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The Reach Blog

Archive for June, 2009

Survive the News-Release Gauntlet

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Not so long ago, when I was an editor at a daily newspaper, I received several hundred news releases and informal notes from the public each day.

Part of my morning routine was to take out the machete and carve a path through this thicket of emails, faxes and regular mail. I also did this on an ongoing basis throughout the day.

I had to go through the releases because I knew there would be real news in there. A good proportion of the topics that media organizations cover originate in such communication. (more…)

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Posted in Broadreach, Traditional Media | No Comments »

Branding: Search for the Essential

Friday, June 19th, 2009

In junior high, we did science experiments that distilled one liquid from another, leaving us with highly concentrated substances that we’d weigh and measure and use for other experiments.

Branding is a lot like that. It requires you to break down something – a product, business, political candidate – to its essence.

We’ve been doing a lot of that lately, working to create positioning statements and brand books that capture the most-important aspects of our clients’ operations, starting with 25- and 50-word statements and a tagline.

(more…)

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Posted in Branding, Broadreach | No Comments »

Four Things to Watch as Media Outlets Change

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Sometime early next week, Maine’s largest media company will change hands and start working under new leadership.

Now, I don’t have any special insight into what the new owners have planned for the company currently known as Blethen Maine, even though I worked there for many years. Few people — other than the new editor and publisher, Richard Connor – do know precisely what direction his MaineToday Media Inc. will take these outlets.

But those of us who are responsible for communicating client messages should pay close attention to what kind of news and information the new management group chooses to focus upon. (more…)

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Posted in Broadreach, Traditional Media | No Comments »

Don’t Get Drunk on Social Media

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Social media is like a cocktail party. That was an intriguing metaphor discussed by Rob Landry of Pemaquid Communications, a Portland Web design studio, during a recent Maine Public Relations Council seminar.

The comparison is spot-on in all the particulars that Rob talked about – and in another couple crucial ways that didn’t come up.

The idea, of course, is that social media is not a monologue like the one that has taken place between traditional media and the public. Instead, social media is a conversation, where the most popular participants are witty, interesting and helpful.

(more…)

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Posted in Broadreach, social media | No Comments »

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