The Works of Marketing with Ray INDEX
Mar 30, 2004 • Volume 3 Issue 39
Why do journalists write this way?
Parade Magazine of about a month ago did a story on the world's dictators.
They ran it as their lead story on the front cover.
This is a Sunday only newspaper insert publication that should have time to avoid headline disasters. They didn't - got the verb and noun reversed and changed completely the meaning.
It got me looking for other strange, fun and just plain outRAYgeous headlines from newspapers and magazines around the USA. Here is part of what I found;
1. Plane Too Close To Ground, Crash Probe Told
2. Miners Refuse to Work After Death (what bad sports)
3. Juvenile Court To Try Shooting Defendant (well, if nothing else works!)
4. Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies (sad)
5. Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years In Checkout Counter (they probably had 20 items at the 10 & under line)
6. Killer Sentenced To Die For Second Time In 10 Years (if at first you don't succeed)
7. War Dims Hope For Peace (well, duh!)
8. If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While (you don't say)
9. Cold Wave Linked To Temperatures (ditto)
10. Enfield's Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
11. Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge (hope it's Duck brand)
12. Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead (I should hope so!)
13. Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge (bet that stings)
14. New Study Of Obesity Looks For Larger Test Group
15. Chef Throws His Heart Into Helping Needy
16. Arson Suspect Is Held In Massachusetts Fire
17. British Union Finds Dwarves In Short Supply (I smell a job opportunity)
18. Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half (truly cruel punishment)
19. Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing (what'd you say?)
20. Deaf College Opens Doors To Hearing (I can't hear you now)
21. Air Head Fired (it's about time)
22. Old School Pillars are Replaced By Alumni (tough way to get those donations)
23. Bank Drive-In Window Blocked By Board
24. Hospitals are Sued By 7 Foot Doctors (sounds like a tall story to me)
25. Some Pieces Of Rock Hudson Sold At Auction (be more specific - what pieces?)
26. Sex Education Delayed, Teachers Request Training (well, what did you expect?)
27. Include Your Children When Baking Cookies (whatever it takes to keep them in line)
28. Headless Body Found In Topless Bar (is this the sign on the marquee?)
29. Something Went Wrong In Jet Crash, Expert Says (this must be a government investigation)
30. Police Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers (guess I'll pay attention do those DO NOT WALK signs)
31. Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted
32. Drunk Gets Nine Months In Violin Case (hope this is a small drunk)
33. Survivor Of Siamese Twins Joins Parents
34. Stud Tires Out (this would not happen in John Wayne's day)
35. Panda Mating Fails: Veterinarian Takes Over (whatever it takes ... Panda's are an endangered species)
36. Soviet Virgin Lands Short Of Goal ... Again (no comment)
37. President Wins On Budget, But More Lies Ahead (who is surprised?)
38. Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66 (some people have all the luck)
39. Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax (must be one smart cow)
When you find a headline worth sharing, pass it along.
. . . a loose thought
It was Good
If you are too old to remember these good ideas, you must be dead already.
If you're too young to know about them, your parents and grandparents certainly do.
Every so often it is good to remember "the good ole days". This collection is pretty much from my time ... and "yes", it was good.
Everybody makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke. Grandkids snicker. Twenty-something's shudder and say "Eeeew!" But was our childhood really all that bad? Judge for yourself:
- In 1953 The US population was less than 150 million... Yet you knew more people then, and knew them better... And that was good.
- The average annual salary was under $3,000... Yet our parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and still live a decent life... And that was good
- A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents... But it was safe for a five-year-old to skate to the store and buy one... And that was good.
- Prime-Time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, Gunsmoke and Lassie... So nobody ever heard of ratings or filters... And that was good.
- We didn't have air-conditioning... So the windows stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when you fell off your bike... And that was good.
- Your teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan or Mr. Adkins... But not Ms Becky or Mr. Dan... And that was good.
