The 10 most common grammar & AP Style mistakes, plus the importance of using AP style

Kim Morrison

Is it sad that when I saw this topic in our blog list I got just a little giddy? I’m very much a grammar nerd. I cringe while reading most Facebook posts, using every bit of willpower to ignore the need to correct the poster. I’m the person my friends and (previous) co-workers will ask to edit something, and I’m usually the first to start rattling off letters when someone asks how to spell something. Interestingly enough, I was an English major before switching to journalism, so there were many habits I had to change to become compliant to the AP Style gods. Here’s a list of some egregious grammar issues and AP Style errors.

That vs. which

This is one that still trips me up. That is used for essential clauses (the sentence would lose its meaning without the clause) and doesn’t use commas. Which is used with nonessential clauses (meaning the sentence doesn’t lose meaning without the clause) and uses commas. I came up with a little rhyme to help with this; use that when you have to have it, use which when you can ditch it.

Its vs. it’s (plus their vs. there vs. they’re and you’re vs. your)

This is a simple one that drives me up the wall. It’s is a contraction of it is or it has and its shows possession. Along this same problem area: their shows possession, there is a place, they’re is a contraction of they are, you’re is a contraction of you are, and your shows possession. Get it? Got it? Good.

Toward

It’s always toward, without an “s.” Never add an “s” to toward, ever.

Punctuation with quotation marks

Periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks, whether they’re punctuating the quote or the flow of the sentence. Dashes, semicolons, questions marks and exclamation points only go inside the quotation marks if they directly apply to the quote, otherwise they go outside the quotation marks if punctuating the whole sentence.

Months, days and seasons

Only abbreviate months if used with a specific date, otherwise spell it out. Also, only the following months should be abbreviated and in this way: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. If you’re writing for tabular material, the following forms are acceptable, without a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec. Likewise, only abbreviate days of the week for tabular material, without periods, as so: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat. Seasons are not capitalized unless they are part of a formal name.

Titles (formal)

I’m talking about mayor, sheriff, chairman of the board, president of the United States, etc. Essentially, only capitalize a formal or working title when it comes before the person’s name, otherwise it should be lowercase. The rules vary when you start to talk about military titles, royal titles, long titles, short titles, etc. The AP Style guide has a whole page about formal titles, so check it if you’re in doubt about how to properly address someone in print.

Numbers

The AP Stylebook has about a page and a half dedicated to numbers. In general, spell out the numbers zero through nine, and use the number for 10 or more. Try to avoid starting a sentence with a number, but if need be, spell it out, unless it’s a calendar year. There are a number of rules regarding decimals and numbers in a series, so check out the Stylebook for more detailed rules.

State abbreviations

Be wary, the postal code abbreviation and the dateline abbreviation will most likely be different. Plus, there are eight states that aren’t abbreviated in datelines, listed here: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. The District of Columbia is also not abbreviated in the dateline. Only use the postal code abbreviation with addresses.

Commas in a series

Ah yes, lastly, but definitely not least, the Oxford or serial comma. The habit that many an English teacher probably propelled you to develop. It’s amazing how passionate people are about their punctuation. People seem to either love or hate the Oxford comma, and the AP Stylebook is part of the latter group. Don’t use the Oxford comma in a simple series before the conjunction. Only use it to avoid ambiguity, if part of the series contains a conjunction or if you have a complex series of phrases. I was a fan until I realized it wasn’t AP Style, all hail AP Style…

Honorable mention

a.m. and p.m.  - That’s how they’re used. The periods may seem picky, but they’re proper.

These aren’t life-altering changes, so what’s the big deal? You got into journalism because you want someone to read your work, right? AP Style is the Bible as far as the journalism industry is concerned. If your work isn’t in AP Style, it isn’t going to get read. It’ll be thrown in the trash, or become fodder for the office to laugh at, and maybe even live on in viral infamy online. So do yourself a favor, buy the book or the online membership, and become very, very close friends with it; your livelihood depends on it.

