Gregarious

Hi Greg. What a great blog post! You do a great jo...

2012-04-24T07:45:38.411-04:00

Hi Greg. What a great blog post! You do a great job of presenting a deeper, richer meaning of not only the Penn Relays, but also of personal commitment to excellence. I found your piece to be inspiring, especially the line that begins "And while I never competed as strongly or valiantly as I could or should have..." It makes me think about all those many times that I, as a writer, might have worked harder and with more spirit. Thanks for the thoughtful and insightful post.
-- Frank

I really like this article. I use Blogger myself b...

2012-04-03T13:09:04.262-04:00

I really like this article. I use Blogger myself because I didn't find WordPress to be as great as everyone says it was. I like the Google integration with Blogger as well.

The cost savings is enticing, but to be honest, it...

2012-02-16T15:51:11.372-05:00

The cost savings is enticing, but to be honest, it all sounds like a lot of work. I love the fact that I program my DVR once and have all of my shows waiting for me in one place.

Also, according to Comcast, the exodus of cable customers may be slowing, per an article in the Inquirer today: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20120216_Comcast_says_it_has_virtually_halted_the_drain_of_cable-TV_subscribers.html?nlid=4174153.

Rich and Greg, What a great post. Thank you for ma...

2012-01-03T18:24:45.749-05:00

Rich and Greg,
What a great post. Thank you for making some good reading to end one of my first days of 2012(aways loved Rich's writing).

I will reach out soon to update you on what I'm working on these days.

Fondly (oh and I killed the tomato plant :( )
Kate Berg

I agree, there is a lot of wisdom in those words, ...

2011-12-01T14:26:18.877-05:00

I agree, there is a lot of wisdom in those words, but none more significant than, "... perception is often just as important as performance." Also worth remembering is "businesses that communicate well enjoy a 30 percent higher value than those that fail to communicate effectively." Thanks for this post, Greg: it serves as a terrific refresher about the fundamental reasons why PR professionals must never forget what should be their mantra: Always tell a great story.

Great posting! I agree that Google+ greatly expan...

2011-11-15T19:39:18.471-05:00

Great posting! I agree that Google+ greatly expands the possibility to connect on many levels, and your analysis is wise and insightful. We need to steer clients to be deliberate and logical in their development of this powerful tool! Laura O'Hear Church

Enjoyed the presentation...especially liked the si...

2011-11-01T16:48:30.405-04:00

Enjoyed the presentation...especially liked the six out of the box ideas for changing the conversation.

Your post serves as a great blueprint of technique...

2011-10-11T10:38:30.547-04:00

Your post serves as a great blueprint of technique and strategy that would serve ANY media relations campaign well. Thank you.

Jobs' innovations bridged the generation gap. ...

2011-10-06T10:07:28.230-04:00

Jobs' innovations bridged the generation gap. Grandparents, parents and children often have divergent tastes in music, clothing, hangouts and more. But, the iPhone, the iPad, etc., have changed all of that. For me, I've seen family members approaching the age of 90 be able to connect with the digital world in a way that would not have been so easy for them without Jobs' creations. Just the same, my three year old son can use the same devices to listen to music and play games - operating them on his own. Unlike any other innovator, Jobs was able to transcend generational differences and preferences to have an impact on the way we live and play.

Hello Greg. What a great post. A fantastic primer ...

2011-10-02T20:30:32.330-04:00

Hello Greg. What a great post. A fantastic primer for newbies and a wonderful back-to-basics review for experienced writers. No writer, no matter how great, is immune from the occasional regress to lousier writing. I would have, however, liked to see something included about headlines or subject lines. Maybe that can be the subject of a future blog post. Thanks again.

Thanks for your comment, Candice. Regarding the i...

2011-09-28T12:15:48.573-04:00

Thanks for your comment, Candice. Regarding the impact, it's the question on the minds of a lot of marketers right now. Facebook has always has been about the user, so for now, we need to watch how the users react to the changes and how it affects their behavior. As more and more context comes to light around the sharing (reading, watching, etc.), these actions are sure to affect the buying decisions of consumers.

