What writers and others say
Last week, I was critiquing a tweet in a writing workshop at Tellabs.
“All your other tweets are so personable,” I said. “Why does this one read like a press release headline?”
Because, said George Stenitzer, vice president of Corporate Communications:
“Some clients just aren’t helpable.”
I love that approach to the review system: Let’s help the ones we can, and to heck with the ones we can’t. Call it communication triage.
I’ve heard, seen and read so many great observations on communication planning lately, I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you.
On the approval process
[Describing communications at a utility]: “The review process was worse than a triple root canal followed by a colonoscopy. Reminds me of an ad where the cola can starts out red, works its way through the spectrum, then back to red.”
— Roy Berces, Group Communication manager at Mervyn’s LLC
On reviewers
“ACCOUNTANT: ‘Can I check over that story before you run it?’ EDITOR: ‘Sure. As long as I can balance the books this month.'”
— Steve Crescenzo, owner of Crescenzo Communications
On folks who slow down the system
“drag factor: A person, issue, process, etc., which delays a key decision. ‘President Obama’s biggest drag factor may be his fellow Democrats, not Republicans.'”
— BuzzWhack.com
On approvals and innovation
“When it comes to innovation, you’re supposed to be running with scissors.”
— Kasey Skala, owner of Interactive Revolution
“Never kill your ideas, no matter how weird or ‘out-there’ they might sound. Believe me — over the course of your life in PR, there’ll be enough people in the world ready to kill your ideas. You should never be one of them.” — Peter Shankman, founder of Help a Reporter Out (HARO), in Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work — and Why Your Company Needs Them