Comments on: This Was the Week that Was about Writing http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2007/08/24/this-was-the-week-that-was-about-writing/ Brian Fuller's blog on the state of media and communications Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:03:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Brian http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2007/08/24/this-was-the-week-that-was-about-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Brian Fri, 31 Aug 2007 22:52:00 +0000 http://brian-fuller.com/blog/?p=153#comment-87 My brief experience in PR was instructive: some of the agency's clients occasionally <i> demanded </i> bad writing -- replacing the specific with the vague, adding boilerplate they knew would be excised, etc. <br/><br/>I've never attended a business school, but it seems to me that among today's businessmen and -women there is a very common lack of understanding of advertising, marketing, and PR. My brief experience in PR was instructive: some of the agency’s clients occasionally demanded bad writing — replacing the specific with the vague, adding boilerplate they knew would be excised, etc.

I’ve never attended a business school, but it seems to me that among today’s businessmen and -women there is a very common lack of understanding of advertising, marketing, and PR.

]]> By: Lou Covey http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2007/08/24/this-was-the-week-that-was-about-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-86 Lou Covey Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:17:00 +0000 http://brian-fuller.com/blog/?p=153#comment-86 I think the problem with the state of writing in the PR world is more the concept that "the customer is always right" more than the lack of talent to write well. this is especially true in the world of technology.<br/><br/>When creating copy for clients, I will follow the rules of Strunk and White, AP press guide and every lesson I ever learned in J school about how to create a lead (or as the old-timers spell "lede.") Yet, nine times out of 10, the client will rewrite the lead to include the positioning phrase "a leader in..." while taking out all the informational news and replacing it with "messages."<br/><br/>And in the end, that's what has to go out, because "the customer is always right."<br/><br/>Before we can change the quality of writing in technology journalism, we have to take the marketing out of the hands of the engineering division and put it in the hands of trained communicators. It would also help if instead of sending marketing, nee engineering personnel to MBA school, we need to send them back to school for basic education in communcations.<br/><br/>What you could do directly is transfer your curriculum at B&O from internal training to external training for your clients. Training PR people is treating the symptom, not the disease. I think the problem with the state of writing in the PR world is more the concept that “the customer is always right” more than the lack of talent to write well. this is especially true in the world of technology.

When creating copy for clients, I will follow the rules of Strunk and White, AP press guide and every lesson I ever learned in J school about how to create a lead (or as the old-timers spell “lede.”) Yet, nine times out of 10, the client will rewrite the lead to include the positioning phrase “a leader in…” while taking out all the informational news and replacing it with “messages.”

And in the end, that’s what has to go out, because “the customer is always right.”

Before we can change the quality of writing in technology journalism, we have to take the marketing out of the hands of the engineering division and put it in the hands of trained communicators. It would also help if instead of sending marketing, nee engineering personnel to MBA school, we need to send them back to school for basic education in communcations.

What you could do directly is transfer your curriculum at B&O from internal training to external training for your clients. Training PR people is treating the symptom, not the disease.

]]> By: Island Mike http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2007/08/24/this-was-the-week-that-was-about-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Island Mike Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:43:00 +0000 http://brian-fuller.com/blog/?p=153#comment-85 BF<br/>First of all, congrats on your new job. <br/><br/>It is not an insignificant occurrence in the context of your most recent post. I firmly believe all PR professionals should cut their teeth first in journalism, if for no other reason than to see first hand what life on the other side is like, but more importantly to learn how to write in a compelling way that influences the audience we purport to target in PR. You chose to stay around longer than most, and I am sure that experience will serve you well in your new role<br/><br/>As significant, your departure from CMP speaks volume about the state of the traditional B2B media business today, and I can only imagine that a vision for a new way of communicating will be foremost on your agenda at B&O. I look forward to watching it all unfold. <br/><br/>In the meantime. enjoy what's left of the Giant's season, even if it really ended months ago.<br/><br/>Red Sox Nation BF
First of all, congrats on your new job.

It is not an insignificant occurrence in the context of your most recent post. I firmly believe all PR professionals should cut their teeth first in journalism, if for no other reason than to see first hand what life on the other side is like, but more importantly to learn how to write in a compelling way that influences the audience we purport to target in PR. You chose to stay around longer than most, and I am sure that experience will serve you well in your new role

As significant, your departure from CMP speaks volume about the state of the traditional B2B media business today, and I can only imagine that a vision for a new way of communicating will be foremost on your agenda at B&O. I look forward to watching it all unfold.

In the meantime. enjoy what’s left of the Giant’s season, even if it really ended months ago.

Red Sox Nation

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