Great post. I am curious what the impact of the ne...

2011-09-27T22:42:56.528-04:00

Great post. I am curious what the impact of the new Facebook changes will have on marketers and PR pros!

This is spot on Greg! Netflix put themselves in a ...

2011-09-21T17:06:09.862-04:00

This is spot on Greg! Netflix put themselves in a precarious position, but responded fairly well so far. Though next time they should see if the twitter handle for their new brand/company is available - for a laugh go check out who Qwickster is on twitter. It’ll be interesting to see how they continue to communicate the narrative. And P.S. regarding the content limitations you believe Netflix to have … stick to evaluating the PR and forget about analyzing the business model.

Want to really bore people out of their skulls? Ho...

2011-09-15T10:46:46.914-04:00

Want to really bore people out of their skulls? How about a show about marathon runners and their training? Call it "Born to Run" or "Running on Empty" or some such cliche...Follow a group of folks training for an endurance event as they try to BQ, set a PR and/or reach their VO2 max, talk ad nauseum about their nutrition and injuries, and show clips of them running...and running...and running...and don't forget the ubiquitous Rocky soundtrack!

Anyone who can make Rick Santorum sweat is a frien...

2011-09-08T09:28:01.549-04:00

Anyone who can make Rick Santorum sweat is a friend of mine.

'Just the Glu-Ten of Us' Cut-throat contes...

2011-09-07T09:24:30.572-04:00

'Just the Glu-Ten of Us'
Cut-throat contestants of huskier frames compete to lose weight. The catch? They also have to ring the register. While attempting to shed pounds, contestants will create and sell delicious baked goods made with gluten from an upscale Milwaukee bakery. But, if they sample the sinful snacks, they're out. One contestant will win with the highest final total combining percentage of weight lost and revenue generated by his or her treats. High comedy, high drama, high fructose corn syrup.

'Comma Drama- True Stories of a Centre Daily Times Copy Editor'
Peer inside the riveting, complex world of copy editing within the walls of one of the world's most exciting newsrooms. At the Centre Daily Times, Donald Dixon is the man reporters most fear, and the man readers most trust. Take a look at how he scrubs, dissects and, yes, corrects every word, symbol and space in every story. With the enthusiasm of Sigfried and Roy and the eye of a CSI lab technician, this grammar nazi catches and edits every error in every story before it hits the Web- from spelling to spacing and even split infinitives.

'Haggis'- more of a sitcom
Follow the son of a Scottish immigrant as he attempts to take over his father's haggis-only butcher shop. With the help of his buddy and assistant Angus, 28 year old Bert is shooting for the success of his business... And his heart. But no telling what will be easiest, as his love interest is conservative WASP vegan. Much like his haggis, Bert's story is rife with dangerous elements.

Matt McLoughlin

Here's another idea - this one from my friend ...

2011-09-06T16:23:35.449-04:00

Here's another idea - this one from my friend David Parke:

I've been trying to get interest in my reality show "Crazy in Love", where a bunch of psychotic guys try to compete for the attention of a woman. The "twist" would be when half way through the season you take away their medications.

OY VEY!! A laugh out loud comedy! Join the Goldbe...

2011-09-01T19:44:21.507-04:00

OY VEY!! A laugh out loud comedy!

Join the Goldberg mishpokhe as they welcome home their pride and joy; their only son Abraham from his summer in Israel. Hilarity ensures as he greets his Orthodox mom and dad at the airport and proceeds to introduce them to his ham eating shikse fiancee. Tune in each week to see how the megile plays out and laugh along to lines like, "Mazol Tov! You're slowly killing your mother!" and "Only the Goyem!"

I've got two ideas for you ... 1. "Jerse...

2011-09-01T15:00:51.369-04:00

I've got two ideas for you ...

1. "Jersey Shore, PA: The Real Jersey Shore." Find out where the fist pump really originates. Think spray tans, tractors, and a whole lot of flannel. Featuring Jenny "Snacki" Smith, an overweight Sheetz employee; Kenny "K-Farm" Mills, the dairy farm owner with an identity crisis; and Sally "Last Call" Jones, the town's fishing champ who is a wannabe country star.

