Vy Blog

Into the New Year

Some people get squashed crossing the tracks
Some people got high rises on their backs
I'm not broke but you can see the cracks
You can make me perfect again

NASA to youth: Uhh, we're exciting. Mulder and Picard say so.

This is an AP article I saw in yesterday's Oregonian about NASA's effort to keep interest alive in space exploration.  NASA has done some math on its ambitions vs. its anticipated available staffing and figured out they're in danger of no one bothering to care about its efforts ten, twenty, thirty years down the line.

I read this article and my brain went a number of different directions because this is interesting to me in several ways: 

1. Space travel is de rigeur.  Of course, it isn't really, but it's perceived that way.  In 1981, when the first shuttle was launched, I was in the 8th grade and our school effectively closed while everyone watched.  At that point, we were right at the 20-year mark of the active US space program, and only 12 years removed from walking on the moon.  In the 25+ years since, we've been to space hundreds of times.  No one notices space travel any longer (as noted in the article).
2. There is too much competition for wonderment.  In 1969, and even in 1981, you didn't have all the crap we have now screaming for your attention.  The video game my kids played last night is more engaging to them than the scene of a shuttle launch on TV.  Even the prospect of someone living on Mars -- wildly imaginitive and barely believable to me as a kid -- sounds about right to kids today.
3. How is space travel relevant?  For a long while -- from Sputnik probably into the first stages of the shuttle program -- there was the constant tension of competition with the Soviets for parity, or superiority, in space (and in the cold war in general).  That tension is absent today -- as we know, our greatest threat now is from an entirely different source.  There is a generally unanswered question today about why we explore space at all (so that what happens?) -- and I would venture that until that question is adequately answered interest will not rebound.
4. Which leads me to this point: NASA's PR tactics are probably going to be ineffective.  I don't have all the facts and would love to talk with someone at NASA about this, but hiring David Duchovny and Patric Stewart to shill your agency in the absense of an answer to (3) above is sort of like papering over the hole in your wall.  They have not answered the substantive question that would form the foundation of any honest and authentic marketing or PR effort.

To that point, let me copy a bit from the last paragraphs of the article, with my own comments in italics:

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin believes ventures to the moon and Mars will excite young people more than the current shuttle trips to low-Earth orbit.  Looks like an unvalidated assumption to me.  What's in it for them that will make moon and Mars exciting?

At an October workshop attended by 80 NASA message spinners, NASA has 80 message spinners?  Good God. young adults were right up there with Congress as the top two priorities for NASA's strategic communications efforts.  That sounds about right.

Tactics encouraged by the workship included new forms of communicatin, such as podcasts and YouTube; Ah!  Tactics of the moment will save us!  enlisting support from celebrities, such as actors David Duchovny ("X-Files") and Patrick Stewart ("Star Trek: The Next Generation"); will they have something substantive and real to say, or just try to lend celebrity power to empty messages? forming partnerships with youth-oriented media such as MTV, or sports events; OK, but see same question about celebrities and what would be said and developing brand placement in the movie industry. Same root issue (relevance) question applied to a different tactic. 

When I was a kid, I read everything I could about John Glenn.  I was already in love with the idea of being a pilot, and the thought of taking another step and being an astronaut sounded like the perfect adventure to me.  I got only as far as the pilot's license, but that's OK -- I'm still a big fan of the space program (I think I understand the long-range benefits) and want to see it succeed.  I hope they take care of the root question, though -- without it, I'm afraid they're in for more of the same problem.

Resolutioneers

Something I never look forward to:

The endless parade of New Year's resolutioneers who will vow Sunday night, "I'm going to start exercising!"  They'll clog up the Y starting Tuesday.  You can at least look forward to about January 20 or 21, when they will have given up.

Pardon the cynicism.  If you plan and commit and stay with it -- even if it's just 20 brisk minutes a day on the treadmill -- you deserve respect.  If you have no intention to commit to actual fitness, and you keep cramming your face with ice cream, please just do everyone a favor and skip it.

After the holiday

Man, what a couple of weeks.

