Also known as a slogan, a tagline has been called a brand in a single line (typically in about five words). Taglines can help communicate a company’s vision; differentiate its products and services from competitors; reflect a change in strategic direction; or even inspire customers. A tagline isn’t always necessary, and some iconic companies don’t need them (think Apple). However, in many cases, taglines can provide valuable supplemental information.

Here are some examples of taglines that effectively complement company names:

• Intel—Inspired Innovation That’s Changing the World
• Microsoft—Where Would You Like to Go Today?
• NTT DoCoMo—Communication Beyond Words
• Optelian—Fiber Mining for Optical Networks
• Plantronics—Sound Innovation
• Symantec—Confidence in a Connected World

I have a couple personal favorites:

A few years ago, a maker of 2,000 types of flash drives for computers, digital cameras and mobile phones came up with this combo:

• Kingston Technology—Committed to Memory

Before it merged with Sprint, a wireless operator offering a staccato voice service for businesses achieved a rare feat, boiling its tagline down to a single word:

• Nextel—Done

Taglines can be devilishly tricky to write. Compressing the vision of an innovative company or the benefits of a sophisticated service into a handful of meaningful words is a tough exercise. This is one place where marketing intelligence and terrific wordsmithing truly shine, and the experienced people at Coracle Group can help.

How do you create one of these gems? We start with a brainstorming process that explores your company’s strengths in the markets it serves and aspires to serve. Capturing the right words that embellish your company story, we begin a winnowing process to pinpoint the phrasings that work best. Refinement comes next with an eye toward expressing just the right personality and tone. A clever play on words (see the Plantronics tagline above) can make a tagline more memorable. Alliteration can help, too:

• Lexus—The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection

Once the list of potential taglines is reduced to two or three options, there are still a couple crucial steps to take. After painstakingly developing and polishing tagline options that reflect your brand personality, make sure they translate well if you do business in other languages and cultures. Also conduct a thorough legal search to ensure your prized phrases are free of any commercial use, domain or trademark conflicts. Then the preferred tagline should be trademarked or registered through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or by your company’s legal advisors.

Any time your company changes its logo or strategic direction, a tagline update probably is in order, too.

We’ve noticed that the same few usage errors keep popping up in published content including website copy, sales presentations, articles, white papers, blogs and advertisements. These bugaboos can cause even experienced journalists and large companies with huge ad budgets to goof occasionally in public.

This may look like small stuff, but what good is a great idea or product if it isn’t described in a way that builds credibility for your brand? Factual accuracy is important, but so is execution. Would The Wall Street Journal  be as trusted if every page contained a dozen mistakes in usage?

Here is our list of 10 common usage errors, which a computer spell check won’t always catch. Avoid them to look like a star and say what you really mean. (Of course, we’re glad to help you draft and edit your marketing and public relations copy–digital or print. If you have a specific usage question, post a comment or email us, and we’ll try to answer it.)

1)     Its/it’s. These two words are frequently confused. Although they look interchangeable, they are very different. “It” is a singular pronoun standing for, or referring to, something else. She grabbed the tablet computer and dropped it in her briefcase. “Its” is an adjective indicating a possessive. The smartphone was missing its protective case. “It’s” abbreviates two words, “it is,” so use this contraction only when you could just as easily substitute both words. It’s too late to catch that plane.

2)     Its/their. For some strange reason, using “their” in reference to a team, corporation or government suddenly is in vogue, but it’s (see above) a misusage. Nouns that identify more than one person, place or thing typically are plural in American English, but collective nouns are an exception. These nouns identify a single entity, which may consist of multiple individuals or parts, but they typically function in unison. The project team completed its mission. The electronics company successfully sued its competitors for stealing patents. After compiling export data, the government released its report. “Their” is the possessive form of the pronoun “they” and should be used when referring to two or more. The engineers and marketers presented their points of view in separate meetings. Warning: British English is different, so keep your audience in mind.

3)     Your/you’re. “Your” is another possessive adjective. Your lunch with the customer was very productive.  “You’re” is a contraction and means “you are.” You’re welcome to join the conference call.

4)     Affect/effect. Pronounced differently, these words also have different meanings. “Affect” is almost always a verb meaning to influence or cause a response. The parts shortage will affect production schedules. “Effect” as a noun refers to a result or outcome. As an effect of the shortage, the shipment from China arrived two weeks late. However, “effect” as a verb means to bring about. The new CEO undoubtedly plans to effect improvements in production planning. See the differences?

5)     That/which. In many cases, “that” is extraneous and can be omitted from a sentence without any loss in meaning. Used properly, “that” defines the noun it is attached to and can’t be deleted. The convention that is the largest in the consumer electronics industry is held in Las Vegas. However, “which” signals a nonrestrictive (parenthetical) clause not necessary to the sense of the sentence and is  set off with commas. The district court, which has settled difficult cases for decades, is known for clarifying telecommunications law.

