Ragan Report, August 18, 1997

Back to basics, strategists!

Would it be rude to suggest that editors take a basic readability test?

How often does the technology-savvy, strategy-minded modern corporate communicator query employees about whether they can understand the writing? In a conversation on the PR/Marketing Forum, a communicator admits, 'A few years ago I got the shock of my life when I started using focus groups to test the copy/writing. Something that I suspected for a long time was confirmed. The target audience for the most part did not understand what was being written. However, it was not a problem with 'legal-type' language, it was a problem with simple communication. Even the focus groups that were made up of attorneys did not really comprehend very well. . Since then, I started writing in a 'newspaper' style. Newsprint journalists write the way they do for a reason: To be understood. It's a great model to learn from and I've seen a much better focus group rating on the communications written in this style. Now . what kind of commentary is this in our business communications? . I've pretty much concluded that the real sophistication is making communications non-sophisticated.'

Of course, doublespeak is still one of the big faults of corporate communications. Did everybody read the Aug. 3 New York Times column written by corporate communicators Brian Edwards and Don Hunt, where they talk about how companies announce executive firings? Their search of wire services revealed 242 references to executives having 'resigned to pursue' other opportunities in the last 18 months. 'But 'C.E.O.' appeared with the word 'fired' just twice,' write Edwards and Hunt, 'and those were public utilities discussing coal-fired plants.'

There's been lots of talk in the mainstream press about the virtues of cubicles vs. closed offices. There are good arguments on both sides (office-boosters claim privacy is key to productivity, and cubicle-nuts say collaboration is king), but there are few arguments more consistent than that of Intel, which was written up in the CyberTimes: 'Intel has no executive dining rooms, no reserved parking spaces and no exceptions to the cubes-for-all policy. Because of growth, the crowding at the company's headquarters has increased, so cube sizes have shrunk recently, including the one occupied by Andrew Grove, Intel's chairman and chief executive. 'It was done to maintain the consistency of egalitarian standards,' said Patricia Murray, vice president for human resources. 'If the rank-and-file has to do with less temporarily, so do the executives. There's no mahogany row at Intel.''

A diversity war story gleaned from a reader: It seems a major downsizing at the firm has everybody scared for their jobs, including the diversity director. Despite the fact that the downsizing has eliminated many minority and female managers who had been hired or promoted as part of a big diversity initiative a few years ago, the diversity director continues to paint a rosy picture. 'She actually reported at her manager's meeting,' confides our source, 'that an upper management team of all white men in their late 50s is extremely diverse because they have different life experiences (yep, one served 30 years in the Army and the other 35 years in the Navy and one has all his hair while another doesn't and so on and so on).' Readers, keep these gems coming.

'The Future of Spin' was the subject of a July 21 speech by Edelman Public Relations Worldwide CEO Richard Edelman. In the course of his talk (given at the Media Relations '97 Forum in Chicago), Edelman brought up an idea for the future of crisis communication: 'Let's assume you are General Motors and Dateline has slammed the safety of your cars. ...How to fight back? Create your own story in a credible way and have it out the next morning on your own outlet, then tell the traditional media where and how to find it. You take up the pen yourself and fight back. How would this work? You know the negative piece is going to happen. You are prepared with footage because you have insisted upon having your own cameras on site while NBC does its interviews. You have stock footage available of your manufacturing process and your marketing procedures. You have taped third parties who can testify to the safety of your product. You watch the Dateline piece, film a response by your CEO and head of manufacturing, assemble a piece and put it up on your home page by midnight. You send media alerts to all print and broadcasting outlets, challenging the essence of the Dateline show, telling them where to find the material on the Web. You offer one-on-one interviews to the morning shows, then follow up with the business press during the day to assure there is no snowball effect.' Edelman claims the online video technology will be there for his 'Response TV' idea within 18 months. For the rest of the speech, call Edelman: 312-240-3000.

Considering a corporate communications reorg? Gulf Power just reorganized its department 'around processes whereas before we were organized around audiences,' reports communications manager John Hutchinson. Here's how it works now: Communications Services handles printing, mail, a/v, photography, and video production. Creative Services does writing, publications, media relations, employee communications, marketing communications, and Web site management. Public Affairs handles governmental affairs administration, community relations, customer forums, charitable contributions, etc. And advertising does . well, advertising (and sponsorships). Each group has its own head; a project coordinator works with all groups, and manager Hutchinson oversees the whole operation. Hutchinson: One Energy Place, Pensacola, FL 32520-0601)

Boston PR man Norman Birnbach landed a funny piece on The Wall Street Journal's editorial page. He advises business people how to tell if they're obsessed by work: 'You and your spouse craft a mission statement before starting a family'; 'You refer to your in-laws as 'target-audiences-in-law' or keeping up with your neighbors as 'benchmarking the Joneses.'' His advice on how to bring balance to your life: 'Don't refer to vacations as 'retreats,' 'team building,' 'shareholders' meetings' or a 'good opportunity for face time''; and 'Don't refer to living together as 'due diligence,' a planned marriage as 'an impending merger' or a 'strategic alliance,' signing the marriage license as 'finalizing the paperwork,' separation as a 'possible spin-off' or a divorce as a 'deacquisition, to be followed by a repositioning in the marketplace.''

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