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Greetings!
 Who's a bigger draw - Paris Hilton, who we blogged about recently, or Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and recent visitor to Providence? Well, if you're reading this, you're part of an experiment designed to give us some insight into that question.
We've divided the distribution list for this e-mail into equal parts. One half has the subject line "You're Not Paris Hilton." The subject line for the other half says, "Fed Chief Bernanke Comes to Town."
Next month, I'll let you know which e-mail had a higher open rate. I'm betting on Paris, but you just never know.
Best,
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 | Blog Wisdom
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Speaking of Paris, America's favorite celebutante, a lot of web traffic buzzed around my discussion of how Paris Hilton's view of "good PR" is probably different than yours or mine. Also, every election teaches lessons, and I blogged about five of the biggest lessons from Rhode Island's statewide primary on Sept. 14. I'd be interested in your comments!
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Ben Bernanke Comes to Town
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 Some observations from spending most of the day managing the media covering Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke's recent visit to Rhode Island. Bernanke was in town to speak at the Annual Dinner of our client, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC).
- Bernanke's mid-afternoon Q&A with 150 local college students was a virtuoso performance. Despite the sometimes thick subject matter, his answers were accessible and could be followed by people with only a basic understanding of economics and the events of the last few years. Even when a couple of students tried too hard to look smart, he gently brought them back to earth with a thorough, understandable answer.
- The world operates in shades of gray, despite the searing black and
white options presented by the cable TV screamfests. Bernanke, because
he takes time to answer questions fully, responded in a serious,
grown-up way that used thoughtfully selected words to land on the
precise shade of gray required. Because of that precision, Bernanke's
presentation was probably more accurate than all of the hit-and-run,
politically tinged economic analysis you would ever read anywhere or
see on TV.
- The best example of the clarity inherent in his thorough answers is in his speech later on, which carried a clear, unmistakable message: If
we don't get the deficit under control, we are in deep, deep trouble.
And if we don't get health care costs under control, we'll never get
the deficit under control. And finally, this truth: It will require
"political will."
- Finally, I was struck by the size of national media posse that follows
Bernanke around and accompanied him to Providence. CNN, CNBC,
ThompsonReuters, Dow Jones and Fox all hung on - and recorded - his
every word.
All in all, I found it reassuring that someone of Bernanke's obvious intellect, reinforced by temperate, sound judgment, holds such a key position - particularly in this year's wacky election climate.
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Nice Ink! |
As usual, a lot of ink wasn't spilled as a result of our crisis management work. But here are some good client stories that did get told, in addition to the great coverage of the Bernanke visit:
- And speaking of Quonset, a much-deserved tip of the cap to the QDC's managing director Steven King, P.E., from the Friends of Hunt River Watershed Association. Quonset is only the third-largest user of water from the Hunt (and a distant third at that), but under King's leadership the Business Park has played a leading role in conserving water and providing the resources needed to test the river.
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Mill Creek Marine