- The only hazardous material you knew about... Was a patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the corner... And that was good.
- You loved to climb into a fresh bed... Because sheets were dried on the clothesline... And that was good.
- People generally lived in the same hometown with their relatives.. So "child care" meant grandparents or aunts and uncles... And that was good.
- Parents were respected and their rules were law.... Children did not talk back..... and that was good.
- TV was in black-and-white... But all outdoors was in glorious color....And that was certainly good.
- Your Dad knew how to adjust everybody's carburetor... And the Dad next door knew how to adjust all the TV knobs.. And that was very good.
- Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard... And chickens behind the garage... And that was definitely good.
- And just when you were about to do something really bad... Chances were you'd run into your Dad's high school coach... Or the nosy old lady from up the street... Or your little sister's piano teacher... Or somebody from Church.... ALL of whom knew your parents' phone number... And YOUR first name... And even THAT was good!
Do you remember . . .
Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, Sky King, Little Lulu comics, Brenda Starr, Howdy Doody and The Peanut Gallery, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk as well as the sound of a real mower on Saturday morning?
Do you remember summers filled with bike rides, playing cowboy, playing hide and seek and kick-the-can and Simon Says, baseball games, amateur shows at the local theater before the Saturday matinee, bowling and visits to the pool...and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar, and wax lips and bubble-gum cigars?
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!
And . . . was it really that long ago?
Anonymous
As I age I mellow. So much of what got me excited and maybe even upset a few years ago I've learned doesn't really matter too much. Anonymous says it this way;
"Nothing big ever came from being small."
"Quotes with Direction" has been a part of my web site collection from day one. If you like quotes visit the archives ... www.rayjutkins.com/quotes/. There's a new batch up every 4 weeks.
"It IS What's Next!"
It's become known as "the story".
I've shared it with a number of health care organizations, a database marketing business, a direct marketing firm, a publishing organization, a DM association - and several others. And I'm ready to bring it to your group. (Visit It IS What's Next!)
When you have a need for a 40-60 minute program, I'll give you this different, interesting, meaningful, warm and true action presentation. If you want a half-day interactive seminar, that can happen, too. For your club. Your company. Your organization. Your association. Your school or University. Any group you have. At any place. At any time. For any reason.
It IS What’s Next! is available to you as a Keynote Address. As a special program. As an opening or closing presentation. As a different / unique session.
Interested? Visit the web site @ It IS What's Next! And E-mail me Ray@RayJutkins.com and let's make it happen. I look forward to hearing from you. Soon.
Thank you!
... and one more Idea
An eon ago Burt Dubin came into my life. And has stayed. We continue to swap ideas.
One area of common ground is we're both speakers. And, Burt is a "teacher" ... working with professionals helping them grow to masters - as well as new comers just breaking in to the speaker business.
To learn more about what Burt might offer you, visit his exclusive resource and most interesting web site. Plus, you may wish to opt-in for his FREE E-zine. It's easy - surf to www.SpeakingBizSuccess.com and take a tour. Or send an E-mail to burt@speakingbizsuccess.com.
Magic Marketing Minutes
Limited Time Offer
Direct mail is a dialogue medium. That is, you send the message out, and you want a response.
One of the best ways to ensure you get a response is to be exact with your message. Exact and believable. Specific. Precise.
A number such as 481 is a much more believable number than saying almost 500. $16.42 is much more believable than $14.95. It's not always easy to be exact with your information -- but when you can, your message is much more likely to be understood and acted upon.
Here are some specific numbers:
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60 seconds is better than saying one minute |
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60 minutes is better than one hour |
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24 hours is better than one day |
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30 days is better than one month |
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365 days is better than one year. |
Here is an exact example:
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"The YYK Company accounts for 50% of the worlds zipper supply. They turn out 1.1 million miles of zippers annually -- enough to circle the earth 44 times!" |
A specific set of numbers. 51% 1.1 million miles. 44 times. People relate to specific.