does, indeed, include an exclamation point.

Maxim #3: Don’t write a News Release when a phone call can accomplish more.

Wait, in this modern, interweb world, how would a phone call accomplish more?

Simple – in this case, the six new clients were all over the map. What matters to Tulsa might not matter to Tampa.

A phone call to the most influential person in Tulsa who covers this particular space might yield the answer to the question that’s on the minds of every editor who has ever seen a press release or news release:

Is there a story here?

News Releases should ALWAYS be written with the end in mind. Is that end a story in the paper? Something sent around on the Internet? Something you can mail off to prospects?

Still want to write a release? Here’s what you do…

Go to Grader.com and, specifically, check out their Press Release Grader.

Then, once it’s crafted appropriately, visit Pitch Engine. Get your pitch out there.

And be sure to write it good. Or goodly.

Buzzword Watch – 3 Cliches To Avoid

Before you use these crutch phrases, you should know their etymology.

1. Drink the Kool-Aid. It used to just be a drink that was “cheaper than soda” (so said the commercials) and had a large anthropomorphic pitcher of the beverage as its spokes-thing.

Then, tragedy in the form of the Jonestown murder-suicide – one of the largest losses of American civilian life before 9/11. Since most of the members of the People’s Temple who died drank a mixture of cyanide and a drink mix similar to Kool-Aid, the phrase “Drink the Kool-Aid” eventually became synonymous with those who will nod their head in agreement – even if they don’t really believe you.

Irony: the drink mix used in Jonestown was something called “Flavor Aid” and not Kool-Aid.

2. Going Postal. Between 1986 and 1997, more than 40 people died in 20 separate violent incidents at the hands of United States Postal Workers. The phrase became synonymous with those who would become uncontrollably angry – even if they were not postal workers.

3. “Grammar Nazi, Word Nazi.” A popular Seinfeld episode called “The Soup Nazi” led to communicators using phrases such as these often enough to get an Urban Dictionary reference.

Just remember next time you use one of these phrases – they’re often reminders of horrible, tragic events. There’s a better way to say whatever it is you want to say.

UnBook Report

If a guy writes a book called “UnMarketing” – your review should be more of an “UnBook Report,” right?

 

 

Buzzword Watch – How to Innovate with Truly Innovative Innovation

We’re at it again: after Friday’s anti-Engagement rant, today we think “innovation” is over-used.

Dissecting the buzzword “innovation” is going to get us in trouble with the pundits. After all, a good percentage of the readers, viewers and commenters on this site might, themselves, be innovative individuals.

For instance: are you the Chief Innovation Officer of your company? Good for you. You’re joining the ranks of companies that make innovation a priority. By announcing to the world that you have someone in charge of innovating, you prove that innovation is truly innovative at your company (which is probably called “Innova”).

If you don’t have a Chief Innovation Officer, then you could always hire this guy, whose ad pops up when you Google the term. (Here’s a link to the Complete Innovator.)

If you do have a Chief Innovation Officer, what is it that they do? (Other than this unfortunate recent incident from a company whose troubles go beyond hiring someone to innovate.)

Do they report into the Chief Strategy Officer?

Back in the day, Dave from Area 224 worked at a company in the financial data space. At the time, this company didn’t have a Chief Innovation Officer – but they did have a CEO whose plain-speaking style got the troops motivated. One of his favorite sayings ended up posted on quite a few cubicle walls:

If our customers knew what we were working on right now, would they pay us for it?

A-ha! That might not be “innovation” – but it makes a heck of a lot of sense in the client services universe.

Here are the challenges we’ll issue to you, gentle (innovative) readers:

Any Chief Innovation Officers who actually Innovate?

AND, is there a better way to articulate the fact that you are consultative, smart, and are adding value?

Let’s cut through the BS, please.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...