Blooming Spring Stories

(Cont'd)

...creativity and new energy flow in many people. We often look forward to dusting off the bicycles, enjoying the fresh air outside, gardening, and more daylight hours. One way for PR professionals who are always looking to generate new stories and ideas is to take a walk. If walking is already part of your daily routine, consider changing your path, going in a new direction and taking off your headphones. By getting out of meetings and conference rooms where we are often pressured to create news and brainstorm, a different perspective can help to spark fresh energy and ideas. Listening to the sounds of nature, the noises in your neighborhood and taking notice of different things that you may have overlooked before can help to rejuvenate you and create new energy.

When I was in 8th grade at Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School in Edison, NJ, my English teacher gave us a homework assignment that required a walk. We had to notice things that we may not have previously seen. I used to walk more than two miles to school every day. Every day, I walked the same route which brought me through a winding road at the golf course. For two years I passed the same house on the corner and never noticed the yard had a beautiful deck and built in pool. It was all tucked away behind some shrubs and plants. My English assignment helped to notice things that were practically right under my nose. Maybe there are ideas and stories that can help your organization that you may be overlooking. In this day and age, we’re so busy running that sometimes we stop paying attention to detail.

For news stories, you can develop some new spring stories that can tie your organization, colleagues, and clients into Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation season, summer cooking and barbecues, vacations, home sales, tax extensions, fashion, state budgets and politics. If you are connected with the legal field or drug counseling/depression, or are a relationship expert, consider piggybacking off of the hoopla surrounding the death of Anna Nicole Smith. It’s literally a Pandora’s Box of potential stories.

Most of all, have fun and lighten up, it’s spring!