PR

With the recent downturn in the economy, basic staples are becoming difficult to afford. So are basic pens and pencils. Not to mention, basic rulers and Elmer’s glue. Recently, PlattForm’s Philanthropic Committee (a.k.a. “Team Phil”) teamed up Della Lamb to hold a company-wide school supply drive through early July.

Aptly titled “Operation Back-To-School,” the idea was to get nearly 50 backpacks filled with a wide assortment of school supplies to help low-income kids sponsored by Della Lamb charities.

“All of these items PlattForm donated are critical to starting each little kiddo off for a successful year of learning,” said Judy McGonigle Akers, Executive Vice President at Della Lamb. “These economic times are really hard right now for the working-poor … parents trying to stretch meager incomes against the rising cost of simple items. Your giving is exceptional!”

For the third year in a row, PlattForm organized the in-house school supply drive to help the nearly 800 kids sponsored by Della Lamb. PlattFormers from every department helped purchase a wide assortment of school items. According to Della Lamb, with PlattForm’s help, 2006 was the first year Della Lamb could provide every item on their back-to-school list to each of their clients. Items not only included school supplies, but new pairs of socks and underwear and personal grooming items as well. Subsequent years have been just as successful.

“These kids are going to start school much better prepared because of your generosity. They’re going to know that someone cared enough to include them,” said McGonigle Akers. “Once you’re on the receiving end of grace, you never forget it, and it affects everything you do from that day on.”

From crayons to compasses to Kleenex, PlattFormers were determined to make this the biggest and best school supply drive yet!

“We’re excited about the working relationship we’ve built with Della Lamb over the years,” said Team Phil Co-Chair Michael Mackie. “Since we’re in the career college marketing industry, we know how important the education process is. A school supply drive was a natural fit and a terrific win-win. We look forward to working with Della Lamb again in late 2008 for our annual holiday toy drive, ‘Operation Santa Claus’.”

For more information on Della Lamb or to volunteer, visit www.dellalamb.org

About PlattForm Advertising
PlattForm Advertising is a full-service agency specializing in interactive marketing and advertising for higher education. Boasting an internal creative staff of nearly 200 individuals, the Kansas City-based agency provides a number of student acquisition services including interactive lead generation; online marketing; search engine marketing; media placement; creative, print and video production; direct mail; and print media services. PlattForm Advertising is a division of Ad Venture Interactive.

Putting your best face forward can sometimes be difficult. You don’t know what people will think or say about you, and you don’t know if they’ll even like you. And possibly worst of all, something that is really exciting to you may be really boring to them.

The trick to this is to know your audience. Let’s say, for example, that I’m really into soup. I can’t get enough of the colors, the combinations and the names. (Minestrone just rolls right off the tongue, don’t ya think?) But I’m writing a press release to someone that could care less about soup, and all that they want to talk about is art. Now that you know your audience, how can you make soup exciting to them?

Andy Warhol’s famous tomato soup painting is one way. The painting, known as Campbell’s Soup Cans, was his first one-man gallery exhibition. It’s a significant piece for artists who have a special interest in pop art.

Now, it can be argued that Warhol could’ve become just as famous if he’d painted a giant bowl. But it could also be argued that for some reason, he chose to paint a can of soup – not a bowl. Other artists hadn’t thought of that yet.

When you’re trying to get people excited about a product or a service, learn about your audience with a little research, and then work on your message. What message might be more interesting for the Average Joe?

“In the 1960s, soup was hot, and not only in temperature. In 1962, artist Andy Warhol turned soup into a trend with his Campbell’s Soup Cans exhibit. And now, almost 50 years later, the folks at SoupShaloop are bringing soup back into style with they’re newest work of art, “Tomato Soupin’ It Up.”

OR

“Today, SoupShaloop announced its newest product, “Tomato Soupin’ It Up”, will hit supermarkets on March 1, 2008. The soup is a combination of the classic tomato soup, mixed with SoupShaloop’s trademarked onion spice.”

The first lead grabs the attention of a wide audience, art lovers and soup lovers alike. The second one may draw in supermarkets, other soup brands, or soup scholarly journals (if there were such a thing.)

So, whatever you’re promoting, remember your audience. If you know your audience is very limited and you’re okay with that, a simpler message is probably sufficient. But if you’re looking toward a much broader audience, you may have to get pretty creative. Think soup-and-art creative.

By Kate Curell

It’s hot outside. Hotter than doughnut grease, as the PR department likes to say. And as the dog-days of summer wrap up, I can’t help smiling. Don’t get me wrong – I like the summer. But I really dig the fall.

In the movie “You’ve Got Mail,” Tom Hanks’ character talks about sending a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils because the fall reminds him of going back to school. Plus, he really likes New York in the fall. The leaves changes colors, the weather cools down and there even seems to be a different smell in the air.

