Professor Side’s New PR Course, Lesson 4: “Writing Techniques with a PR Mindset”

This is the fourth lesson in Professor Side’s New PR Course.
This time, we will discuss “Writing Techniques with a PR Mindset.”

When we learned to write in school, we were taught to use the structure of introduction, development, turn, and conclusion.
However, this approach is not useful for writing with a PR mindset.
So, what does writing with a PR mindset look like? I will explain using the following five points.
① Focus on the Title
For any piece of writing (other than personal letters), the title is crucial. The title may convey the conclusion or
suggest the direction of the thinking.
In any case, it is the first thing the reader sees. Therefore, it is important.

② Start with the Conclusion
First, state the conclusion. And do so as concisely as possible.

③-1. Next, the Background Leading to the Conclusion
Communicating the social context in particular strengthens the legitimacy of the conclusion.

③-2. Details of the Conclusion
Specific ideas come third.
If there are multiple points, presenting them in bullet points or similar formats makes them easier to understand.

④ The Power of Numbers
Including data can transform even seemingly outlandish ideas into something the reader finds convincing.

⑤ Keep Sentences as Short as Possible
Unless you are a skilled writer, it is wiser to keep sentences short.
And be mindful of using conjunctions to connect short sentences.
Doing so creates rhythm in the writing and improves readability.

Finally, I recommend reading your writing aloud.
Reading aloud makes awkward phrasing and unconvincing sections more apparent.
By repeating this process, your writing will improve.

Writing skills are essential for PR thinking and mindset.
No matter how much “thinking power” you develop, without writing skills, it is like a rusted sword.

※Bonus: Hiraga Gennai as a Copywriter
Hiraga Gennai, a genius of the Edo period, was a scholar of Dutch studies, an inventor, and a man of letters,
but he was also a copywriter with a PR mindset. (He was also a physician, playwright, geologist, and more.)

When a friend who owned an eel restaurant consulted Gennai about low customer numbers in summer, Gennai created the copy “Day of the Ox in Midsummer” to convey the message that “summer requires physical strength,
and eel is the best for that.”
In 1769, he also created Japan’s oldest advertising jingle.

In other words, someone whose work resembled that of a PR agency existed approximately 250 years ago.

Furthermore, Gennai was openly homosexual and can be considered a pioneer of what we now call LGBT. From Gennai’s perspective, modern people may only think they are progressing rapidly, when in reality they are moving at a turtle’s pace—perhaps he is laughing about this in the afterlife.
Note: There are various theories regarding the origin of the Day of the Ox in Midsummer.