How “Carmilla” Helped Kill Off the 30-Second Ad
The backstory of the Carmilla Movie is very interesting. Never heard of that film? You can say that the Carmilla phenomenon is part of the developments in the ad industry that have led to the final demise of the traditional 30-second TV ad. Consider this: On the largest video platforms, like YouTube, viewers have to be able […]
The secret of the perfect interview: Mike Wallace’s Chemistry of Confidentiality
Mike Wallace was a long-serving, multi-award-winning journalist reporting on the CBS program, 60 Minutes. Recently CBS aired Jeff Fager looks back on 50 years of “60 Minutes”, which contained a memorable moment from Wallace where he really hit the nail on the head about how to get the perfect interview. His secret was what he called […]
Don’t proofraed your own stuff – and here’s why.
I agree with all the above advice from David Ogilvy on how to write anything actually – but definitely how to write business contents. I particularly agree with points 7 and 8: Never send a letter or memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning, then edit it. If it […]
An utter embarrassment to the “profession”
I think it’s a stretch to call marketing and public relations (PR) people (including me), “professionals”. That’s my opinion, based on the fact that there are no barriers to entering the occupation, and anyone can say they do marketing or public relations. Some employers expect their marketing people to have a university degree or professional accreditation, […]
Shock tactics, like shocks, only work for a short time
At the two-day International Metal Writer’s Conference that ended on 29 May 2017, I listened to Paul Harris whose stone-cold sober talk showed the chops of a seasoned, and trained, journalist. He knew why he wrote, how to get the story, and how to get it straight. In an industry “…in which many people are paid […]
What to look for in mining projects: Location, location, location – and people
At the two-day International Metal Writer’s Conference that ended on 29 May 2017, Paul Harris, Editor Latin America for the trade publication Mining Journal, spoke about “projects that catch a mining journalist’s eye”. He discussed projects that may be attractive to investors, but also which factors are the most important in assessing the potential of […]
Here’s to the Long Read and why we need it
Seth Godin is currently one of the smartest people writing about the ad industry, media and communications. He does not think about the technicalities of these things as much as he ponders the philosophy of work and business. That’s why I have a feed from his blog on this website. A recent post of his was […]
Oh to be like Ogilvy!
David Ogilvy was (is) the Great Guru of Advertising, The Man, He Who Should Be Obeyed. What I know of the advertising industry I probably got from him, directly or indirectly. He died on July 21, 1999, aged 88. We, the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Marketing youngsters who thought advertising was easy and good for all sorts of […]
Sex sells, even in mining – but take a closer look
The executives of Toronto-based junior miner KWG Resources (Canadian Securities Exchange: KWG) have published a video which attracted quite some attention. One, no. 23 in a series of more than 28 videos called the “Mining Minute”, has featured two women wearing short shorts and cropped tops, making light chat about KWG’s mining projects, in the setting of a lakeside cabin. […]
Just desserts – When a lie turns into a scandal
When I wrote about the disastrous results of lying, particularly when lying to the public, the Ryan Lochte “robbery” incident had not yet occurred at the Rio Olympics. How the story developed and what the results were, simply prove yet again; do not lie, the truth will come out and things will get messy. Just […]