6)     Ensure/insure/assure/secure. These words are quite similar because they all refer to making a person or thing sure, but there are nuances among them. “Ensure” means to make certain or safe. “Insure” refers to indemnifying against a loss. “Assure” is more about removing doubt from a person’s mind. “Secure” goes a step further, describing an action taken to guard against attack or loss. In marketing, be careful of the related word “guarantee,” since it is has legal ramifications. To use three of these: I can assure the CFO that our vendor will insure the shipment, and the company’s down payment will be secure.

7)     Commas in a series. Should there be one or two? Experts are divided, and most news media omit the second one. Just chose one style, and use it consistently.  (See our Aug. 25, 2010 blog post.) However, use a comma before “and” to avoid ambiguity. The solution includes hardware and software, and technical support may be included for a fee. Or it could be written this way with one or two commas: The solution includes hardware, software and optional technical support.

8)     Impacted. This word makes me want to grasp my jaw and run for the dentist. It’s one of many nouns now turned into a verb. “Affected” is usually better.  All the employees were affected when health insurance benefits were improved.

9)     Finalize. You’ll find this word in the dictionary, but we try to avoid it because it looks and sounds awkward. The term originated in Australia in the 1920s and was picked up by the U.S. Navy. Is the project finished? Is the job done? Then say so, and don’t governmentalize it.

10)  Hyphens. This topic can be complex, especially in the telecom and technology world, which is prone to lengthy descriptive phrases (compounds). Hyphens essentially put two parts of a word under one umbrella, helping to improve comprehension. The solution features a flexible rules-based routing engine. The hyphen can be dropped when the compound contains an adverb ending in “–ly.” The company’s wirelessly enabled device was popular with enterprises.

Do you disagree with any of these? Have more examples to share? Let me know.–Judith Purcell

Just visit the Verizon Wireless booth, #35216, South Hall, at the 2011 International CES, Jan. 6-9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. SkyCross (www.skycross.com), a Coracle Group client, will be demonstrating how it provides wireless connectivity for a range of new LTE devices.

Delivering LTE devices is a challenge. Operators are requesting devices with eight to 13 bands plus Wi-Fi, GPS, and 2G/3G. This makes the radio-frequency front end for LTE devices critical, and it is very difficult to engineer.

As far as we know, only one radio-frequency solutions provider has the technology required to add wireless connectivity to a host of consumer and enterprise devices for LTE networks. That company is SkyCross.

SkyCross designs and manufactures device antennas, which are crucial to the user experience, since they are the only parts of a device that touch the network and maintain connectivity. They’re especially important for real-time and high-throughput applications. SkyCross has developed patented Isolated Mode Antenna Technology (iMAT®), an engineering breakthrough supporting the 700 MHz LTE band, as well as many additional bands and device functions.

SkyCross specializes in optimizing wireless connectivity in consumer electronics devices—an art as well as a difficult science.

Wireless isn’t a “snap-on” function for 3G/4G smartphones, which require MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology to support multiple frequency bands (WiFi, GPS, and 2G/3G fallback) and multiple features (HD video, gaming, camera, voice, etc.).

Device antennas must be small enough to allow sleek, thin, and differentiated product designs. In addition, they can’t create interference or be affected by other internal objects, and they must be located to maximize signals into and out of the device without exceeding government power and RF exposure limits.

SkyCross developed iMAT®, a protocol-independent technology for ultra-fast broadband networks that enables a single device antenna to deliver the performance benefits of multiple antennas without creating interference issues. This breakthrough MIMO technology fits around other device components including cameras, navigation units, data/Internet, video, music players and more.

iMAT can help cut production costs by reducing the number of components inside devices. iMAT also helps reduce Specific Absorption Levels (SARs) for wireless users.

Last year SkyCross shipped more than 100 million antennas to device manufacturers worldwide including Samsung, SK Teletech, Novatel Wireless, Symbol (Motorola), Hisense, Intel, Alcatel Mobile Phones and a number of other Asian companies.

In February 2010, the GSM Association selected SkyCross as the winner of its Global Mobile Award for Best Network Technology Advance because iMAT inside devices on 3G/4G networks actually makes those networks perform better.

Check out SkyCross’s contribution to new LTE devices. See you at CES, booth #35216!–The Coracle Group Team

Reporters often prefer interviewing the CEO. After all, he/she has the ultimate authority and discretion in talking to the media and is most likely to provide a higher-level view of company news and direction. However, the CEO may or may not be the best person for the task.

