A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Thus began one of the most memorable brands in the history of cinema - not to mention the history of brands.

Star Wars has been a cultural phenomenon for 28 years. As with any business, the series has seen its ups and downs, yet it has endured.

The Star Wars' brand endures because of its consistency. We look forward to each epic battle of good versus evil, tapping into mythological villains and heroes we know by heart. From a filmmaking standpoint, we look forward to the groundbreaking special effects and computer-generated images in every episode.

The brand endures because it was groundbreaking, especially in terms of marketing and commercial tie-ins. It revolutionized the economic model for major studio releases that followed.

Most of all, the brand endures because people "experienced" the movie. We experienced it in the theaters. Then we shared the experience with friends and family. Some even made the experience a major part of their lives.

Strong the brand of Star Wars for a long, long time will be.

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People are always asking, "How do I get the national media to pay attention to my company?"

The answer is simple. Reporters at the national level want one of three things:

• A compelling personality
• Demonstrable results
• Information that nobody else has

When Bill Gates introduces a new idea, the technology landscape shifts. When Warren Buffet makes an investment, markets move. When Michael Dell moves into a new line of business, headlines follow. Compelling personalities are the top one percent of all business leaders, but their involvement in an issue can make news simply by their presence and support.

National media love demonstrable results: that technology is saving lives, that training programs increase productivity, that an educational program is preventing crime, etc. Most importantly, reporters want to interview the people whose lives have changed and not just the company delivering the services or products.

National media also crave information and insights that explain the reasons for national trends. Why are health care costs rising? How much time are companies spending on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance? How will Baby Boomers impact the future of retailing? A compelling insight gleaned from a national survey or from a proprietary source can be a gold mine of national coverage.

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Eye contact is an important part of interpersonal communications. A common problem is not knowing where to focus your eyes' attention when talking face to face. If you have difficulty with eye contact, next time you are in a conversation, try looking at only one eye at a time. This technique prevents your eyes from shifting back and forth during the conversation.

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Every potential crisis situation is unique, no matter how many times your company has been through a particular situation. A lack of communication is often one of the reasons that a potential crisis situation spirals out of control into a full-blown crisis.

The most important part of any crisis response is alerting and involving the right people who can help analyze the situation and recommend the best steps to solve it. This does not mean the same people make up the list every time.

The right people will vary with the situation and its potential impact. Here are some key thoughts when planning for crises:

• Who will the situation impact the most? Sales needs to know if customers can be impacted. HR needs to know if employees are at risk. Investor relations for shareholders. And so on.
• What are the odds of the media learning about the story? If the odds are high, the marketing/corporate communications department can help on the front end by drafting a standby statement, preparing executives for potential questions, and ensuring consistency of communications to all target audiences.
• What resources are necessary to solve the crisis? Because every situation is unique, the resources to solve that situation are unique as well. As situations evolve, you may need temporary personnel, equipment, technical assistance, or office space. Anticipating these needs and having resources in place will save you valuable time and, ultimately, may save your business a lot of money.

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http://www.bloglines.com

Ah, blogs, the newest of the new media. Blogs (short for "web logs") are a fixture of online culture and a growing source of news and opinion for consumers and national media alike. Bloglines is one of a growing number of websites that allow you to search, subscribe to, and publish blogs. In addition to top blogs, bloglines has a notification feature when blogs you want to monitor post updates.

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Will Your Next Mistake Be Fatal? Avoiding The Chain Of Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Organization by Robert Mittelstaedt

Will Your Next Mistake Be Fatal? is a compelling study of business crises and disasters that resulted from a series of preventable but unchecked mistakes.

Mittelstaedt's extensive research shows a common pattern in crises from the collapse of Enron to the Titanic:

• An initial problem, often minor in isolation, that goes uncorrected
• A subsequent problem that compounds the effect of the initial problem
• An inept corrective effect
• Disbelief at the accelerating seriousness of the situation
• An attempt to hide the truth about what is going on while an attempt is made at remediation
• Sudden recognition that the situation is out of control
• Finally, the ultimate disaster scenario

With numerous examples, Mittelstaedt analyzes multiple-mistake crises from the perspectives of execution, strategy, culture, business cycles, and more.

Fortunately, he also offers 38 specific insights that companies can use to recognize warning signs and make appropriate corrective action before it is too late.

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