Don't forget us

Kelli Eason

If you ask a business owner to describe his or her most valuable asset, you would probably get a variety of answers. As someone who works for business owners, I would hope a lot of them would say their employees are their best assets! Lucky for me, I’ve worked for some pretty good companies that do a lot to keep their employees happy.

I read a Forbes article recently that discussed the merits of a new book: “Make More Money By Making Your Employees Happy.” The author, Dr. Noelle Nelson, says “When employees feel that the company takes their interest to heart, then the employees will take company interests to heart.” As one such employee, I agree.

But appreciating employees doesn’t always have to constitute more money. Yes, bonuses are good things, but there are a lot of ways to make an employee feel valued that don’t cost much at all. And with employees being a brand’s best ambassador, it may be worth a shot to help make your business even more successful.

1.    Food
Consistently listed in Fortune’s list of the Top 100 Best Places to Work, Google was No. 1 in 2012. It’s one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, and I personally know a few fanatics who would give anything to work there.

People hear about the unusual perks like “nap pods,” but another thing that Google is well-known for is their food. Employees are never far from a snack pantry, and they can eat meals in an employee cafeteria for free.

That seems a little much for most smaller businesses, but as a former college student who went to many an organizational meeting for the free pizza, I can attest to the joy of a meal on the company every once in a while. It doesn’t have to be much. Sometimes bringing in doughnuts or coffee or just taking care of lunch during a big meeting is a welcome perk for employees. It also keeps the stress of a working lunch from getting to everyone!

2.    Flexible time and work/life balance
Work/life balance has become something of a buzz word in the last few years. In the days of smart phones, laptops and Wi-Fi on every corner, it sometimes seems like work never stops.

However, this can be beneficial to the company that has the ability to offer flexible time when life happens. All employees have dentist appointments, everyone gets sick and some people have children who can’t go to day care when they have a fever. In the days of Wi-Fi at home and laptop-based work cultures, leniency on where the work happens is a great way to keep your employees from getting overly stressed or behind on their duties, which will likely hinder their productivity later.

At Cisco, ranked No. 90 on Fortune’s list, estimates show that 90 percent of employees have the ability to telecommute when they need to. If telecommuting isn’t an option, personal time is another big (and easy) win. In 2011, new Apple CEO Tim Cook gave employees paid vacation through Thanksgiving to celebrate a record-setting year for the company. Obsidian does the same, and that whole smart phone and laptop-based Wi-Fi culture really helps ensure our productivity even when we aren’t in the office! Even SAS Institute, No. 3 on the Fortune list, offers unlimited sick days so employees don’t have to use their vacation time when they aren’t feeling well. And of course, a good recovery time makes for a more productive return to the office.

3.    Take employee suggestions
If you’ve ever watched “Undercover Boss” on CBS, you may have noticed that as companies grow, top management seems to lose contact with day-to-day operations. Even small companies are not immune to this, especially if the people responsible for making decisions aren’t participating in the daily grind.

CHG Healthcare Services, which came in at No. 9 on Fortune’s list of best companies to work for, jumped 18 spots from No. 27 in 2011 due in part to their dedication to routinely taking and acting on employee suggestions. Companies represented on “Undercover Boss” often do the same, but have you ever wondered what they are missing from the thousands of other employees who don’t have the opportunity to speak up during filming?

Even if employee suggestions aren’t viable, taking them into consideration is a great way to boost morale. When employees feel like they have some control over what happens at their company or feel “in the know” about the company’s state of affairs, they are more likely to react positively to changes that don’t seem to come from a closed-off boardroom. And if you actually enact an employee suggestion, sit back and reap the benefits, because word will get out and everyone will feel better about the decision.

4.    Keep your employees healthy
Wegmans Food Markets, which landed at No. 4 on Fortune’s list, makes employee health a priority. They go beyond providing insurance and offer things like smoking cessation programs, for which 2,000 Wegmans employees have enrolled since 2009. This is not only a great perk for employees, but for Wegmans, as they reap the benefits of a healthy workplace.

