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An Airplane by Any Other Name

by Will

This isn't a commercial, but if you aren't getting PR advice from Peter Shankman and the Geek Factory, you're probably not doing as well as you could be.

Why would I say that? I read Peter's book, Can We Do That? for my recent Friday afternoon book report. I'm rarely impressed by PR books -- they're usually full of the same tired information that you could come up with if you just thought about PR for 5 minutes. What makes me so certain of Peter's skills is the fact that, at the end of the book, I was incredibly disappointed that I didn't get invited to his birthday party. Anyone who can make an antisocial, suburbanite curmudgeon like me regret not going to a Manhattan birthday party for someone I don't even know has got to be fantastic.

What I liked about Peter's book was that it reminded me of William Henry Danforth's I Dare You, which, in turn, reminds me of one of my favorite books, Sinclair Lewis' Babbitt. All of these books challenge you to think big, go against the grain of your routine and dare to be exceptional. What Can We Do That? adds to the mix is that it gives you a schematic for gaining the acceptance of your peers and your boss so you can make that splash.

When I finally put the book down, I took a line from the book and started asking everyone, "What's our airplane?" You see, Peter and the Geek Factory said they were so passionate about the results they got for their clients that they'd jump out of an airplane to make that clear to everyone -- and they'd take all their clients with them. So I had to ask what it is we do (or can do) that reflects that passion?

We're working on our answer. Do you know what yours would be?