I'm back home now after about a week and a half in the Midwest.  It was great to spend time with family, but sleeping in your own bed is never overrated.  Especially when you have a cold, like I seem to have now.

Though I spent quite a bit of time (especially last week) on work, I did have a chance to clear the cobwebs a bit.  Thoughts in no particular order:

City personalities: If you want to know what's important to people who live in any particular place, look at what that place embraces.  I amused myself a little by doing this on my trip.  Are there billboards, and if so, what do you see advertised on them?  What ads to you see on TV and hear on the radio?  What does radio "talent" talk about?  What are the leads on the local news?  What is the main source of entertainment?  Is there any consistency to the feel of a city's personality, or is it a mishmash?  Are people openly friendly?  How do drivers behave on the highways?  Is there a lot of sprawl?  If you assess these things, you can get a pretty good idea about what it's like day-by-day where you are.

Wally World: I certainly don't like Wal-Mart any more than I ever have.  I want to be as fair as I can in saying that.  To be more precise and honest, what I don't like is Wal-Mart's level of dominance in local merchandising.  (This is different from admiring their business success, which I do -- but acknowledging their success and liking their behavior is two different things.)  I also don't care for the fact that, somehow, your local Wally has somehow become the center of town in many places.  No more barbershops, town squares or diners.  Nope -- any more, it's "I was talking to Bob at Wal-Mart today..."  That's what I don't like. 

Official end to the holiday season:  You don't need more proof from me, but I'll say again that it's wildly evident that Christmas is more a commercial holiday than a spiritual one.  You heard holiday music for since mid-November, but none yesterday.

TV is of course overrated:  I didn't necessarily intend to do so, but I managed to watch hardly any TV for more than a week before Christmas.  One less stimulus fighting for my attention.  I highly recommend it.  Somehow, you're not going to waste away by not watching Entertainment Tonight.

Intention:  Speaking of intention, I had a chance to reflect on what has become my favorite thought from this year.  I blogged in July about it, but it started germinating from a casual dinner discussion in New Zealand in March.  (I gave the location not to be pretentious, but to recognize at least in my own head the value of having the conversation somewhere other than in your familiar surroundings -- better for the perspective.)  Most of us, probably close to all of us, live without much in the way of significant intention.  At best, we float around, and at worst, we're dragged through life by our impulses.  I was talking earlier in this month with a friend who told me about someone he knew who felt trapped in his job (one he hated) thanks to a huge mortgage he's carrying and other similar handcuffs.  I wonder if -- at say, age 12 -- he thought, "You know, what I really want from my life is to be a purchasing agent and feel like I can never do anything else in life because of a big stack of bills I rang up."?

Of course not.  But that's where many of us find ourselves.  Just today, in returning to the office, I found a Christmas card and letter from a friend who, in her words, was presented a chance to do a six-month assignment in Paris and jumped at it.  Her husband started French lessons, and they're packing up their toddlers to live there for half of 2007, maybe longer.  Good for them.  What a way to actually live.

So, why do you do what you do?

Happy New Year.

We're screwing ourselves out of prosperity

I'm writing from middle America, where I was raised.  Every time I'm here, I'm reminded about the basic goodness of the folks here.  There are things that drive me insane about the midwest, but overall, most you meet are, as they say here, "good people."  (Usage:  "He's good people.")

I'm also reminded about the differences in the way of life between here and the west coast, where I live now.  Mostly it's in the area of perspective on life.  It's much different.

Then I read posts like this and this from my domain industry colleague Susan Crawford, one of the more insightful people of this planet, and I'm reminded of the even bigger gulf in thought between the United States and the rest of the world.  The thesis of each is that we're not doing enough in the United States to prepare ourselves for continued leadership and prosperity.  Susan quotes Thomas Friedman, one of the authorities on this subject:

In a globally integrated economy, our workers will get paid a premium only if they or their firms offer a uniquely innovative product or service, which demands a skilled and creative labor force to conceive, design, market and manufacture — and a labor force that is constantly able to keep learning. We can’t go on lagging other major economies in every math/science/reading test and every ranking of Internet penetration and think that we’re going to field a work force able to command premium wages. Freedom, without rigor and competence, will take us only so far.

