Saturday, June 30, 2007

HOW TO PERSUADE ATTORNEY GENERAL?


Everyone is talking about Katsav's (= Former Israel’s president, Moshe Katsav) plea bargain. What do I say? Is he guilty or not? I don't know exactly. I know only what I hear and see on the media. So I hear that in January Attorney General (= State Prosecutor) Menachem Mazuz announced he planned to indict Katsav on charges of rape. But he allowed Katsav's attorneys (two famous lawyers of high caliber) to appear before him at a hearing in May to plead their case. After that hearing he changed his decision (new evidence was presented, he told, but did not give further details). Now according to the deal, Katsav will plead guilty to several counts of sexual harassment. The more serious rape charges have been dropped. Harassment instead of rape. Suspended jail sentence.
I suppose: much depends on your attorneys ability to persuade. The persuasion means not only new evidence. It means, first of all, presentation to the State Prosecutor the ability to distress his life if he does not obey.

The real principle to persuade a high rank person is to present/ show/ demonstrate to him/her your ability to distress/ trouble his/her life afterwards.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

INFORMATION VIRUS - WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO LAUNCH IT?


Avigdor Lieberman (Strategic Affairs Minister of Israel) said on June 22 he was opposed to government plans to funnel funds and arms to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to embolden / prop up his security forces. Then he added a statement which caused a lot of PR noise: "It has been proven that transferring arms and money to Fatah strengthen terror elements. Even if we supply Abbas with F-16 jets, he has no ability and no chance (to fight Hamas)".
What happened next, all the news releases began repeating his phrase on F-16. As well as a computer virus is capable of reproducing itself, an information virus is capable of spreading itself.
I am talking neither about the essence of the matter on F-16, nor about my personal attitude.
I am talking only about the capability of self propagating.

The PR move to propagate your idea is to build an information virus.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

HOW TO SET UP A PUBLIC DISCOURSE AROUND YOUR POLITICAL CAMPAIGN?


Rudy Giuliani (one of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates) released his so-called Twelve Commitments to the American People. War on terrorism, end illegal immigration, fiscal discipline etc. No matter what exactly. The matter is to set up a lot of public talk around his candidacy. It sounds good: 'Twelve Commitments' resembles 'Ten Commandments'. And twelve is a lucky number (unlike thirteen).

The PR move to raise a public discourse is to release a brief number of concise propositions/ statements/ promises.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

HOW DID ROMANS COIN WORDS TO PROMOTE THEIR PR CONCEPTS?


It appears that ancient Romans were great public relations makers. When they wished to promote a certain understanding, they used to invent a new word (or a new couple of words) and to imprint it onto the public opinion. Examples are: vox populi (= voice of the people), and res publicae (= public affairs), from which we get our term 'republic'.
Today we call this phenomenon 'buzz' or 'buzzwords'.

The very fact of the word existence convinces the public of the necessity of that social phenomenon in real life.