| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Hi John,
I hope you aren't snowed in. As I type this, the weather warning has been upgraded from yellow to amber. I have no real idea what that means, though I do recall a warning from my skiing days to never eat yellow snow. Anyway, just in case a blizzard sets in, I've been reading the advice from motoring organisations about what to do if you are going to drive in snow. The main advice seems to be "Stock up on chocolate, biscuits and hot drinks" So now you know. Don't mention it.
The 25th annual survey of media habits has found that - wait for it - most viewing of TV shows (perhaps they need a new name) by five to sixteen year olds is on a phone rather than an actual TV. No shock there. However, you might be surprised to learn that the favourite show of that age group is the long-running sitcom Friends. The "focus on friendships and relationships is relatable to teens", say the researchers. In more remarkable revelations, the researchers say that young people "...can watch it virtually whenever and wherever they like, from beginning to end in order.". Stone me, as they say.
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| | The MediaMaestro is Burger King in Sweden. They spotted an opportunity to have fun with McDonald's by creating an entire menu making fun of Big Macs.
Earlier this month, the fast food giant lost its trademark for the Big Mac burger's name in the EU after European regulators ruled in favour of Ireland-based fast-food chain Supermac's.
That basically means other companies can now use the name as well as McDonald's.
A Burger King advert shows people going into Burger King and ordering menu items that snipe at the Big Mac, making fun of the burger. These include burgers such as "The Like a Big Mac, But Actually Big", "The Kind of Like a Big Mac, But Juicier and Tastier". |
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| | The MediaMug is Ariana Grande, who has been widely mocked on the internet, after she posted a photo of her new tattoo. The singer had wanted to get a Japanese translation of the title of her hit song “7 Rings”, but a typo in the Japanese lettering left her with a tattoo that means something quite different instead.
Her attempt to ink an ode to her hit single backfired on Wednesday after social media quickly chimed in to tell her the characters actually translated to shichirin: a small charcoal grill.
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| Speaking Tip - Antithesis - Contrast or Opposition |
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From time to time, I like to mention rhetorical techniques that you can use in your speeches. The chances are, you use some of these techniques without realising, though understanding the device can make your speeches even richer. Antithesis is simply placing one idea next to an idea in sharp contrast or opposition. Strictly speaking (pun intended), the first idea is the thesis, and the second the antithesis, though the whole sentence is often referred to as an antithetical statement.
Here's a well-known example, from President Kennedy's inaugural address in 1961: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"
And another, from Tennyson's poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade "Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die"
Once you become aware of antithesis, you will see it used everywhere. Consider how you could use contrasting ideas to enhance your speeches. It may seem difficult, but in fact it's quite easy. |
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| Media Tip - And who are you to say that? |
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One question that may be levelled at you in a media interview is not to test your knowledge, but your competence. It's the "what's your expertise?" approach. It may be phrased in a more subtle way than that, but the intention is to find out why you are a credible interviewee. Of course, the correct answer may be "Because your researcher rang me up and asked me to appear", but that's not going to impress. Instead, you need explain why you should be trusted on this issue.
Experienced interviewees will never need to answer such a question, since they will have already dealt with it in their previous answers. For example, you might respond to an enquiry about your share price with the answer "In my 23 years of experience in this business, we've seen the price rise and fall many times, often due to external influences. I'm confident that the price will recover as conditions in the economy begin to ease" (or something like that). In other words, you can demonstrate your knowledge in passing while dealing with another topic.
If you miss the opportunity to mention your expertise, you can still deal easily with the "who are you to say that" question. Stay calm, and tell a story which shows that you have either deep or long-term (preferably both) knowledge. Whatever you do, never use the "how dare you" defence. I've seen it happen on more that one occasion when an expert was challenged. There's only one outcome - people believe them even less.
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| Social Media Tip - The four great pretenders |
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In my opinion, there are several types of pretender on social networks. Here's how I describe them:
1) The pretend expert These are the people who publish reviews of new products and services, sometimes before launch. They haven't seen or tried the new stuff themselves, but have simply read all the reports from people who have, and pulled together a summary which makes them look as though they are "in the know".
2) The pretend writer These are real crooks, in my opinion. They reproduce articles and blog posts written by others, with no accreditation, leading people to believe they wrote them. Sometimes they even claim the writing credit. Sad indeed.
3) The pretend journalist This is a type I'm seeing more often. they pick up online news alerts or listen to broadcast sources, and then announce the "news" to their friends and followers. They overlook the fact that if people are interested in a story, they will have the same alerts set up. If there was an attempt to comment on the news, I could see the point of it, but simply sending out "news" seems utterly pointless. News sites do it better and faster.
4) The pretend friend of celebs They continually "chat" to celebrities on Twitter and Facebook as though they are pals. 99% of it is one-way traffic. Occasionally, they will receive a response, which they will talk about for weeks.
What do all these fakes have in common? I suspect it's a desire for status - to be seen as an important member of their online community. It's all wasted effort.
Instead, it's important to focus on: Being honest, by reporting what you have experienced Being authentic, by writing your own material Being analytical, by commenting on the news rather than just passing it on Being real, by connecting with people you know
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| Did you know that Apocalypse Now has 558 mistakes in it? No, nor did I, but contributors to the website Movie Mistakes have counted them, along with glitches in every other film, apparently. Hmmm. |
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| Do you have a speech soon? |
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| I can help. Just click the link |
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