4 timely PR lessons from William Shakespeare

From rapturous sonnets to dramas, comedies and histories that resonate 400 years after his death, communicators should take note of the prolific scribe’s oeuvre.

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In the 400 years since his passing, William Shakespeare’s works have continually inspired writers and teachers—along with marketers and PR pros—worldwide.

The famed wordsmith’s poems and plays have been taught in classrooms for centuries. If you haven’t curled up with a copy of “Macbeth,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or “The Tempest” since your college days, perhaps it’s time to brush up.

Whether you’re “in fair Verona” where Romeo and Juliet had their star-crossed romance, or in a boardroom in Verona, New York, consider how these famous quotes might affect your marketing efforts.

Here are four PR takeaways from the Bard of Avon:

1. Be decisive.

The next time you’re faced with a dilemma, disagreement or unrealistic deadline, consider “Hamlet”:

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether ’tis Nobler in the mind to suffer

The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,

Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them.

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