You Hold the Heart of the Story

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

To a journalist, you’re a ‘source.’

That means that you bring insight, information and the human touch to a story. But to craft your message so that you bring the most value — to the story itself and for your own branding purposes — you need to understand what kind of source you are.

This video by Michele Weldon, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School, breaks it down. You might bring the facts and figures that form the structure of the story. You might bring the ‘big picture’ point of view that provides context. You might bring a personal point of view or meaning that makes the story relevant to readers. Be prepared to bring all three.

Has Anyone Heard of You?

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

Don’t believe your mother: Your work doesn’t speak for itself. Cultivating your reputation depends on one thing: what others think. Here are three ways to juice word-of-mouth:

Support others’ reputations on social media. Like them and they’ll like you back. Can you cash ‘likes’ at the bank? No. But people are more likely to do business with folks they know, and when your positive reputation precedes you, that’s one less obstacle to building rapport.
Comment on others’ blogs and on articles at well-read publications in your industry and in your profession. Then you can post links to the original work as well as your comment. You’ve affiliated with someone whose point of view you admire. That reflects well on you.
Be responsive to journalists, even when you are starting with stories that have local reach. Journalists mine each others’ work for leads. Don’t underestimate the value of building local relationships.

Get started with your media outreach strategy with the tips in this Use the News article that just ran in American Building Today. See that? You’re more interested in reading more because you’re wondering what American Building Today ‘liked’ enough to publish. That’s how it’s done!

The Editor Who Said, ‘No Comment’

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

Oh, if only what was good for the goose was served up for the gander.

Sources — people interviewed by reporters and then quoted by them in news stories — are always concerned that their comments are quoted accurately. But you’d certainly think that a newspaper editor would be the last person to serve up a ‘no comment’ when the microphones and cameras turned on him.

Yet, that’s precisely what occurred when the fabulously monikered Ossie Sheddy was asked by another newspaper’s reporter about a plaigarism investigation. Sheddy is the president of the board of the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association. A member of its board lost his job amid the discovery of serial plagiarism.

According to The Telegram, Sheddy rolled out his defense thusly:

“I don’t give quotes for fear of being misquoted,” he said. When pressed by The Telegram about why the president of the association wouldn’t say if it plans to investigate — and whether his refusal to be interviewed suggests a lack of confidence in newspaper reporting — Sheddy, the editor and publisher of the Drumheller Mail, said, “I’m not saying anything more because of what I had just told you. I can’t say anything about newspaper reporting or confidence in it. I can only say I have confidence in my newspaper reporting, not about anybody else’s.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the profession. But Sheddy’s shyness does underscore how fear can derail an opportunity to connect with key audiences through media interviews. Sheddy could have used his opportunity to simply reinforce the importance of journalism ethics. He could have emphasized the trustworthiness of the association’s publications, especially given the swift boot given the transgressing editor. At the very least, shy Sheddy could have made a statement about the importance of community newspapers — that, after all, comprise the association he leads — as vital communication channels.

Instead, he undermined confidence in all those things. If an editor can’t count on being quoted accurately, who can?

VC’s Invest in Conversation

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

They might be late to the party, but venture capitalists are determined to make the most of their newfound appreciation for working with the media.

Historically, VC’s have preferred to wield their influence and spend their millions quietly in the background. But according to the New York Times, the success of Andreessen Horowitz has been an eye-opener. Great deals pivot not just on who has the most money to shell out, but also on who has the greatest reach and clout. Reach and clout are amplified by reputation. And reputation doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Here is some Media Skills advice for publicity-hungry VC’s:

Explain it to your grandma. Short, sweet, and simple: that’s how to explain your point of view to the public without being condescending.

Work against type. The public doesn’t think that you’re called a ‘vulture capitalist’ for nothing. Infuse your messaging with mission and show how your investment priorities make the world a better place for everyone. You’ll be memorable and believable.

Get everyone on the same page. The firms you invest in, your staff and your communication advisors: get everyone on board with the same methodology for identifying, framing and delivering messages. That will streamline your messaging and conversations and ensure productive collaboration.

Reputation ROI

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

What others think of your brand can cost you.

Echo Research just released its annual “Reputation Dividend” report, finding that corporate reputation added $3.19 billion to the market capitalization of the Fortune 500. The ‘reputation dividend’ wasn’t enjoyed by all; Apple’s value is enhanced by 58% by its popularity, while Sears’ shaky image has eroded 39% from its value, according to the Echo analysis.

Echo helpful provides a rundown of the most important factors that drive and support corporate reputation. This amounts to a handy priority list for those who manage conversations. Echo’s top three factors are:

Value of the company as a long term investment
Quality of the company’s goods and services
Global competitiveness

A strong messaging methodology will ensure that everyone engaging in conversations on behalf of the company can reinforce the company’s most important reputation drivers. It’s not enough to understand the building blocks of a reputation that supports corporate value: it’s up to chief communication officers to translate those to a plan — and to put that plan into action.