As with many of these programs, it doesn’t have to be huge. At Obsidian, we recently enacted something we like to call the Obsidian 2.5. With most of us sitting at a desk for many hours each week, our owner decided to make it a little easier for us to stay active. We now have the freedom to use 2.5 hours of administrative time each week to work out, whether that means taking a run in the park, going to a gym or using a workout video at home. It’s made it a lot easier to manage fitting trips to the gym into my schedule, and really keeps me more alert and feeling better at the office every day, all for the low low price of…free.

5.    Create a great culture
I love Zappos.com for a lot of reasons, but this is just one more positive thing about the company that came in at No. 11 on the Fortune list this year. The company has a very distinct culture, one that includes things like “laughter yoga” classes on-site and Zfrog awards, which lets employees pitch new business ideas.

Some of these things may seem off-the-wall and not quite a fit for another type of company, but it’s important to embrace whatever culture exists at your place of business. Prior to working at Obsidian, I enjoyed a few years in the marketing department of Raising Cane’s, a restaurant chain based in South Louisiana. My first day in the office included an hour of “culture immersion,” which included tips on how to really get into their culture of working hard and having fun. Music in the restaurant’s kitchens and painting windows for the holidays were just a few of the quirky things we enjoyed.

Got any tips or suggestions for how to make employees feel valued? Leave them in the comments!

She’s not sexy and she knows it: Deep life-changing thoughts about Jodi Arias

Erinn Figg

Like many people, I’m currently engrossed in the Jodi Arias trial in Phoenix. Sometimes, I listen to it with an earbud in one ear while I work. Occasionally, I’ll check out the live video stream during my lunch hour. When I get home from work, I usually spend a mindless hour or two watching CNN’s HLN network, which has turned into the “All Jodi Arias, All the Time Channel.” And I’m doing things I never thought I’d ever do, like tweet Nancy Grace (she never tweets back by the way).

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here it is in a nutshell: Attractive girl in Yreka, Calif., drives to Mesa, Ariz., stabs her ex-boyfriend 27 times, slits his throat, shoots him in the head and calls it self-defense. She claims she had been abused and degraded throughout their relationship. His friends and family claim she was a nutso stalker. It reminds everyone of the Casey Anthony trial in that her guilt seems so cut and dry, yet everyone’s waiting to see if she’s going to succeed in winning over the jury with her “poor little me” stories and a bit of reasonable doubt. If convicted of first-degree murder, Arias faces the death penalty. Her testimony (19 days of it, to be exact) is long and dramatic with lots and lots (and lots) of graphic sexual details. Obviously, I can’t get into them here, but let’s just say I am never going to be able to eat a Tootsie Pop again.

I think we’re on Day 9,000 of this trial by now. And whenever I watch it, I can’t help but analyze some of the key players from a PR perspective.

Take prosecutor Juan Martinez, for example. He’s totally not my type, but I’ve developed kind of a weird crush on him. I think it’s the combination of intellect, confidence and ferocity that does it for me. So remember that, men of the world. If you don’t have women chasing you around, try acting a little more feisty. Go ahead and roll your eyes, but hey, I get paid big bucks to give this kind of advice. (OK, make that “some bucks.” But they’re still bucks.)

My hormones aside, Martinez wins my award for Person I’d Most Like to Toss Back a Couple of Martinis With. (See? He even makes me want to throw caution to the wind and end sentences with prepositions.) I’d get some drinks in him and tell him to tone it down just a little. I’d tell him it makes me a little sad when he YELLS AT nice older ladies with spiky hair. I would generously bestow my valuable courtroom PR counsel upon him and tell him there’s a fine line between displaying your passion and looking like a character on “Ally McBeal.” And then I would run like hell. Because dang, that guy is kind of a gunslinger. Don’t get on his bad side.

Moving on to lead defense attorney Kirk Nurmi, I’d tell him to stop wearing ties and socks that look like optical illusions. It’s like he’s trying to win a spot in the Striped Socks Hall of Fame or something. MY EYES, MR. NURMI! Have a little mercy!

We always tell our PR clients not to wear bold patterns on television. As evident here, it can sometimes result in viewers covering their eyes and wailing. It’s hard for people to hear your key messages over their agonized screams of pain.

