Transition From Broadcast to Connected TV Gathers Momentum as Microsoft Mediaroom-Powered Services Surpasses 2 Million Subscribers In less than a year, subscribers to TV services powered by the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia software platform have more than doubled, reaching over 2 million subscriber homes and powering services on nearly 4 million set-top boxes worldwide. In the past quarter alone, Mediaroom customers have connected 500,000 new subscribers across the globe. The Wolcott Company Patriot Pass unveiled at Copper Mountain, Steamboat and Winter Park Special Passes Offer Skiing And Riding For Military Personnel And Immediate Family Members At Three Of Colorado's Premier Resorts COPPER MOUNTAIN, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS and WINTER PARK, CO, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ - In honor of Veteran's Day, the three Intrawest resorts in Colorado unveiled the new Patriot Pass and Patriot Pass Plus, one of the first military passes in the state offering a full-season pass at special prices for military members and their immediate families. Designers Learn from Nature to Achieve a Platinum-Perfect Building USGBC Awards LEED Platinum to Los Angeles' Center for Community Forestry LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The US Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded its highest level of recognition, LEED(R) Platinum certification, to the Conference Center at the newly re-opened TreePeople Center for Community Forestry. TreePeople, an environmental non-profit, has served the Los Angeles region for 35 years with the goal of "helping nature heal our cities." The state-of-the-art Conference Center provides a gathering place for local, national, and international leaders to create healthy, sustainable cities. For Parents in Academia, the Right Life Coach can Make the Difference Between “Tenured” and “Terminated” Parents in academia make great strides toward succeeding as professors, parents, and partners when they work with the right academic and life coach. Dr. Mary Coussons-Read, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Founding Principal of Powerful Mind Coaching, discusses her work with parents in academia and her clients’ results. Littleton, CO, July 26, 2008 --( PR.com )-- Getting tenure is hard enough, but doing it when you’ve got a family too? Moms and Dads in Colleges and Universities do it, but in the process, many struggle with intense stress, guilt about lost family time, and serious problems with time management Report urges states to tackle preterm birth crisis By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer WASHINGTON—The odds of having a premature baby are lowest in Vermont and highest in Mississippi. The March of Dimes mapped the stark state-by-state disparities in what it called a "report card" on prematurity Wednesday—to track progress toward meeting a federal goal of lowering preterm births .

Transition From Broadcast to Connected TV Gathers Momentum as Microsoft Mediaroom-Powered Services Surpasses 2 Million Subscribers

In less than a year, subscribers to TV services powered by the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia software platform have more than doubled, reaching over 2 million subscriber homes and powering services on nearly 4 million set-top boxes worldwide. In the past quarter alone, Mediaroom customers have connected 500,000 new subscribers across the globe.

Story Telling Grabbing a reporter’s attention NOW and for the long haul The Wolcott Company

“ A fact, wrapped in an emotion that compels us to take an action that transforms our world.” The Elements of Persuasion Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman The Wolcott Company Definition of a story

“ A fact, wrapped in an emotion that compels us to take an action that transforms our world.”

The Elements of Persuasion

Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman

Where Storytelling Works The difficult feature pitch Do you want a front-page story or a inside brief? There will be more Controversy Regional, national, local The Wolcott Company

Where Storytelling Works

The difficult feature pitch

Do you want a front-page story or a inside brief?

There will be more

Controversy

Regional, national, local

Where Storytelling Usually DOESN’T Work Publicly traded companies Release of a medical study Breaking news Controversy News in the “Starbucks” era The Wolcott Company

Where Storytelling

Usually DOESN’T Work

Publicly traded companies

Release of a medical study

Breaking news

Controversy

News in the “Starbucks” era

Obstacles to telling a story Reluctant boss No “meat” on the bone Skeptical reporter Not the right time Busy news cycle Lawyers The Wolcott Company

Obstacles to telling a story

Reluctant boss

No “meat” on the bone

Skeptical reporter

Not the right time

Busy news cycle

Lawyers

Obstacles to telling a good story The wrong angle or phrase Starbuck vs. Pequod The Wolcott Company

Obstacles to telling a good story

The wrong angle or phrase

Starbuck

vs.

Pequod

Reluctant boss or client Build your case Present the long-term goal What is the urgency? Provides a more complete picture of the company’s progressive culture Motivates employees This could take time The Wolcott Company

Build your case

Present the long-term goal

What is the urgency?

Provides a more complete picture of the company’s progressive culture

Motivates employees

This could take time

Meat on the bone Onions have layers = Play Reporter Find the person behind the story Why was this medicine created? Research how stories got into print Get rid of throwaway phrases “ Leader in the industry” “ We’re committed” “ Part of our annual investment in..” The Wolcott Company

Onions have layers = Play Reporter

Find the person behind the story

Why was this medicine created?

Research how stories got into print

Get rid of throwaway phrases

“ Leader in the industry”

“ We’re committed”

“ Part of our annual investment in..”

