The Unparalleled World-Class Mission-Critical Hero: Words Sucked Dry In Business

Bill Lumbergh, American Hero, by SirWilly77

As yet another Cool Rules Pronto public service, I’ve identified a few words and phrases that have been so overused, misused and abused that they no longer have any meaning. (Kind of like the joke in an average Saturday Night Live sketch.) These terms sound important without saying anything, which makes them ideal for press releases and political speeches…

“Viral” Does Not Mean “Free”: The Reality Behind The Buzz

Where's that buzz coming from?

I recently had lunch with an entrepreneur to discuss her marketing problems. She had launched her company with a PR campaign, and the initial results were spectacular, with major media coverage and a torrent of traffic to her site… But that torrent dried to a trickle as the press and consumers lost interest. In just a couple of years her company had become “old news.” Since her operations were now sucking up all of her available cash, she wanted a low-cost marketing option, and she called me to discuss this viral marketing thing…

Public Relations vs. Advertising: No Contest

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

Mmm, tasty...

So I’ve got this serious weakness for ice cream. I mean, GOOD ice cream. As in 200% butter-fat-full-sugar-with-no-artificial-ingredients ice cream that makes me break into R-rated facial expressions and one-man gospel choruses. (Yeah, you don’t want to witness that.)

Public Relations 101: How (Not) To Write A Press Release

It’s amazing the difference between what you learn in school and actual business practices. I once took a class in public relations where we learned how to write a press release. The basic rule: write an actual news story about your company using standard journalistic practices to make it as objective as possible. That way, the news editor can make a few adjustments and print it as is.

Then I ventured into the real business world and discovered that everyone ignored that rule…

Freeze: “Paralysis by Analysis” and other Joys of Marketing Research

“There are many methods for predicting the future. For example, you can read horoscopes, tea leaves, tarot cards, or crystal balls. Collectively, these methods are known as ‘nutty methods.’ Or you can put well-researched facts into sophisticated computer models, more commonly referred to as ‘a complete waste of time.’” — Scott Adams, The Dilbert Future

I recently attended a meeting at one of the world’s largest PR agencies. In the midst of a luxurious high-tech conference room featuring an HDTV and a tower of high-quality donuts, the agency told its client — an Internet start-up — that it needed to conduct more research. The client was visibly shocked…