IT’S Tough to be Simple

We have all been through the rigor of solving complex mathematical equations.  A large chunk of my years, growing up, was spent indentifying the x and y, or the A to Z of perpetual mental doom.  However, the highlight of this grueling journey in backwards revealed the simple effect of concentrating and refreshing the basics. Every single formula, theorem, or unsolved equation is derived from a simple mathematical tenet. Similarly, the toughest aspect of delivering a message is to ensure its reception, and not just a shot into the void. What’s written or spoken must also be understood for what it is. While mathematics with all its numbers is as exact as science can get, the social science of human interaction and response is a study in itself possessing rules, structure and a methodology.

People in general without distinction are a mob; some may find satirical comfort in referring to it as ‘society’: Quick, Impulsive, and Intimidating. So the monumental task of communicating with the masses rests heavily on visual and verbal appeal. Riding on that formula, a client often has to deal with the risks associated with the methods employed to create Public Relations. The ruling factor is simplification of facts. One is neither interested nor blessed with the patience to crack complex methods of communication. Upon watching a movie, or reading an article, or simply engaging in a conversation with someone new, the future of said movie, article is decided in the first few minutes. A catchy slogan will have the effect of generating curiosity. An opening line with the likes of Moby Dick’s ‘Call me Ishmael’ or Dickens’s Tale of Two Cities with ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’ gripped the public’s interest granting them legendary status. Similarly, the instantaneous reaction to any publicity tactic defines the future of the same. Clients or companies seek quantifiable results and with technology at our behest, it is more that achievable, it can be improved, magnified and turned into a norm. When writing or communicating through various media, the content should be made readable or easily understood. Source like Buzz Feed, Scoop Whoop, Listverse etc., tabulated content, added GIFs, with whacky visualizations and it stormed the social media. One major advantage with that is inter-connectivity, and to be able to access maximum information with minimum effort. While all this seems like foolproof advertising mantras, PR depends upon the same virtue.

When a PR company manages relations, it has to add and subtract data, modify content, innovate upon the way a news item is released, its timing, the fora, and such. The trick is not to go into a tizzy with an overload of information. It requires some major brainstorming, hours spent in research to enhance the value of information, and the correct method with appropriate Titles or Headings to capture attention in one go. Boring data, heavy statistics, facts and figures do not make for interesting reading. A company that doesn’t improve upon its methods to venture into new verticals often lands in the trash pile of failed or failing.

This doesn’t go to assume that everybody is blessed with the capacity to think out of the box, but this is a skill that can be honed and nurtured. There is a curious kitty inside all of us, some are better at petting it than others. The only way to capture the essence of a long drawn detailed text is to read it. Read it once, twice, no matter how long it takes or what the pace is. And while doing that, keep taking notes. One’s job is not to dump information, but to filter it, modify it, tailor it to the intellect of the common mass in a way that they get more knowledge in a span of 30 seconds that is received in the right light. The critical factor is time. No one has it and everybody wants to kill it, utilize it and make the most of it. A PR professional’s job is to challenge that element, and pave the way for broader engagement. In order to retain or acquire a bigger audience, one must gauge the mood, apprehension and mind of the receiving end. Not everybody has the same interests. No one is alike. But, we are all targets; as consumers, customers, as seekers of information, as knowledge gatherers and simply the ones who seek value for our time and money.

Henceforth, invest in strategizing. Rope in people and cultivate ideas that have vision, and never back away from something new. A trial and error system has survived through history.

It is like Edison rightly said: I DIDN’T FAIL. I just found 2000 ways not to make a lightbulb.