How Atlas Obscura wins readers with best-in-class Journalism
Every day I visit a variety of websites – some good, some bad and some a mixed bag. There are extremes of good and bad writing, and what is interesting is the thinking underlying the contents provided on these sharply contrasting websites, and the backstory of how the sites came to exist. A site that is […]
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 […]
Getting away from bad news
Up in Arms About Ads 7 Samsung commercial #1 – “Commitment to Quality” There is a TV commercial that made me laugh out loud it is so outrageously self-serving. It has exactly the opposite effect on me that the advertiser probably wanted. It is for Samsung, called “Commitment to Quality”. It looks like a dramatization of the tests that Samsung […]
Check your connotations – who knows how your brand name’s been used
Some mistakes in advertising are pretty obvious, and probably due to the product owner or agency not knowing any better or taking a fat chance. But there are cases of carelessness that you would not expect from large and prestigious advertising agencies. In the case of Kellogg, the ad agency for the advertising campaign for their Frosted […]
The politics of photo shoots
In this photo of British Prime Minister, Theresa May, facing the press with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, at the recent G20 Summit, you can see very clearly the politics of the moment reflected in their outfits and their body language. Note Mrs. May’s bent head, half-smile, distracted hand gestures and legs in an “ankle-lock”. Note Mr. Putin’s […]
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 […]
All sorts of lies – how to recognize and avoid them
There are things one really, really should avoid when doing marketing or social media. They are obvious, but unfortunately, most people think they are so obvious they need not even think about them. One of them is lying. You know, that old-fashioned thing you were told not to do when you were a child. Lying is basically a […]