Process to get “Meat” Start with the basic questions of a reporter Why me? Why now? Why should I care? How does this affect the average person? The Wolcott Company

Start with the basic questions of a reporter

Why me?

Why now?

Why should I care?

How does this affect the average person?

Process to get “Meat” Talk to the “line” staff Less “filtered” information Talk to real customers Research, research, research Pretend you’re writing an op-ed The Wolcott Company

Talk to the “line” staff

Less “filtered” information

Talk to real customers

Research, research, research

Pretend you’re writing an op-ed

Research Google similar stories, phrases Check out the competition’s press releases Bloggers tell stories everyday The Wolcott Company

Google similar stories, phrases

Check out the competition’s press releases

Bloggers tell stories everyday

Making Emotional Connections How would I tell this to my grandmother? How would I interest my teen-age daughter and her friends? Why is it important to talk about real people vs. make fun of them on YouTube? The Wolcott Company

How would I tell this to my grandmother?

How would I interest

my teen-age daughter

and her friends?

Why is it important to talk about real people vs. make fun of them on YouTube?

Skeptical reporter The “sound bite” pitch I can deliver real people affected by this Your chance to see the human side of our company You seem personally interested in this topic Is now a good time? There is much more to this story The Wolcott Company

The “sound bite” pitch

I can deliver real people affected by this

Your chance to see the human side of our company

You seem personally interested in this topic

Is now a good time?

There is much more to this story

Timing the busy news cycle Every day: Hundreds of products or stories that sound like yours Use slow times Veteran’s Day or the holidays Consider a trade publication first Longer lead time More space Reminders, updates to keep original pitch alive The Wolcott Company

Every day: Hundreds of products or stories that sound like yours

Use slow times

Veteran’s Day or the holidays

Consider a trade publication first

Longer lead time

More space

Reminders, updates to keep original pitch alive

Lawyers The Wolcott Company

Elements of a good story A great beginning Support the lead Meaty, but lean A good ending, like a call to action Kevin Dugan The Wolcott Company

A great beginning

Support the lead

Meaty, but lean

A good ending, like a call to action

Kevin Dugan

Elements of a good story A person Easier to tell the story with a “live” one Perspective or Context “ Today, more than 1 million people suffer…” Timing “ In three weeks……” Layers Blend emotions and facts The Wolcott Company

A person

Easier to tell the story with a “live” one

Perspective or Context

“ Today, more than 1 million people suffer…”

Timing

“ In three weeks……”

Layers

Blend emotions and facts

Instant death No “news” or a very, very long a lead Poor grammar No depth No “perspective” Not applicable to “today” Acronyms Commas The Wolcott Company

No “news” or a very, very long a lead

Poor grammar

No depth

No “perspective”

Not applicable to “today”

Acronyms

Commas

Easy to understand ?? During the company's five regional hotel owner conferences held this fall, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), in conjunction with all of its franchise owners associations, celebrated the inaugural year of its Awards for Property Excellence (APEX) program by honoring over 100 individual hotel owners and staff members from across the country for their outstanding performance in a number of different categories. The Wolcott Company

During the company's five regional hotel owner conferences held this fall, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), in conjunction with all of its franchise owners associations, celebrated the inaugural year of its Awards for Property Excellence (APEX) program by honoring over 100 individual hotel owners and staff members from across the country for their outstanding performance in a number of different categories.

Tell the story Practice…… from the heart Engage not manipulate Create a PowerPoint This is “real” not SNL What you won’t find in a Google search The Wolcott Company

Practice…… from the heart

Engage not manipulate

Create a PowerPoint

This is “real” not SNL

What you won’t find in a Google search

Techniques Tactics that work up to a pitch Have evidence handy Third-party “validations” A personal blog An online presence (digital story) Add video, graphics, audio IF IT ADDS TO THE STORY!!! Think like a reporter The Wolcott Company

Tactics that work up to a pitch

Have evidence handy

Third-party “validations”

A personal blog

An online presence (digital story)

Add video, graphics, audio

IF IT ADDS TO THE STORY!!!

Think like a reporter

Examples The Wolcott Company

Paint a picture Water District – pumps water from far away. People only know what comes out of tap. “ Engineer” water “ Water you drink may have come from Wyoming” The Wolcott Company

Water District – pumps water from far away. People only know what comes out of tap.

“ Engineer” water

“ Water you drink

may have come from Wyoming”

Humanize Fluoridation Dental story of youth in school Got families to talk about impact of economic condition and dental health Sourced history of “facts” and “stories” The Wolcott Company

Fluoridation

Dental story of youth in school

Got families to talk about impact of economic condition and dental health

Sourced history of “facts” and “stories”

Resources “ Art of Persuasion” Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman “ How Come No One Knows About Us?“ Robert Deigh Slideshare.net The Wolcott Company

“ Art of Persuasion”

Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman

“ How Come No One Knows About Us?“

Robert Deigh

Slideshare.net

The Wolcott Company National Day of Listening November 28, 2008 Studs Terkel R*I*P