After 600+ posts, I feel that I’ve honed my voice. Of course, that doesn’t mean that every post hits the mark (or even gets horse-shoe close).
Still, I’ve strived to apply the same counsel we share with clients: Offer fresh takes that help those in communications.
As far as what constitutes the “best,” it’s a mashup of my subjective grade and number of views.
Here goes —
- Removing the Tension from the Budweiser Puppy Love Video (Literally). The classic story arc only takes shape if bad stuff happens. No bad stuff? No drama. You can quote me on that. By taking liberties with the Budweiser Puppy Love video in my storytelling workshops, I can show the video with tension:
And what happens to the same video when I remove the bad stuff?
Spoiler alert: The tension dissipates.
- Publications Continue to Characterize Brand Journalism as “The Devil Wears a Keyboard:” If one believes the FT, brand journalism is ruining Western civilization. The same FT story correlates the growth of the PR profession with journalists struggling to make a fair wage and periodically enjoying a soft-serve yogurt with sprinkles. Naturally, I had to say something about the flawed dot-connecting.
- Mother’s Day Special: CEO Grills his Mom on the PR Profession: Doing my best imitation of Morley Safer on “60 Minutes,” I peppered my mom with questions about the PR profession. Even without media training, she acquitted herself quite well though we don’t plan to diversify into food PR.
- Omnicom and Publicis Finally Agree on a Message: We’re Done! I thought this transaction was ill-conceived from the get-go. What I didn’t anticipate was the irony of the people behind the messaging morphing into the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. This headline gets my vote for the best of the year.
- Analysis of Google’s Own Blogging Practices Settles the Question Once and for All: Is Guest Posting Kosher? I thought this post would generate more traction. Given that guest posting serves as one of PR’s bread-and-butter tactics and that Google’s own Matt Cutts comes out with a caveat emptor position on the tactic, I figured it would be revealing to see how Google itself treats guest posting. I was surprised by what the research showed.
I’ll publish the rest of the list on Wednesday.