As for Jodi Arias, well, she’s got me a little stumped, actually. She used to be a vivacious-looking blond bombshell that radiated sex. It’s clear from various testimonies that she hypnotized almost every man who crossed her path. Now in court, they’ve got her all frumped up. Her hair is dark brown and kind of plastered to her skull. She’s wearing big glasses and absolutely no makeup. Her drab clothes look like they came from the Opposite of Sexy section of her local thrift shop. She looks like a meek, worn-out librarian.

I can’t tell if the make-under is helping or hurting her. Sure, she doesn’t look like a trampy sex machine anymore, but she’s also lost her magic powers to enchant men and even fascinate women on the jury. She has transformed from eye candy into someone that’s downright unpleasant looking. It’s unsettling. I think in trying to make her appear mousey and harmless, her lawyers accidentally made her look like a serial killer.

In fact, lately Jodi Arias has really got me thinking about the power of appearances – how someone can go from seeming influential and magnetic to helpless and ineffectual just by changing her (or his) hair, clothes and body language. It makes me want to hire a stylist, actually. And possibly bleach my hair. And maybe stop wearing comfortable oversized cardigans and PajamaJeans in public.

That’s about it. Did you think this post was going to be full of sage advice and deep, intellectual insights on the Jodi Arias trial? Oops, sorry.

I guess I can leave you with this one last suggestion: If you don’t like the way your life is going, try changing your hair and buying new clothes. Heck, some of us women have been doing it for years.

Don't let them have the milk for free

Thomas Whitehead

Last week, the following photo was posted on my newsfeed by an artist friend of mine: 

 





Now, I am sure there are plenty of public relations and advertising professionals, graphic designers, musicians, carpenters, roofers and many others who can relate to this sentiment. How many times has a “friend” asked for professional help, feedback or actual deliverables for free? Do you happily and easily oblige?
 
My question is this: Why? I am not suggesting that we bogart our gifts; we all are experts at something and many times, especially in close circles, we do share and contribute. But when it comes to the value that we and others have related to our professional livelihoods, we need to do a better job of explaining the value in our process and why our fees associated with it are important. This also means not offering it to everyone who reaches out to you all the time. There needs to be discretion.
 
For some reason, it is always the creative segment that is asked to provide their talents for free. Rarely do you see doctors, lawyers or accountants just giving away their talents for nothing.
 
And, we shouldn’t either. The reality is that if there are people in our profession who are doing “favors” for free or at a really reduced cost, then it devalues the services we can provide paying clients to help sustain a living for ourselves.
 
Most professionals offer competitive rates. However, I would be cautious of those offering rock-bottom prices all the time. This can reflect inexperience, desperation or lack of value in their work. I also often think of exactly how many projects someone would have to work on to even reach the median household income rate. In that case, it would suggest that their time and focus are spread out in so many directions that the quality of their work and communication can potentially take a hit.
 
So, creative types, let us unite! We have to accept that there is strong value in our work, and we all should have a track record to prove it. We don’t have to cower or be embarrassed when we offer average prices for our work. We should ask for it with confidence knowing we have delivered (and over-delivered many times) in the past and will do so again.

Back to the Basics

Kristen Orsborn

As a TV journalist-turned-PR pro, I’ve been on the other side of hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches. Some of them were good. But most got deleted.

About 1 percent of them were great. Those pitches all had a few things in common:

1.    KISS – One of the first rules you learn in journalism school is KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid (I prefer “Sweetheart,” but that’s just me!). You’ve got about 10 seconds to get a journalist’s attention. Use it wisely! The subject line of your email is the most valuable real estate in your pitch.

2.    Don’t get attached – Oh, did you attach a press release to that email? I’m sorry. You assume I care enough to download it! Always, always, always copy and paste your press release into the body of an email. In almost 10 years of TV news, I never downloaded a single attachment included in a pitch.

3.    Easy does it – Journalists always need story ideas to impress their managers. You need coverage for your client. They’ve got a problem. You can solve it. Tell them exactly who you can give them access to and what those soundbites/quotes will probably sound/look like. Help them map out the story, so you can make their job as easy as possible.

