Start by boasting. Use lots of jargon. Have a dull 40-word first paragraph. All sure-fire ways to emasculate a powerful marketing tool
In my second advertising job I was suddenly told to start a public relations division. I knew nothing about the discipline and lasted just under 8 months.
A shame, because PR is immensely powerful. That’s because people believe what seems to be unbiased editorial, but naturally distrust ads, which they know are biased.
But there is little or no chance anyone will read, let alone be influenced by the bucket of literary slops that follows, for reasons I shall explain in case you can’t spot them instantly.
Even if people struggle past the interminably boring first paragraph, the second, just to make sure, is one word longer.
It all comes under the heading David Ogilvy called “flatulent puffery”.
Of course, you may disagree; this is just my opinion. But I believe the only people who run this kind of stuff are trade journals nobody reads that have lots of space to fill.
Press Release – 19th March 2014
Award winning communications agency Realia Marketing places NEXUS firmly at the centre of Intelligent Engineering proposition
Award winning communications agency, Realia Marketing has developed a new brand proposition for NEXUS IE – a UK engineering company dedicated to delivering best in class advice, service and support in the realisation, manufacture and continuous improvement of complex manufacturing equipment.
The new business brand, born out of the award winning automation specialist GB Innomech, was developed by Realia to target design houses, research & development and project engineering departments that need complex equipment build, testing, installation, training, servicing and support services.
The Realia team facilitated a number of planning workshops, where the brand proposition Intelligent Engineering was created. The name NEXUS, marque, website and other collateral quickly followed. Realia is now supporting NEXUS IE with public relations and social media as the business looks to rapidly expand on its current client portfolio.
“I’m really happy with the work Realia has delivered for us” commented Julie Dean, Managing Director. “They quickly understood what we were trying to achieve and delivered a cost effective and compelling brand plan for the new business. The brand name NEXUS in my mind perfectly captures the connected, focused way we approach every project.”
“This project has been an absolute pleasure to work on” commented Realia Director, Paul Williamson. “The team at NEXUS have been extremely positive about the brand challenge and together I am really proud of what has been achieved so far. I’m looking forward to working with them to help them achieve their future business objectives.”
To find out more about NEXUS IE, and view the Realia designed branding, please visit the website etc.
Then there is lots more jargon about the agency, which is – you will not be surprised to know – “award-winning”, a phrase used twice in the first two paragraphs, but without the hyphen. That says more about awards than the recipients.
I suggest whoever wrote all that hurry off to http://www.alexsingleton.com/the-pr-masterclass/. Quick, before it’s too late.
I don’t think it has anything to do with whether people read it or not.
A few years ago I wrote plenty of junk articles for an online marketing company. Their strategy was to dupe Google and his buddies. It worked, back then.
Whether anybody liked the articles was beside the point.
I think that’s often what’s behind this type of thing. Whether it’s of any quality, and whether anyone will read it, is about as relevant as a radar system is to Flight MH370.
The fact that it’s out there duping someone is what matters.
Hi Drayton
Thanks for your appraisal of our release – for you to have read and blogged about our recent success is appreciated.
Your comments caused some upset with the more loyal members of the team but once I reassured them that you were once a great agency man and not a former cricket umpire, their annoyance dissipated. I shall soon be sending you a further self serving release on our recent awards nominations – if you can give that a similar treatment it would be much appreciated!
Best regards
Paul
Very droll, Paul. And I will.
Just goes to show that given a little pique you can write like a normal human being.
Hi Drayton,
Your tone suggests I have ruffled a few of your feathers, for which I apologise. As someone who appears to revel in your own self-promotion surely you can forgive others who wish to do the same, although perhaps not quite so eloquently as you.
I will of course take on-board your helpful comments as, unlike some of my peer group, I do recognise that there is always more to learn in this wonderful business of ours and I do not know it all.
Best regards
Paul
Of course I’m all in favour of self-promotion, Paul. I was really just saying that if you want to do it, don’t start with two alarmingly indigestible sentences.