Learn to be Quotable and You Will Control the Headlines
As a media trainer, I am constantly urging people to be a little more creative or adventurous with their language…for the simple reason that it will ensure journalists report the things they say.
In recent days I have been looking for some new examples to prove this point and I offer five here. I am deliberately looking in the serious media and trade press because so many believe being quotable is only relevant for the red-tops (popular press).
So, I start in Japan where the appointment of an unexpected candidate as Governor of the Bank of Japan has made headlines in the business news. A political advisor, asked to comment on the race before the result, urged people not to jump to conclusions and said ‘there is still the possibility of a dark-horse candidate’. The use of the English idiom was repeated in a subsequent headline in the FT. We will never know but perhaps the advisor would not have made it into the piece if had been more cautious in his use of language. If he was a named independent consultant the quote in the FT would have been good for business.
In politics coming up with a good metaphor cannot just get you the quote but hi-jack the public debate, or as PR people like to say ‘change the conversation’. One labour commentator talking about the recent reshuffle said Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Grove had ‘had his piggy bank stolen’: just a more interesting way of saying ‘lost control of his budget’. But such interesting phrases are currency in public debate. And they make quotes and headlines.
A couple of weeks ago our own Central Bank Governor Andrew Bailey wanted to announce some cautious good news on the economy. My guess is he wanted to make sure people got the message but he did not want to be too optimistic. Picking the right phrase was crucial. He said ‘the corner has been turned on inflation’. As you’d expect, this phrase has been repeated many times by journalists and pundits since then. Job done.
In motortrader.com, a trade news website, Matthew Davock, director of Manheim Commercial Vehicles, Cox Automotive stepped out behind is metaphorical desk when he said to a reporter: “The wholesale LCV market is off to a flying start at Manheim…” It was enough to ensure he was quoted, and his company’s success was a headline.
Mark Caddle, partner and trademark attorney at IP firm Withers & Rogers promoted himself and his work in Grocer magazine, whilst commenting on an important High Court ruling on ‘copycatting’…where cheaper brands deliberately make a product look like a more expensive competitor.
His quote as reported was:
“With the memory of the battle of Colin and Cuthbert the caterpillar cakes still fresh, this should send a warning that a line in the sand is forming”. And the headline:
Day in, day out, we spot these examples. Some are pedestrian ‘storms approaching’, ‘gamechanger’, ‘out of the woods’ for example and some are fun and creative and memorable such as Boris’ ‘I’d rather be dead in a ditch than delay Brexit’.
There may well be push back from colleagues worried about ‘tone of voice’ but they should be reminded of the clear benefit of using interesting language, the currency of the scribbling classes.
Lindsay Williams is based in London but runs training sessions in multiple time zones, including the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, working online or travelling to host small and large scale training events. With 20 years of experience as a communications consultant with corporations and international organisations, Lindsay also runs Personal Impact Training and Pitching Via Zoom courses.
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