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58 The PCB Magazine • December 2016 Sometimes, an uncontrollable tick in my neck begins to emerge. The wrinkle in my fore- head that now has no boundaries slowly makes its way to my balding scalp. My porcelain china doll-like complexion gradually transforms itself to resemble a Honeycrisp, and ultimately, a Red Delicious apple. Finally, the irrepressible urge to take an enormous breath instinctively follows. My need to suck up all the air in the room al- lows me to self-edit what would otherwise cer- tainly be my preachy remarks. Fellow marketing communications peeps, you know what I'm talking about. You've been there every time a valued colleague gallops into your office and states, "I need an advertise- ment." "We require a basic brochure." "Let's do a video." "I've gotta get me some scintillat- ing trade show trinkets." All separate silos, as if the marketing plan was intended to collect dust on the shelves and generated because it was in- cluded as a mandatory field in the business plan template. For those of us that take pride in our craft, we'd like to scream, "Stop the insanity! Think about your programs, not projects." To be completely truthful, my colleagues have had the unique experience of hearing me rant about this subject repeatedly over the last three decades. And now, I share the meaning behind my mantra with you… Blast Off Very few, if any, communications should ever be confined to one tactical project. In- troducing a capability such as a new product, by Barry Lee Cohen LAUNCH COMMUNICATIONS Programs, Not Projects LAUNCH LETTERS