Some CEOs prefer to focus solely on strategy and feel the spokesperson role is a distraction. Others relish the opportunity to talk about their business passion and consistently create time in their busy schedules to do it.

Here’s a quick check list to help determine whether your CEO is the most appropriate spokesperson for your company.

Does your CEO:

• Have a thorough command of your firm’s entire strategy, operations and product line?
• Speak in a very friendly, articulate and quotable way?
• Know how to stay on message and manage the interview?
• Have the scheduling flexibility to respond within 1-2 hours to reporters working on deadline?
• Want to develop long-term relationships with the media?

If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, then the CEO may be a great choice for spokesperson. If the answer is “no”—let’s say because the CEO is new to the job and frequently traveling worldwide—a different selection may be best, at least for a time. However, the ideal spokesperson should have a title of vice president or higher and thorough knowledge of the topics the reporter needs to discuss, especially if they’re of a technical or financial nature.

Another way to handle media requests is to split them up by subject matter or audience. For example, the CEO may handle interviews with top-tier business publications and those regarding corporate strategy, and CTOs and vice presidents of engineering can speak in greater detail for technical media.

The main goal is to make sure your chosen spokesperson can succeed in providing clear, accurate information for the readers and viewers in the reporter’s audience. Establishing editorial credibility is paramount for a trusted, ongoing relationship with the media.

Coracle Group helps sharpen company messaging and provides media training for spokespeople. We ensure that spokespeople are well prepared for any interview so the published results accurately and positively portray their companies. Call us to discuss these services in detail.–Judith Purcell

New inductees are LeRoy T. Carlson, founder of U.S. Cellular; “Ted” Rogers, Jr. (posthumously), president and CEO of Rogers Communications, Inc.; Stan Sigman, retired president and CEO of AT&T Mobility; and Raymond C. Trott, founder of Trott Communications Group and an RF engineer who helped design many wireless systems.

Top-level sponsors of the event are AT&T Mobility, Intel and Verizon Wireless. The list of additional sponsors includes Ericsson, Nokia, Sprint, Interop Technologies and Andrew Seybold, Inc.

Get your tickets now at www.eventbrite.com/event/775588807 or through the WHF website at www.wirelesshistoryfoundation.org. They’re $250 until Sept. 20, when the price increases to $275.

Coracle Group is an advocate for WHF, which is developing programs to build community within wireless, chronicle the industry’s development and inspire entrepreneurs.

The organization’s earlier event, held Oct. 13, 2008 in Chicago, was a stellar success celebrating the 25th anniversary of the U.S. launch of cellular. The room was packed with luminaries from across the industry, and the upcoming event promises to be a glittering evening as well.

We hope to see you at the Wireless Hall of Fame dinner in San Francisco!–Judith Purcell

For years we’ve been recommending The Associated Press Stylebook, especially for any content intended for publication by the news media. The AP Stylebook has been the arbiter of writing style for reporters and editors since 1953. If you’re providing content to them, do so in the style they prefer and make their editing job easier.

 The 45^th edition, published earlier this year by AP, made waves for changing the style of “Web site” to “website” and adding a new section on social media guidelines. We equipped our staff with copies to replace the dog-eared editions on the shelf.

Now Yahoo has gone a step further, creating The Yahoo! Style Guide: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Digital World and a robust, related website.

According to an Aug. 12 summary of the book on the Columbia Journalism Review site, Yahoo wants to “raise the level of writing on the Web”, an admirable goal. Yahoo’s own content business is strong. Citing comScore stats, Yahoo logged 56 million unique visitors for Yahoo News in June.

 In the section on Writing for the Web, the Yahoo website notes that people expect “the ability to find what they want on a webpage fast” and provides seven useful pointers for writers:

• Identify your audience
• Define your voice
• Construct clear, compelling copy
• Be inclusive, write for the world
• Make your site accessible to everyone
• Write clear user-interface text
• Streamline text for mobile devices

I couldn’t agree more and would like to point out that the first four items apply to content no matter where it’s ultimately published.

One immediate difference I spotted between the two guides is the policy on putting a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. The Yahoo guide recommends adding it for clarity, but AP, true to its newspaper roots, advises against it: “The flag is red, white and blue.” Debates can be lengthy on this point alone. Lynne Truss accentuated the potential results of omitting that second comma in the title of her witty 2003 book Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Take your pick of style, but stick to it for consistency.

 Published by St. Martin’s Press, the Yahoo print guide (note I dropped the gratuitous exclamation mark, though Yahoo recommends keeping it, of course) can be purchased for U.S. $21.99 wherever books are sold. iPad and Kindle versions are available as well. Or just go to the website: http://styleguide.yahoo.com/.

