Customer letter No. 3 from Toyota arrived on the scene today. Like the previous two – analyzed in “Open Letter to Toyota Customers Hits Pothole” and “Toyota’s Second Letter to Customers Stays on the Road,” this letter was published in major dailies and on the company’s Web site. Unfortunately, the third time was not a …more
I skewered Toyota earlier in the week in the post “Open Letter to Toyota Customers Hits Pothole.” Instead of addressing the issue head on, Toyota started the letter harking back to its 50-year heritage. The narrative went downhill from there. I don’t think Toyota was particularly proud of the letter either given it’s no longer …more
It’s standard practice for journalists to put a “face” on a crisis. It’s called humanizing the story. Which brings me back to the Toyota debacle which I addressed yesterday in the post “Open Letter to Toyota Customers Hits Pothole.” As you would expect, the reporters crafting follow-on stories to the Toyota crisis are indeed striving …more
You know the Toyota debacle has reached a new low when it snares Steve Wozniak. And Woz’s issue isn’t even with the sticking gas pedal (the darn cruise control was malfunctioning). I think it’s fair to say the timing for this celebrity endorsement isn’t ideal. To ensure the “we-care” message reaches the masses, Toyota crafted …more
The Wall Street Journal recently kicked off an advertising campaign. An anchor ad caught my attention, which you can see below (note we took liberties with the typeface to improve legibility of the scan). View a larger version here. Notice anything about the body copy? There’s no mention of the “B” word. Maybe they expect …more
I’m tired of reading how American students lag behind their international counterparts on the academic front. Johnny can’t write. Johnny can’t add. Johnny can’t spell. Even The Wall Street Journal has piled on with an article which highlights that only 23 percent of the 2009 high school graduates taking the ACT admissions test have the skills to succeed …more
We associate the “sound bite” with television. Capture your idea in an entertaining 20 seconds and increase the likelihood of making the 11 p.m. news. The same concept exists in print journalism. At the risk of oversimplifying, given a choice between dull or exciting, reporters will take exciting every time. One of my all-time favorite …more
The appeal of reality TV shows such as American Idol is undeniable. As the judges kibitz and trade barbs on who gets a pass to Hollywood, it’s the fact that we don’t know what will happen next that draws us in. And it’s what keeps so many people watching to the bitter end. You can …more
This is a story within a story. A journalist named Paige Williams had the story. She just needed a publication to publish the story, a not-so-minor detail. After multiple rejections and finally selling the piece to The New York Times, only to have the opportunity go south, she took matters into her own hands. Specifically, …more
