Writing Boots

On communication, professional and otherwise.

A corporate communication hack is …

04.16.2009 by David Murray // 17 Comments

… someone who with a straight face calls the new corporate podcast "slightly irreverent," the new employee video "kind of fun" and the CEO's blog "a bit edgy."

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Comments

  1. David Murray says

    April 16, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    Oh, I just thought of another:
    … someone who declares in print or in person that he or she is “passionate about branding.”

    Reply
  2. David Murray says

    April 16, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    … and someone who thinks you can analyze public relations without getting into politics.
    I’m on a roll!

    Reply
  3. Kristen says

    April 16, 2009 at 3:02 pm

    Who gave you a wedgie today? My, my, my!!
    I don’t suppose you’d care to elaborate and provide details on what/who has got your knickers in a such a knot, would you?

    Reply
  4. David Murray says

    April 16, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    Well, Kristen, I suppose it goes back to my childhood ….
    The PR comment refers to the hysterical, and I don’t mean funny, goings on here:
    http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=5AA50C55146B4C8C98F903986BC02C56&tier=4&id=761E196C90244ED388C76E519FA2D358&AudID=3FF14703FD8C4AE98B9B4365B978201A

    Reply
  5. Rueben says

    April 16, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    Measurement – say something about the compulsive need to measure everything, David. Surely you have some thoughts on that topic…

    Reply
  6. Kristen says

    April 16, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    Holy freakin shit!!! (I would have commented at Ragan, but I can’t say “shit” on there, and really – it needed to be said!)
    My absolute favourite thing about that whole kerfuffel is two things that one or two people commented on and that were also what I thought as I read through:
    1) I love how the very commenters who are enraged about the author’s exercise of his free speech rights mention that they were at the “free-speech exercising” tea parties [can you say “ironic”?],
    2) All these idiots swearing they’re going to cancel all Ragan subscriptions because of this article make me laugh! If you had any intelligent rebuttals other than stamping your widdle foot, how bout you let us have em?? But, no, the conservatives choose to ignore those who disagree with them rather than demonstrating how much more “accurate” and “wise” their own perspectives are. Gee, I wonder why that is???

    Reply
  7. David Murray says

    April 16, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    @Reuben: Oh yes: A corporate hack will talk incessantly about how the purpose of his or her flaccid prose is to create “behavior change.” Yeah, that’ll happen, asstard.
    @Kristen. Yes, the canceled subscriptions are hilarious. Ostensibly, their employer is paying the Ragan freight because they justified it as a budget item as a crucial business expense. And now they’re canceling because a Ragan editor had the gall to doubt the effectiveness of their little tea parties. (Hint, guys: The folks at the original Tea Party had more intellectual integrity.)
    For the record, I do think the article was overly dismissive and unnecessarily divisive, and if I’d been editor of Ragan.com I think I wouldn’t have put it up. They also should label their opinion pieces “Opinion” WITHIN the piece once you’ve clicked on it (not just on the website), so that incredulous readers can look up and realize this isn’t a “news” story before they actually drop a load in their pants–and get it all over us.

    Reply
  8. Rueben says

    April 16, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    “Asstard” really is a word you don’t see used often enough. You have inspired me to use it on a more regular basis, David. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Amy says

    April 16, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    Hacks are people who say, “Everything is about the brand.” They are people who call themselves “communication strategists,” but can’t write a simple sentence.

    Reply
  10. David Murray says

    April 16, 2009 at 5:35 pm

    Score, Amy. Hacks in general use the word “about” all the time.
    “The BLAH-BLAH isn’t about SUCH-AND-SUCH, it’s about SO-AND-SO.”
    I just tell ’em to prove it.

    Reply
  11. rueben says

    April 16, 2009 at 9:32 pm

    Uh oh…I think I have some of them working for me…

    Reply
  12. Lizard says

    April 17, 2009 at 2:51 am

    Hacks talk about adding ‘the wow factor’.

    Reply
  13. David Murray says

    April 17, 2009 at 7:07 am

    Lizard: Thank you for that value-add.

    Reply
  14. Eileen B. says

    April 17, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Hacks describe their writing as “working their magic.”

    Reply
  15. David Murray says

    April 17, 2009 at 11:34 am

    No. Seriously? As a writer, I’ve been told by clients to work my magic. But if I ever heard a writer talk about working his or her own magic on something, I would fire him or her.
    I take that back. Him. Not to be sexist, but no “her” would ever say such at thing.
    Would she?

    Reply
  16. Chuck B says

    April 17, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    … someone who wonders if “asstard” should be one word, two or hyphenated.

    Reply
  17. David Murray says

    April 17, 2009 at 6:45 pm

    No, Chuck, that’s not a hack. That’s a copyeditor.

    Reply

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