The Power of Positive

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

“If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that.” — Barack Obama

“I’m not worried about poor people.” — Mitt Romney

This is not a blog post about negative campaigning. It’s not about the frightening power of digital viral communications, which can rip a quote from its context like a sapling in a tornado. And it’s not about…gee, why don’t I quit telling you what it’s not about and start telling you what it is about?

The power of positive messaging is about more than being upbeat and hopeful. It’s also a smart strategy for avoiding misquotes.

Say what is.

Not what it isn’t.

It’s that simple. It’s too easy for a negative statement to be pulled out of context. And for negative statements, context is all. For example, here’s the greater context of Obama’s now-infamous quote:

“Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that.”’

Recast this as: ““Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you built it as part of a community. We are all invested in your business, and your business is invested in your community. “

Totally different. And any single sentence could be pulled out as an accurate representative quote.

Always spot on, Peggy Noonan makes a related point in her Wall St. Journal column: “Mr. Obama was trying to conflate a nice thought — we must help each other — with a partisan and ideological one, that government has and needs more of a role in creating personal success. He did not do it well because his approach was, as it often is, accusatory and vaguely manipulative. Which makes people lean away from him, not toward him.”

In other words, backing into a comment is confusing. And offputting. So go positive.

How to Avoid Mitt-in-Mouth Disease

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

You’d think that Mitt Romney would have a virtual Ph.D. in strategic communication and messaging. Just look at all the messages he has had to deliver over the years: wins and losses in business, sports and politics.

But he has a chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease — which makes me wonder if he really has gotten top-quality media training after all.

Here’s Mitt as quoted in a recent Peggy Noonan column in the Wall St. Journal:

“All great political families have myths, stories they tell themselves about how history happened. The great story about Mr. Romney’s father, George, is that one word—”brainwashed”—did in his presidential candidacy in 1968. People have hypothesized that Mitt is careful with words and statements, that he edits his thoughts too severely, because of the power of that myth.

“I don’t think my father’s comment figures into my thinking at all,” he says. It’s his own mistakes “that make me want to kick myself in the seat of my pants,” that “cause me to try and be a little more careful in what I say. . . . I’ve had a couple of those during the campaign, which have haunted me a little bit, but I’m sure before this is over will haunt me a lot.”

Asked for an example, he mentions “I like to be able to fire people.” He meant, he says, those, such as health-insurance companies, that provide inadequate services. “I have to think not only about what I say in a full sentence but what I say in a phrase.” In the current media environment, “you will be taken out of context, you’ll be clipped, and you’ll be battered with things you said.” He says it is interesting that “the media always says, ‘Gosh, we just want you to be spontaneous,’ but at the same time if you say anything in the wrong order, you’re gonna be sorry!”

Mitt’s comment about ‘being spontaneous’ makes me think that he’s trying to memorize messages and simply unload his script at the right moment. That’s not how to navigate a media interview. Reporters know a prepackaged quote when they hear one. What they want are comments that are both substantive and quotable.

Memorization doesn’t work because an interview or conversation inevitably drifts off-point. That, Mitt, is why you need to learn how to stay on-message even when you’re off script.

Be a Quote Machine

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

Rosalie Mandel, a partner with accounting firm Rothstein Kass, mentors lots of young women. She has honed her message about discerning the difference between a mentor and a sponsor to a standard line. And that’s just the line that reporter Julie Steinberg of FINS, the Wall St. Journal financial news channel, needed for a comprehensive story on how women can advance.

Here’s the story excerpt: Mentors are important for giving you guidance on your career. Sponsors are more critical because they’re the ones banging on the table to bring you on for a new job or assignment.

Accordingly, you must treat them differently. Rosalie Mandel, a principal at accounting firm Rothstein Kass, recommends telling your mentor the good, the bad and the ugly and telling your sponsor only the good.

“The sponsor has heavy political capital and can place you into your next slot,” she said. “The mentor needs to know everything about you so they can help you grow and guide you.”

Rosalie delivered a succinct sentence that clarified a confusing issue. I worked with her to identify this key message and ensure a smooth, compelling delivery. Rosalie’s advice works in real life, and that’s why it worked for the story.

When Buzzwords Sting

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Joanne Cleaver

When you’re framing a message for a media interview, you want to sound smart and in the know.

But do you want to sound like a cliche in the making?

Probably not. That’s why it’s wise to avoid buzzwords, even those swarming around your profession. As reported in May in the Wall St. Journal, people use buzzwords not to show what they know, but to signal to others already in their circle that they’re hip to what’s new.

Not sure if a term you are thinking of using is a buzzword or a universally understood term? Use the grandma filter: Would your grandma know what you are talking about? If not, dejargonize your message with plain, simple language that everyone can understand — even those in your clique.

Buzzwords Can Sting