Let’s Halloween Up PR
Growing up as a middle-class kid in India, Halloween was fascinating to me. We didn’t really celebrate it there as one does here in the U.S. and other countries (though it might be a different story now, I don’t know). It felt a little forbidden, probably because of its pagan roots, so that was appealing in itself. Over and above that, the idea of dressing up as something completely outlandish that I loved. Probably not surprising when you think of the horrendous school uniforms my friends and I had to wear all the way through high school (and no, I don’t have a photo and if I did, there’s no way in Hades I’d let you see it).
When I moved to the U.S., the first Halloween I marked was in San Francisco. Though you could argue every day is Halloween in SF, I remember my head spinning at the costumes I’d see on the street from 9 to 5′ers all ostensibly going about their daily business in a perfectly nonchalant way.
Even more amazing to me was that businesses weren’t just ok with their employees coming to work in costume, but that they got into the spirit of the day and actively encouraged it. I remember one year I was headed out on a business trip on – you guessed it – Halloween. Somehow getting my boarding pass issued by a witch or warlock made a typically cringe-inducing process fun. The airline staff was even – shock and awe – nice.
“Grownups” don’t go trick-or-treating any more, (at least, most of the grownups I know) but I think we love Halloween because it allows us to go outside the usual perception of ourselves. We can be kooky or dour and behave in a generally uncharacteristic manner for a day – and it’s ok. It lets us communicate a facet of ourselves that others might not generally know about, and often that helps break down barriers, just a little bit.
Filed under Communication, Public Relations, Shonali Burke | Tags: communications, halloween, pr, Public Relations | Comments (2)Can Someone Say “Stop”?
I don’t know how you organize your RSS feeds, but except for the feeds I have set up for client monitoring, mine are in alphabetical order. So my usual M.O. is to check my client feeds, and then go through the rest from A-Z. Some day I might progress to Amy Mengel’s system, but for now, I’m basic like that.
Lately, though, I find myself going to David Murray’s Writing Boots (which, if you don’t read or subscribe to, you should) first. Hardly a new kid on the block, he’s funny, irreverent, often brutal… and always puts a smile on my face. (This guy you’re staring at isn’t him, by the way… as far as I know).
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry today when I read his latest on IABC’s Film Festival. I’m an association member, heavily involved at the local level (and somewhat involved at the international level). And I’ve found tremendous value in my membership, so far at least (just making that clear, I’m not going to diss IABC here). I’ve found the “IABC family” warm, welcoming and encouraging, for the most part, I truly have, and some of the smartest people I know are committed IABCers at the local, regional or international level.
But if only someone were to make a video like this one…
Filed under Communication, Shonali Burke | Tags: amy mengel, break media, david murray, iabc film festival, stop sign video | Comment (0)I’m Baaack
Thanks to H1N1 whirling through my house and a whole bunch of other things, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged. It’s even been a while since I tweeted like I normally do. Not because I couldn’t figure out what to say, but because I was too tired to say anything.
Somewhat like Jon Newman, I was wondering how I’d segue into my “return.”
Then I realized – I don’t have to.
So: I’m back. If you missed me, I’m touched, and just so you know, I missed you too. If you didn’t, I can’t blame you.
Filed under Personal, Shonali Burke | Comments (2)
