That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

Press releases are clever and cunning, but a pain in the (insert word here) to write. Why? Because it requires explicit product understanding, and once you get that, it requires a careful understanding of your target audience. And then, there’s the framing. It’s like this:

ANGRYMAD @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ FRUSTRATION EVIL
VILE WARS @love flowers lollipops@ KILLINGS SUICIDES
BOMBINGS! @butterflies rainbows @ GEORGE W.BUSH ):
SUFFERING @icecream strawberry @ GLOBAL WARMING
POVERTYY! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ RACIAL PREJUDICE

Only hear the good stuff, says Gold 90fm.

Which is interesting because a product can appeal to a variety of audience, but the presentation might not. Therefore how we angle the product plays a huge role in how well the product will sell to the desired target audience, even though they might have no immediate connection to the product.

Example: a G-shock watch.

Men are the obvious buyers because it's a "Man" kind of watch - rugged, functional, reliable. Therefore we focus on its reliability, functionality and outlook for this group.

But G-shock watches are renowned for their collector's item such as this limited edition Transformers piece. Therefore the angle slants a different way now: the focus is on its rarity.

And then there are the ladies who buy gifts for their (lucky) men. Another angle has to be played, but one that has no relation to the watch whatsoever: one that goes somewhere along the line of "Your man will love you even more for this". Mine did.

And how much of those are covered in my other classes?

Introduction to Professional Writing? Check.
Introduction to Communication Studies? Check.
Managing the Organisation? Check.

The practicality of the theory learnt is good and all, but it’s the realisation of how much of everything else is involved in PR is what gets me. Better start remembering what I learnt elsewhere.