We’re getting ready to send out the newest issues of Career College Central and KEY magazines and I’m starting to get that feeling that fall is just around the corner. Working in publications gives me the chance to write about going back to school, instead of actually having to do it myself. In fact, this is the first fall in 18 years that I won’t be attending school. And now, I get to help others prepare for their futures, or for the futures of their students.

Every once in awhile, I have dreams that I forgot to turn in my final project, or that I slept through an exam. I read for pleasure now, about things I’m particularly interested in. I still love to learn, and I’ll never forget the feeling of taking the last final before the start of Christmas break.

I guess my point is that even though I’m not in school anymore, I’m never going to forget what it’s like to be a student, and I think fall will always remind me of backpacks and notebooks. In my job, though, this isn’t a bad thing. If I always remember what it feels like to be a student, I’ll understand what a student wants or needs in an education – and I’ll be able to write my articles to benefit the students and the schools.

So, the feeling you have about fall, Mr. Hanks, is mutual. You send me a bouquet of pencils, and I’ll send you a fresh batch of college-ruled notebook paper – and copies of the latest Career College Central and KEY magazines, of course.

A number of blogs blast PR professionals for making schmoes of themselves. They (meaning all PR people except those of us at PlattForm) manage to do this through every feasible job function a PR person can have. From small, one-person PR operations and charitable organizations to major corporations, it seems there’s no end to the stupidity in the PR profession.

Companies are called out for distributing poorly written press releases, making detailed story pitches to journalists’ voicemail boxes rather than the actual journalists, sending out bulk story pitches to the news media to INSERT NAME HERE rather than the individual journalist’s name, and so on.

You can see why we need scores of blogs dedicated to this. The people who commit these errors need to be made out to be the asses that they are, and in a very public way. I have found new inspiration in these blogs, though none actually offer up their own work scrutiny, and merely just offer suggestions and ridicule.

The PR division of PlattForm was developed to assist an entire sector of higher education that had mostly relied on executives with no PR backgrounds to promote the colleges. Some continue in that mentality. We have seen our fair share of releases that missed the mark, so rather than offering up our impressive work, I thought I’d tear down somebody else’s for a change.

Here is a poorly written press release distributed by a major university. All the names have been changed. See if you can guess why.

Katser Career College is pleased to announce that Dr. Mitch Reynolds, editor-in-chief of Psychology Journal, and Dr. Stacey Anderson, dean of Kinsman University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine and the first female dean of a veterinary school, will be the commencement speakers at the Katser Career College graduation ceremony on June 15.

Whoa! How many words can you stuff into one sentence? You guessed it: 54 words. We get a near-complete bio about who these people are, what they’ve accomplished in life, and an invitation (kind of) to an event in which they are participating. Plus, doesn’t the writer make this sound tremendously exciting? I can’t imagine spending my time covering any other story in the world after reading this.

Now, check out how PlattForm PR writes about an event to create reader interest (again, names are changed):

Creating memorable meals takes inspiration, perspiration and experimentation. Great chefs aren’t afraid to get out of the box. And, in some cases, they aren’t afraid to get out of the kitchen – chefs like Michael Midgley. The contestant on Bravo’s hit reality show Top Chef Season Two will be appearing as a guest speaker at the Institute of Technology.

Granted, this is about a much more exciting subject, but the other release never gives journalists a reason to be there.

PlattForm offers your company excitement, accurate and engaging writing, and an end to stupidity. We can get your event covered without making you or ourselves look like schmoes. Best wishes.

So, what’s the best part of the Monday morning Public Relations meetings? How about dating tips from none other than me, the company’s well-established family man. Back when I used to date (six years ago), it was a different dating environment. Still, I feel I have a lot to offer to my younger colleagues in the Quality Assurance department who sit in on our 10 a.m. rap sessions about ongoing projects.

Here’s what I sent out last week to an entire department of people without fear of judgment or care for my own corporate image – probably not the best personal PR move (this material has been slightly edited for public consumption):

Suffering is key in meeting the “right” person

Most of the people I know put too much emphasis on meeting the “right” person, like dating is some sort of means to an end. The thought seems to be that if you go on enough dates – if you put in your time – then suddenly that qualifies you to meet your soulmate. This is just fantasy.

Meeting someone happens only when you come to a place in your life when you stop searching, when you truly reach rock bottom and realize love has to find you. When your mind loses its ambition and changes its focus, whether you are cognizant of it or not … BANG, you find the person you were meant for. The key to reaching this psychological state is suffering (NOT JUST the sheer number of dates.)

So take on as many bad dates as possible. The girl whose friend you’d rather be dating … take her out. The (girl) with bad breath and who changes the stations on your car radio without asking … bring her dinner. The woman slightly older than you who thinks you look like Ricky Schroeder, which reminds her of some other guy she went to high school with who wouldn’t talk to her … as creepy as that might make you feel, accept her invitation for a drink.

Pile on the suffering. The more you feel bad about yourself, the greater your chances down the road. This is your life. This is your love. Suffer greatly and it will come.