I’ve written a book over the past few years, aiming to teach others to be highly skilled communications consultants, capable of making invaluable contributions to those they serve, with the ability to live, work and thrive almost anywhere. Thankfully, that research and writing has fortified my job qualifications; suddenly, being successful is infinitely more challenging. Regardless of our experience and skill levels, right now, we all need leaders we can trust to help ground our thoughts and guide our actions.
During my weekend reading, I had an opportunity to consider what happened during The Great Depression – and its permanent effects on those who endured it – alongside the current pandemic.
A month ago, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Deputy News Media Branch Chief Benjamin Haynes issued his COVID-19 briefing update, reporting on the “very few cases” of Corona Virus in the U.S., and “no community spread.” Mr. Haynes also seized the moment to inform us of impending disruptions to our lives. Today, with most of us ordered to #StayAtHome, the number of domestic reported cases will soon exceed 123,000.
For several years now, Netflix has been suggesting I watch the feature-length documentary from director Matt D’Avella entitled “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.” I finally took it in over the weekend, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It appears as though the highly rated film is leaving Netflix as of Sep. 15. It will remain widely available online, however – visit https://minimalismfilm.com to learn more.
This Wednesday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, The 2018 ESPYS Presented by Capital One is once again set to feature the world’s premier athletes, the sports’ world’s biggest stars, and the very best sports stories of the year. Hosted by Danica Patrick, this 26th annual celebration supporting ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research will be televised live from LA’s Microsoft Theater.
In the meantime, ESPN’s Annual ESPY Day Auction to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research is officially underway on eBay, where it will run through July 18. This year’s auction of more than 80 items includes tickets to prime sporting events, autographed memorabilia, unique experiences with athletes, celebrities and hall of fame coaches, sports-related experiences with ESPN personalities, and much more.
Another way for fans across America to participate in The ESPYS is to help determine exactly who will be selected for these and other ESPYS Awards:
I have a longstanding working relationship with a CEO who recently changed jobs. Coming into his new company, he told me that his mantra was this: He intended to center every marketing initiative around PR strategy. In virtually every industry, I’m seeing many wise marketing industry leaders endorsing this idea. Another prominent example from the past several years comes from Jason Harris of San Francisco- and NYC-based Mekanism, where in an interview with HubSpot.com, he described his agency’s framework for creating shareable content.
“Our approach is to always think about the PR headline. Why will the idea, content, innovation, etc., travel? Why will people care, and why will they want to talk about it and share it? If there is no PR headline, the idea won’t be shareable. That is our goal on every project.”
The video I’m embedding with this article perfectly demonstrates the increasing focus on PR, presenting the 47-minute “Content & Storytelling: Is the PR Landscape Shifting?” session from the 2014 CDO Summit in NYC.
The publishers of Campaign, a leading business media brand serving the marketing, advertising and media communities, offer an editorial on their website entitled “What’s the secret of a long ‘marriage’?” In that, former Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO chief executive and current CEO of Girl Effect Farah Ramzan Golant offers these wise words: “The key to long-term client relationships is constant reinvigoration…. You should constantly be looking at how you can do things differently, keep freshening the account teams and stay ahead of the game.” As a communications consultant providing ongoing, dedicated counsel to a small roster of clients, I firmly believe in these vows. Among many activities aimed at ongoing education and innovation, I regularly participate in webinars being presented by industry thoughtleaders, adopting the best ideas and lessons into my arsenal. One in particular, presented by five-time published author and entrepreneur Deirdre Breakenridge entitled “Eight Techniques of the New PR Champion,” began paying dividends immediately.
Ever since hearing that failing to plan is a sure plan for failure, I have been a firm believer in taking the time necessary to diligently and intelligently lay out plans for anything I’m seriously aiming to accomplish. When I attended the ReCourses New Business Summit (NBS) back in 2012 thanks to David C. Baker and Blair Enns, I witnessed a new approach for how creative businesses and professionals can change the way they handle sales. My understanding on the secret is this: The key is to think and operate like a publisher. Along those lines, naturally, the business model requires successful handling of content. The NBS lessons were very timely for me, as you have seen here; I have deep admiration for innovative publishers of all sizes, and as time moves forward, I hope to follow the best of them and achieve my own version of greatness.
Over the past two years, this idea of content marketing has really caught fire, so for anyone beginning the planning process of fathoming these types of practices and putting them to work in new ways, you are in luck. It’s my pleasure to share five different highly qualified paths toward brilliant content marketing – each of which is focused on helping to facilitate solid thinking and planning.
Generally speaking, on the best days, my job breaks down to a careful balance of art and craft. I’m hoping that this art/craft angle will be an interesting way to talk about some others I admire, and what we’re achieving together. Due to the uncommon success of our joint efforts, I’m choosing Kathryn Hempel and all her colleagues at Cutters Studios as the perfect subjects to explore a new variation on the classic case study, which I’m calling a “Best-Case Scenario.”
With love to director Brad Tucker for putting us all in contact, a lot went into making Cutters Studios a solid fit for me when we joined forces last year. The very first “Cutters” commercial editorial facility had opened in Chicago 34 years earlier, but by January 2014, the parent Cutters Studios group was also operating studios in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City and Tokyo… spanning all aspects of commercial production, post-production and creative development. Relatively soon after partnering up, I learned about the Always #likeagirl campaign that Kathryn was editing for Leo Burnett and Chelsea Pictures director Lauren Greenfield, and I had a chance to counsel everyone on all the ways we might use PR to promote the work and everyone behind it.
By then, I already had a very good sense of what sets Cutters apart:
The phenomenal music video for this fantastic Basement Jaxx song came to my attention a couple of years ago, thanks to writer Emily Beber of It’s Nice That. In her story, Emily warned us that the presentation was very likely to induce us viewers into both dancing and smiling. To me, those are great achievements for “passion projects,” the typically non-commercial things we take-on as artists to feed our souls.
At the core of this heartfelt project are its celebratory rhythm and its lovely, emphatic sentiments. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that love doesn’t make the world go round – it’s what makes the ride worthwhile. Writing and making music about requited love, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Major Buxton (the duo behind the Grammy Award-winning Basement Jaxx) tapped into the type of joy we all aspire to know ourselves, to make our own rides through life worthwhile: “You make me happy, make me come alive, my running reason to survive…” The song also features vocalist Sam Brookes.
