(The following post originally ran Nov. 21, 2007, and has become a holiday tradition of sorts. For those who have read it before, please pardon the repetition — and for those who are reading it for the first time, I hope it serves as a reminder of what this holiday, and being human, is allContinue reading “A Thanksgiving Story Worth Repeating”
Category Archives: PR & Marketing
PR Industry: Fall Back, or Spring Forward
My relationship with PRSA – the Public Relations Society of America – goes back to 1994 when I first got into the business. As a journalist, I belonged to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and was even president of the University of Missouri chapter, so I was no stranger to trade organizations. Both groupsContinue reading “PR Industry: Fall Back, or Spring Forward”
There is No Social Media
Media is social. Conversation is social. Conversation is permanent. Technology is not conversation. A blog is technology. A blogger is not. Bloggers are not impressions. Bloggers can be influential. Bloggers are people. People are media. People are social. All media is social. There is no social media.
Social Media: Destination Unknown
Way back in early 1990, I spent several weeks preparing a long Sunday piece on the death penalty in California. It was my best work in my then still nascent print journalism career, a story that would make people think. This was ultimate power, at least to a writer. But when a copy desk editorContinue reading “Social Media: Destination Unknown”
The Permanent Conversation
“The truth is you never see it coming. The improbable moves us forward.” – Linda Zimmer, August 2007 In the First Web Era – that period loosely defined as after NCSA Mosaic and before MySpace – technology was highly visible. The narrative of the Internet, the Web, the dreaded “information superhighway,” was a tale ofContinue reading “The Permanent Conversation”
The End of “Viral” — I hope
I try to make promises I can keep. This is why my daughter never got for a pony – I figure the decision will either build character for later or help her land a book deal about her horrible childhood, which is cool with me as long as she pays for my retirement (can’t countContinue reading “The End of “Viral” — I hope”
We Are the Firemen
In May 1993 – the exact date and time escape me – my inner world, the one where thoughts are born, developed and processed, lost its ability to be silent. I since have lived with constant noise, the result of a tumor that, in an ironic nod to God’s comic grace, left me deaf inContinue reading “We Are the Firemen”
Stop Measuring Social Media
Think about your most important relationships. They might be your spouse, your kids, your parents and your friends. Maybe it’s that teacher from high school who inspired you, or the co-worker who took you under his or her wing. Now try to put a numerical value on those relationships. Seriously, see if you can. ThenContinue reading “Stop Measuring Social Media”
Facebook is the New Corporate Intranet (and Other Things I Want to Mention but Would Rather Not Discuss)
Glenn Beck is an Insensitive Prick – Beck told his national radio audience that “a handful of people who hate America are losing their homes in a forest fire today,” referring to the wildfires that started in Malibu. First of all, one of those people, Steve Dark, is a conservative who loves America and goesContinue reading “Facebook is the New Corporate Intranet (and Other Things I Want to Mention but Would Rather Not Discuss)”
Looking Ahead: Content is Where You Are
AS BOTH A CHILD OF and practitioner in the modern “we’ve got you surrounded” age of media, nothing should surprise me. I’m used to message bombardment, from traditional sources like television and radio to more non-traditional sources like shopping cart handles, airport security trays and strategically placed tattoos. Even O.J. Simpson getting arrested again isn’tContinue reading “Looking Ahead: Content is Where You Are”
Gary Goldhammer -- Strategic storytelling for brands, organizations and executives 