TCC Insights

Raising Awareness of Testicular Cancer

  By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

The following is presented as a public service. Some of you may squirm a bit as you read it. To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable writing it (and a lot uncomfortable recuperating from the procedure I’m about to discuss).

Before Christmas, I had four cysts surgically removed from my scrotum, directly above the right testicle. Thankfully, they were all benign. I’m still experiencing some discomfort, but should be fully recovered in time for my annual Myrtle Beach golf trip in early March.

Thanks to organizations such as Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Society, much has been written about the need to examine one’s breasts for lumps as an early warning sign for cancer, especially women. But not as much is said about tackling the taboo of testicular cancer. For any of you who might snicker, testicular cancer is no laughing matter.

It’s the most common form of cancer in males between the ages of 15 and 40, and can also occur in older men and younger boys. Lance Armstrong, Actor/Comedian Tom Green, and the National Hockey League’s Phil Kessel are among those diagnosed and treated for this disease.

Bla, Bla, Bla

By Kate Torok, Account Manager

Woe is you, Tiger Woods.

It’s good to see you though, even if it’s about three months too late.

Admittedly, I, along with several colleagues, tuned in to Tiger’s 11:00 a.m. press conference (which started a few minutes late, by the way.) We were undoubtedly only some of the millions who did.

What so proudly we hailed…

By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

One of the things I enjoy about attending a Buffalo Sabres home game is Doug Allen’s always-solid performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the opening face-off.

It’s believed the first performance of our national anthem at a major sporting event was at the 1918 World Series. The tradition of singing the “Banner” grew during World War II and is now standard practice. 

I have fairly strong opinions about how the song should – and shouldn’t – be performed.

Tiger Woods has got some ‘splainin to do – or does he?

By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

I am not a big Tiger Woods fan and I continue to hold out fading hope that he won’t one day surpass Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major golf titles.  That said; I am in awe of Tiger’s ability to pull off an unbelievable shot or sink a pressure-packed putt seemingly whenever he sets his mind to it.  At times, I have gone so far as to suggest he has attained a psychokinetic or telekinetic power that cannot be easily explained or understood.

Popular WBFO Music Program Wins AP Award but Faces Elimination

By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

Last November I helped coordinate a Western New York media tour for Too Many Sisters, Toronto-based musicians Stephen Stanley (formerly of Lowest of the Low) and Carla MacNeil, to support the Buffalo-area release of their debut CD, “Non Barking Dog.”

Stephen and Carla were in town to perform at the Tralf along with Ron Hawkins and Dylan Parker (both also formerly with the Low), and Jason Tait from The Weakerthans, The Verge’s (XM satellite radio) 2008 North American Artists of the Year.

Stanley first came to prominence as a founding member of the Low, a band that Jeff Miers, music critic at The Buffalo News, has described as a “vital force in modern rock.”  Their release Shakespeare My Butt earned them a gold album and still ranks sixth on Chart Magazine’s best Canadian albums of all time.  It also helped earn the band a coveted lifetime achievement award from Toronto’s 102.1, the Edge, and induction into the Canadian Indie Music Hall of Fame.

One of the stops on our publicity junket was an in-store performance at Record Theatre near UB’s North Campus.  Alison Zero, talent producer and music reporter from WBFO, was on hand to talk with Stephen and Carla prior their performance.  Her interview, which later aired on the station’s “Morning Edition” and its “Buffalo Avenues” program, recently earned a first-place award from the New York State Associated Press.

PrettyBabe and HotMama40 following me on Twitter

By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

It all started a couple of months ago.  I began receiving periodic emails announcing that an assortment of unfamiliar women were following me on Twitter.  Wanting to fully embrace social media while also satisfying my curiosity gene, I checked out their bios and photographs. YIKES! 

I remember being somewhat amused at first, and actually showed information on one of the women following me to a couple of my colleagues here at work.  That night, when I attempted to show the same info to my wife, Jamie, it had been replaced with a notice from Twitter that read, “Sorry, the account you were headed to has been suspended due to strange activity (you can say that again!).  Mosey along now, nothing to see here.”

The Envelope Please

By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

Our entries – all 25 of them – in the annual Excalibur Awards program presented by the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) have been submitted for judging.  Their fate is now in the hands of a panel of public relations professionals from the Capital (Albany, N.Y.) Region Chapter of PRSA. 

Created in 1990, the Excalibur Awards competition has become an annual tradition that recognizes programming, projects, professionals and executives for outstanding achievement in the practice and support of public relations in Western New York during the previous calendar year.  A last-minute flurry of activity to finalize our nominations prior to the submission deadline has become a rite of spring here at Travers Collins & Company. 

All entries are based on the ability to demonstrate that a public relations program or project met its objectives, effectively utilized its budget and resources, and achieved quantifiable outcomes.  Blessed with great clients and interesting assignments, our firm has achieved a fair amount of success in this program over the years. 

Since 1998 alone, we have won a total of 188 awards out of 259 entries, which means that nearly three out of every four nominations (72 percent) have met very specific and demanding judging criteria for outstanding achievement.  In addition, two of our senior executives have been named the chapter’s public relations practitioner of the year, two associates have been honored as the organization’s rising star, and a handful of clients have been named the outstanding business executive for supporting the role of public relations within his or her organization.

While winning awards for our clients isn’t the primary focus of our efforts, our success in this annual competition clearly endorses our ability to plan, manage and evaluate public relations campaigns, and we take great pride in our success.

This year’s awards will be handed out at dinner on Thursday evening, June 18, at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.  This is always a fantastic night to renew acquaintances with many friends and colleagues in the local PR community, tell old war-stories and celebrate all the outstanding work that took place during the past year here at our agency and throughout the entire chapter. 

We typically find out how we fared a couple of weeks in advance when letters or emails from the Excalibur committee arrive, congratulating those who submitted award winners, and thanking the rest for giving it the ol’ college try.  It’s one of the most exciting days of the year at TC&C and I am already getting a bit nervous with anticipation.  

Excessive Word Count on Billboards a Major Source of Heartburn

By Dick Shaner, Senior Vice President

A broad coalition of California contractors and construction-related organizations are battling to prevent the San Diego United School District from implementing a union-only project labor agreement on a $2.4 billion facility upgrade and modernization project.  The president of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of San Diego recently asked me for some advice on two billboards being developed by coalition members to support its efforts.

Specifically, he asked how much “heartburn” the excessive text on the two designs was causing me.  I told him the first board (with 18 words of suggested copy, not counting the campaign’s website) gave me a mild-to-medium case of indigestion. The second (28 words of text) was equal to the aftermath of a double order of extra hot Buffalo-style chicken wings or a big bowl of four-alarm chili.  Pass the Rolaids!

Traditional wisdom in billboard advertising advises 7-10 words max.  I have seen some experts who say five words are enough.  According to one study on billboard advertising, a well-placed board is in a driver’s field of vision for no more than five seconds, and a weaker location commands even less attention.  So trying to jam too many words and multiple messages onto them will dramatically lessen their effectiveness.

The visuals – one in particular – were attention-getting. But the excessive copy? Not so good. 

Made famous by the Burma Shave billboards that once graced America’s roadsides, billboards remain a popular and cost-efficient way to advertise.  It’s estimated that $5.5 billion is spent on outdoor advertising each year; 62 percent of it on billboards. 

Billboards are reportedly the second most popular source of advertising in the U.S, reaching 93 percent of Americans.  A recent online survey found them to be an effective tool and of value, “In the right location, for the right length of time, with the right message.”

They are not intended to contain a lot of words or communicate multiple messages.  That is better left to direct mail, a print ad or an opinion piece in the local newspaper.