Very true, almost frighteningly so.  As Friedman wrote, in India, Bill Gates is Britney Spears.  In the U.S., Britney Spears is Britney Spears.  They're hungier than we are, and we're falling behind.

As a parent, I have to figure out how to prepare my children.  One way must include the value of perspective -- that so many others live so differently than we, and in some ways, better.  And that more than was the case for me, the world is out for their lunch and will take it away if they're not prepared.  Language, skills, and desire are going to be necessary like they never were before.

Into the weekend

Keep your eyes on the sky
Put a dollar in the kitty
Don't the moon look pretty

How to ask questions

Mike Arrington has been taking hit after hit, but in the calm of the storm today he posts a good thought about how to ask questions.  He says:

I asked a question that I thought was both interesting and had a high likelihood of actually being answered. You can be a tough guy all day long, but asking Bill “With it’s worldwide dominance why does it take so long to get a new Operating System out of Redmond?” isn’t going to lead to an interesting answer.

I interview companies every day, and there is only so far you can go with the tough stuff. People just shut down or go into PR speak when you go to far.

I’m not concerned about not getting invited back by asking a tough question, I’m concerned that I won’t get an interesting answer.

He's getting some disagreement in comments on this thought, but I agree with him.  Too many people want to be Mike Wallace and give that air of "I'm a watchdog, pal, and the public has a right to know."  There's no need for that or any other kind of acting.  If you have an authentic exchange of questions and information, and act like a human being, you'll get all the info you need.

There are exceptions, but in general, people default toward wanting to disclose.  I learned this as a reporter.  I learned this further when I started working in PR and began interviewing clients on the raw data you need to create a marketing plan -- probing, smart questions get you a lot farther than nearly anything else.

I also found that to be helpful when coaching clients on how to handle reporters.  I believe too many execs feel at the whim of a reporter.  To be sure, you need to respect the reporter's orientation, deadlines, etc., but like any other conversation, one with a reporter is just as eligible to be an information exchange than is anything else.  If you carefully ask the right questions, you not only can help the reporter better by providing exactly the right information, but you can also avoid some land mines.

About this blog

I've now been at this blog for more than two years.

It's been very rewarding, for two main reasons. 

• I have achieved my main objective -- to exchange ideas with and learn from others, particularly in the area of marketing and communications.  I have learned a great deal, and continue to learn pretty much every day. 
• Because I can't draw, paint, play music, dance, or sing, writing is about the only form of self-expression in which I can suggest any competence (and you viably might argue that point).  Writing is fulfilling, and it helps me clarify my world view and maintain perspective.

I'm leaving tomorrow to see family for the holidays, and though I'll be online daily, blogging will be infrequent at best.  It gives me a little time to think again about the purpose of this blog and my next hoped-for outcome.  There's little point in having it dink along with middling posts.

What I'm leaning toward is this:

• Continue Vy Blog, but in a refreshed format.  The site needs an overhaul in look and feel and badly needs a tools upgrade.  Where I'll find the time for this, I have no idea.
• I have an idea for a new outlet for content building up behind the dam, a series of discussions and perspectives I've always wanted to explore.  If I thought this blog took up time, that's nothing compared to what that one would entail.  If I can do that one without compromising my commitments, I will.  The opportunity is too intriguing to me to pass up.  But I don't want to do it until I can do it right.  Stay tuned.

So, if we don't talk much before the holidays, enjoy the season.  I hope you have a chance for time with friends and loved ones, and to think about the blessings of the year.  I know they've been significant for me.

Happy Holidays.

Social media news releases

Well done post here from David Parmet.

I'm extremely hard-pressed to say it any better, so I won't try.  But it's right on the money -- it's not the process, it's the content.  If your content is no good, forget the process.  It still won't work.

Man of many peeves, part 476

The pool was closed this morning.

If I'm going to get up that early and make the effort, I'd really like the staff to have a clue about how to balance the chlorine mix.

And I hate that flat, sluggish feeling I get when I don't get in an anticipated workout.