4.    Be a mind reader – Anticipate a journalist’s needs. Got a client who wants coverage for their grand opening? Send a photo of the store. Even better, shoot some video on your phone and email that. Producers and editors need content. They may not have a photographer handy, but you’ve just eliminated that need – increasing your chance of getting coverage.

Those are my quick and dirty tips. What are yours? 

Festival season kicks off in Memphis

Lauren Hannaford

To me, nothing says springtime more than the festivals that take place around Memphis beginning in March. We now have a few different crawfish festivals, culminating with the big daddy, Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival, which is organized by and supports our client Porter-Leath. There’s Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, which we like to call BBQ fest. Throughout the year, we also have the Southern Hot Wing Fest, RiverArtsFest, Cooper-Young Festival, Gonerfest, the Down to Earth Festival, Memphis Italian Fest, plus many more art, music, film and food festivals. 

There are so many festivals in this area. When it comes to sponsorship dollars and PR, the market is competitive. Let me address sponsorship dollars first. Sometimes our clients ask for guidance on sponsorships and whether they should or shouldn’t sponsor something. Sometimes sponsorship levels are out of reach for our clients, but when they are not, we think it’s a great thing to consider. It’s important to show how much you support the community, whether that’s by supporting a festival that contributes to a nonprofit or another event for a good cause. Sometimes, sponsoring something is not all about getting the recognition for it. We do help clients maximize their sponsorships when appropriate.

When it comes to PR around big festivals and events, how do you manage to spread the word among a plethora of other events around the city? There are tons of sites where you can post and submit information about your event, including all the local media websites. Are you using social media to promote your event? Target lifestyle and trade publications that fit your audience a few months in advance. We also like to set up TV segments for our clients to talk about their event and why it’s important for the community. If you have an email database, utilize an email marketing service like Constant Contact to invite guests to the event. If you are a nonprofit, send a PSA to local radio networks. Make sure to send information about your event no later than three weeks before, and that’s cutting it close. Four to 6 weeks is preferable.

There are so many ways to spread the word and promote your festival or event. Finding the right mix and the right method to reach your specific audience makes all the difference.

Office poll: What is your favorite festival?

Kelli: Mardi Gras (she’s from Louisiana) and Cooper-Young Beer Festival

Lauren: Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival

Erinn: RiverArtsFest

Kim: Cooper-Young Festival

Thomas: JazzFest in New Orleans, La.

Crissy: RiverArtsFest

Kerri: Gumtree Arts Festival in Tupelo, Miss.

Kristen: State Fair of Texas, y’all.

Courtney: RiverArtsFest

Ilovememphisblog.com compiles a great festival guide each year. Here’s the 2013 list of spring festivals. Which ones are you planning to attend?
http://ilovememphisblog.com/2013/03/memphis-spring-festivals/

Getting a running start

Catie Cannon

Catie Cannon is a senior at Westminster Academy in Memphis. After being accepted into the College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, Catie spent a day at Obsidian PR shadowing our team in action. Here’s a quick glance at some of what she learned. 
 
So you’re almost done with high school. Graduation is quickly approaching, and you are ready for the roller-coaster ride that is college. You’re ready to be on your own and only go to class when you want to.
 
Pause. Let’s think about what college is really about. Besides all the independence, the parties and the friends, college is a stepping stone for the rest of your life. College is the time you figure out what you are going to do with the rest of your life, and you begin the steps to achieve it. I learned a valuable lesson from the day I spent at Obsidian: the best way to figure out if you enjoy doing something is to actually do it.
 
So what does this mean? Internships, shadowing, professional mentors − anything to get you in the environment you think you want to work in. Some of these internships will be unpaid. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worthwhile. Show enough effort, enthusiasm and initiative, and you could land yourself a “real job.” I personally had no idea what a PR agency did much less what it was like to work in one until the day I visited Obsidian. The common advice I received from everyone in the office was that I could not learn what agency life was like inside a classroom.
 
