X-Message-Number: 23657
Subject: Meta discussion of  Frozen dead guy days and email to government
From: "Fred C. Moulton" <>
References: <>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:37:12 -0500

In reading Cryonet I was going to reply to two different
messages but since there is a common underlying point I
will combine my comments into one.

It is important to think about Public Relations and the
consequences our actions.  In use the term Public Relations
to include the entire range of activities and contacts related
to government, press, scientific, industry and general public.

Even showing up at the Frozen Dead Guy Days would be a disaster.
One of the keys to marketing is being able to set the context
of discussion.  By going to the Frozen Dead Guy Days Alcor
would provide the opportunity for persons opposed to cryonics
and journalists who want a humorous lead for news story to 
set the agenda by making cute remarks and asking strange
questions.  At this point someone usually wants to argue
that this would the time so state our case.  NO!  Anytime you
put yourself in a situation in which you have to spend 30
minutes responding to a 30 second sound bite you have likely
lost.  Your long detailed explanation with footnotes and 
studies of fruit flies is probably not going to be seen by
the audience.  And what about the casual passersby who wander
along the event, how many are going stop by a stand for a
detailed explanation or will they just wander by and six months
from now the only impression they will have had of Alcor is 
seeing the Alcor logo at the Frozen Dead Guy Days and thinking
maybe there is some connection.

Another point of good PR work is control the message.  Having
a bunch of people (no matter how well meaning) sending off
emails is not controlling the message.  Please do not give out
a list of email addresses without some mechanism in place to 
limit the downside.  The minute I saw that list I knew there
would be people who would send inappropriate email.  I sent my
message in a small attempt to counter-balance the inappropriate
email.  What needs to be done is get a set of volunteers in 
place well ahead of time; these volunteers need to have the 
writing skills with which to sound credible and the good sense 
not use inappropriate words, not to make reference to Nazis and
not to accuse someone of being a murderer.  Then if a  mass 
email campaign is ever needed in the future then the list of
address is given to this specific set of volunteers and to them
only.  The best thing for everyone else to do is be quiet.  This 
is not intended to be elitist, it is meant to be pragmatic.
This is the same point that corporations make when the tell
their employees that when a reporter calls them to always direct
the call to the PR department.

My point is that PR and marketing are difficult.  Just having
a technical or philosophical winning argument is not enough.
And charging ahead without good PR and marketing has serious
downside risk.

Fred

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