Will the Yahoo Style Guide answer every style question today? I doubt it. I’ll be using it along with the AP Stylebook and a couple dozen other favorite references. Plus, good writing isn’t just about style; it’s also dependent on strong structure. The principals at Coracle have decades of experience in developing content. If you have questions on structure or style while you’re tackling that next writing assignment, just give us a call.–Judith Purcell

Timing can vary depending on the nature of the news, target audiences and geographic region. Since Coracle was founded in 2002, we’ve typically advised clients to issue releases on Tuesday morning to optimize results. We based that recommendation on strong results over the past eight years and our own prior newsdesk experience at online, broadcast and print media organizations. Business Wire is in general agreement and recently announced results of a poll of 215 of its PR Peeps confirming the advice.

What’s so special about Tuesday morning? On Monday, we often find that journalists, bloggers and their audiences are less attentive since they’re busy organizing their workweek. On Friday, they’re winding down and getting ready for the weekend like everyone else. That leaves Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as potential issue days, but early in the week is better for extending the reach of your news.

With today’s 24/7/365 news cycle, we often distribute releases in the wee hours to accommodate as many editorial deadlines in target regions as possible. For example, a release intended for simultaneous delivery to European media, as well as U.S. websites and daily eletters, probably should be distributed before 8:00 am London time (3:00 am U.S. Eastern during daylight savings time).

Obviously, not all releases should land on reporters’ desks at exactly the same time. There are also some significant exceptions to the Tuesday guideline. Let’s say your release is breaking news on a major company acquisition, keyed to the start date of a big tradeshow or included in a series of rolling announcements. In all these cases and more, different timing may be appropriate. That’s not to mention coordination with news distribution in Asia, which can be a full half day or more ahead of U.S. time zones.

Common sense is key. We have lots of experience in issuing releases worldwide and will be glad to discuss your specific situation and recommend optimum timing.—Judith Purcell

Nomad’s business model is certainly different from traditional magazine publishers. After a 30-day free trial, the startup will ask users for a 52-week subscription at about $24 per year for each subject  area. However, subscribers can sign up for just three months if they prefer. Nomad plans to hire about a dozen full-time staffers and will select more writers and editors from the large number of qualified unemployed (and underemployed) people in today’s market.

Completely breaking with tradition, editorial people actually will receive a cut: writers can earn up to 30 percent of subscription revenue per edition per week, and editors will make 5 percent plus a piece of advertising revenue. Mark M. Edmiston, Nomad’s CEO and a former Newsweek executive, told The New York Times that writers attracting an average of 50,000 readers can earn up to $60,000 a year. That rate is likely to bring a truckload of resumes to Nomad’s door, since freelancers typically work for multiple publishers, analyst groups and/or corporate clients.

Nomad’s advertising model is reminiscent of custom publishing, with advertisers able to sponsor entire editions on specific topics.

Will this narrowcasting approach work as the world increasingly goes mobile? Should pay for writers and editors be directly tied to the number of subscribers they bring in? How will that affect content integrity? Can Nomad attract enough advertising revenue to survive and thrive? What do you think?–Judith Purcell

We cheered when Ed Whitacre, former chairman and CEO of AT&T until he retired in 2007, took the reins at the auto manufacturing company. If anyone could shape up such a poorly run organization, it was hard-charging Whitacre. With the front-end work done, Whitacre is turning over his duties Sept. 1 to Daniel Akerson, GM board member, who formerly held the posts of CEO and later chairman of Nextel Communications. Under Akerson’s leadership, Nextel consistently reported ARPUs higher than its wireless competitors. In the next chapter of GM’s saga, perhaps the company can successfully regain its competitiveness for the future innovation economy.–Judith Purcell

Back when telecom was a monopoly wireline business run by AT&T, Jim banded together with a group of like-minded entrepreneurs to challenge the regulatory system. At the time, many of these individuals were operating family-owned businesses licensed by the FCC to provide local paging, telephone answering and early car telephone services, but they were passionate about providing competition and consumer choice in telecom.

The FCC initially doubted whether these companies had the technical and financial resources required to take on the then-mighty Bell system. They persevered and were successful. It was a truly awesome thing to see. The FCC decided to grant both wireline and non-wireline cellular licenses in markets across the United States, and the rest is history. Today there are nearly 5 billion cellular customers worldwide. The trade association that Jim and his colleagues launched, CTIA-The Wireless Association, is going strong.

Jim always had a twinkle in his eye, a great business plan in his head and a humorous story up his sleeve. At Interop Technologies, where he was Chairman, son John Dwyer, the company’s President and CEO, plans to build upon his father’s legacy. We’re proud that Interop has been a Coracle Group client for nearly four years. Going forward, we know that John and his team will continue to lead the way with technology for messaging, device management and connectivity gateways.–Judith Purcell