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A day in PR—in haiku form

By Jill Newberry | Posted: March 30, 2012
I’ve always loved the haiku—it’s quick and concise, yet it can be so powerful and moving. Growing up, many of my classmates preferred to write long, flowing poetry in English class, while I was drawn to the simple, straightforward haiku.

Fast-forward to the present. As a PR gal, I’m constantly looking for ways to get my clients’ news and important messages heard above the noise. To do that, I usually have about 15 seconds on the phone, three sentences in an email, or 140 characters on Twitter. It’s no wonder the succinct haiku remains at the top of my list.

Last September, The New York Times posted an interesting piece on “new-form” press releases—company announcements unveiled on a blog, via Twitter, or even through an offbeat poem, versus a traditional press release distributed over the wire. My favorite example was Google’s 2011 acquisition of Zagat, announced by Google exec Marissa Mayer via Twitter as a haiku:

Delightful deal done;
Zagat and Google now one;
Foodies have more fun!

Of course, clever corporate communications can sometimes backfire, the Times noted. It cited HubSpot’s decision to announce its acquisition of OneForty solely through a series of Twitter messages. Though social media enthusiasts loved the approach, many complained they wanted to see a more standard news release. One user tweeted that it was the “most annoying press release format ever.”

[READ: 5 examples of offbeat press releases]

The traditional press release certainly still has its place, but that’s a different blog post for a different day (though I’d recommend you check out this post by @moleary on a related topic).

As a follow-up to the great post 33 (more) signs you work in PR by @bamonaghan, I thought I’d walk you through a day in the life of a PR agency lifer—presented in haiku form.

Great pitch idea.
Comes to me while in shower.
Jumps out to write down.

Three coffees later,
Pitches out, plan sent, news read.
And it’s only nine.

Blog, post, tweet, link, pin.
Wait, there is another one?
Ugh, fine, Google Plus.

Embargoed release.
I thought you’d know what that means.
Apparently not.

(Can’t take credit for this one; it’s from the irreverent but hilarious @PRHaiku)

Verbally hashtagged
At least three conversations
Today. #Makethatfour.

Random thought occurs.
Oh where were you, Pinterest?
For my wedding day?

Three free hours, no calls?
Time to catch up on writing.
Love productive days.

At gym, checks iPhone.
Smack! Falls off treadmill.
Multitasking pro.

Got more? I’ll be tweeting these using the #PRHaiku hashtag, and encourage you to add your own on Twitter or in the comments below.

Jill Newberry is director at InkHouse Media + Marketing. Follow Jill on Twitter @jillcn. A version of this story first appeared on the Inkhouse blog, Inklings.

(Image via)