2. "Wawa- The Night Shift" A camera crew captures what goes on at Wawa during the night shift, from disgruntled workers, to the bakery delivery men and drunk college students who order buckets of mac and cheese and energy drinks. Nothing good happens past 2 am, unless you're at a Wawa.

"ladies of the plight" - you take weezy ...

2011-09-01T13:40:39.421-04:00

"ladies of the plight" - you take weezy (the jeffersons), mrs. garrett (facts of life), mrs keaton (family ties), and florida evans (good times) and have them all wax poetic about their glory years...like sex in the city meets depends.

Greg, I am about to make your day with six ideas. ...

2011-09-01T08:54:57.131-04:00

Greg, I am about to make your day with six ideas. You can give my gift card to Kevin Maher...

#1) "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Rupiah Edition" The plan is to make people think they are on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and give them a bunch of easy questions. The people get pumped when they are doing well and then when they win the million is turns out to be 1 million Rupiah which is about $120. Then we watch the shock on their faces. You have to sit through 40 minutes of TV for 10 seconds of awesome.

#2) "Subway Buskers" This show follows all of the crappy musicians on the subway in NYC. Then we watch the reactions people give them when they ask for money after the performance they never wanted. Who doesn't love bad music and then awkward responses? We would then get a tally before every commercial break of how our various buskers are doing a la Dealiest Catch with the pounds of crab they have caught.

#3) "Trash Men" A different crew every week complaining about their lives and showcasing people's trash. Who doesn't want to follow the trash truck around for a day?

#4) "Adventures in Day Care" No adults, just watching kids ages 10 months to 18 months speak in jibberish, cry, and make loud annoying noises.

#5) "After the Walk of Shame" Our host just hangs out in various places in Manhattan from 7-9am on a Saturday or Sunday waiting for girls to walk out of apartment buildings wearing cocktail dresses and messed up hair. The host asks girls if the guy said he would call. Then three days later if he hasn't called, the host takes the girl out to the bar to confront the guy. Think "Cheaters" without the potential violence. (Sadly, I would watch this show.)

#6) "The Socially Awkward Chemist" Think "Average Joe" except with no personality or charm trying to land a girl. Imagine the potential awkward dates where the Chemist doesn't talk or brings up exciting topics like computer games or Star Wars. And the girls will STILL pretend to fall in love to get their 15 minutes of fame.

I have to give credit for this one to my friend Da...

2011-08-31T17:24:42.603-04:00

I have to give credit for this one to my friend Dave March: "Homeless and Tagged". 12 homeless people are tagged with tracking devices, and their movements are followed and filmed. I would totally watch that show.

That whirring sound you hear is Orson Wells (the G...

2011-08-31T13:55:00.370-04:00

That whirring sound you hear is Orson Wells (the Godfather of sounding the alarm when there is nothing really happening) laughing and spinning in his grave. I'm sure he's monitoring things from the hereafter and I'm confident he's proud of all the Hurricane Irene "experts."

Thanks for the comment. You are right on many poin...

2011-08-29T15:01:38.149-04:00

Thanks for the comment. You are right on many points. I do think there is a way to ratchet down the hysteria. Do postmortem reporting on which experts were right and which ones were the most hyperbolic. Scientist and professors are particularly susceptible to embarrassment. I betcha those scientists who did the most hyping would think twice the next time, after they get tagged with a little negative PR. Too many of them don’t know that the door swings both ways. Today’s face time is tomorrow’s red-faced.

Greg

Nice post Greg. Facts are boring to the masses, bu...

2011-08-29T12:38:53.827-04:00

Nice post Greg. Facts are boring to the masses, but sensationalism is sexy. Folks who want the straight facts are having to work harder and harder curating the influx of garbage to find them. Sadly, I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which we don't continue down the track of media outlets just getting worse with this. Do you see any future incentives for them to stop, or counter-forces that will end it?

The only thing I can think of is if the economics of cable news break down and result in us consuming more efficient a la carte content. But maybe even that won't help.