So while your friends are waiting tables or scraping up babysitting money to spend on spring break, you can be getting ahead of the game and learning about your field of study in the real world. Don’t just take any internship, however. Actually interview your possible employer and be sure they expect you to gain valuable hands-on experience and knowledge. A coffee run type of internship just isn’t worth it. But do be prepared to do some grunt work (at least a little) because you never know when that tough summer internship could turn into the best job you ever had.

The little things make a big difference

Crissy Lintner

Right now, I’m battling a springtime cold. So is our Dallas account manager, Kristen. It’s also a busy month for all of our clients, so we’re rockin’ and rollin’ in our office this week – ain’t nobody got time for a cold! ;) 

Now, don’t judge, but we had a bit of a pile up of dishes from two meetings in our office yesterday that sadly had to be left there overnight as we ran out of the office for another meeting. Of course, the “pile up” was relatively small in the grand scheme of things (three coffee mugs, a couple of cups – an office-kind-of-a pile up), but more than the occasional spoon or mug. 

Now, our property management company provides us with cleaning service from Select Commercial Services. Our cleaning partner will wash a dish that gets left in the sink from time to time. But with this recent stack of dishes, I felt bad having her clean our dishes. So, I left a note to say thanks for all the times she washed our dishes, but that this time, she could leave these and I’d wash them in the morning. 

This morning, I arrived to this: 

And as I’m standing there sniffling, head pounding from a sinus headache and thinking about my to do list, I was so thankful that she did it anyway! Is it her job to tidy up our office? Absolutely! However, she could’ve made the decision to leave the dishes in the sink as I requested and move on to the next office as I gave her permission to do so. 

In business, the little things make a big difference, and if your frontline staff isn’t being trained on how to be good stewards for your brand – and go above and beyond even when a client says, “That’s OK, just leave those dishes,” you could lose out on potential and current business. This is all part of the public relations spectrum - the little niceties, community outreach, small touches for customers and even the one- or two-sentence mentions in the local newspaper all work together to create that positive image for your business. Your employees can make all the difference in the world – even if by just washing a few dishes for a busy PR firm. 

Obsidian PR provides ambassador training to arm your frontline employees with the key messages and customer relations tools they need to be good stewards of your brand, grow your business and retain customers. Talk to us about how we can help your team and build a unified and consistent message for your business. Email at insight@obsidianpr.com. 

Which comes first?

Courtney Ellett

I was ironing the kids’ school clothes recently and had Casino Royale on in the background. Usually, I tune out commercials pretty well, but all of a sudden, I heard one that heartily touted a company’s two-hour service window. No, it was more than that. The entire commercial laser-focused on this company’s ability to meet service times with their high-tech command center, a deep commitment to punctuality and a stealthy team of colleagues that talk to each other constantly like military forces.

I actually snickered out loud and thought a certain cable company could definitely learn from this business. But my smugness was quickly extinguished and transitioned into awe when I realized it WAS this certain cable company being highlighted in the commercial. Now, that is some audacity.

If you asked me which brand failed me most on a regular basis in terms of customer service, punctuality, communication and service recovery, it would be this company. Yet, on a Sunday afternoon, I am smacked in the face with the irony of this commercial. And that just made me mad.

Why? It’s bad enough when a behemoth of a company can’t get customer service right. Shame on them. But it’s unforgiveable for this company to then think they can trick consumers into believing a brand promise that absolutely isn’t delivered operationally.

I’ve worked with a few companies in the past that were eager to make a big and bad brand promise before they were ready to deliver. It’s not that they had ill intentions at all; there were many things in motion to help them get there and deliver. But our team cautioned them: They just weren’t ready yet. Thank goodness, they listened.

If you make a brand promise – whether it’s “leading-edge,” “luxurious,” “easy,” or “family-oriented,” you have to be ready at that moment to ensure that’s what customers get every single time. If your customers don’t get that, you’ll most likely lose them forever. Plus, they’ll feel tricked and be mad enough to tell other folks about it (like me on this blog about a certain cable company – except they’ll use the company’s name).

So the next time you’re ready to send out a news release, produce a commercial or share something via social media, please take pause and ask yourself if you’re ready to deliver on that brand promise.