Sanders typecast himself as a Kentucky colonel, complete with black string tie and white linen suit. You know rest.

The point is: Not only should you accept typecasting, you should embrace it. When Jack Welch became CEO at GE, he got rid of 100,000 employees to streamline corporate giant’s bureaucracy. That earned him name “Neutron Jack,” which refers to neutron bomb, a device that kills people but leaves buildings untouched.

Warren Buffett is known as “Oracle of Omaha,” and is often referred to as “most successful individual investor of all time.” These titles recognized Buffett’s skill at picking stocks, like Coca-Cola and Gillette. But they ignore fact that Buffett generated most of his billions by assembling and maintaining his mighty conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, and not through stock picking.

Sam Walton possessed one of sharpest and most ruthless retailing minds of 20th century. Yet he is usually depicted as kindly “Mr. Sam,” dog-loving, pickup-driving bubba who just happened to launch Wal-Mart.

Did Welch, Buffett and Walton reject their typecasting? Of course not. They understood what every PR Rainmaker understands: Typecasting is only path to a singular identity.

When typecasting is combined with a powerful reputation, result is sort of corporate prestige that separates Jack Welches, Warren Buffetts and Sam Waltons from rest of nation’s CEOs.

Copyright by W.O. Cawley Jr.

The PR Rainmaker knows: In most situations, it is better to think in terms of proposals, not releases.

Instead of releasing a general idea to media at-large, tailor your story to specific reporters at specific publications.

Forget headline: “Restaurant Opens Second Great Location.” Consider breaking your one large story into several smaller stories, then selling pieces to media one at a time.

Does your new restaurant offer a trendy new dish or an exotic cocktail? Call local morning show producers and offer to show viewers how to make it at home.

Installing a high-tech kitchen with a flash-cook oven unlike any other in town? Call restaurant-beat writer at local business journal and offer an exclusive look at how device will make your restaurant among most profitable in town.

Is your celebrity investor dropping in to check out your site? Take high-quality photos and send them to city’s gossip columnist. Better yet, call talk radio station and offer a live interview.

If nothing else, plan a stunt. Break a world record. Get outrageous.

But forget about mailing, faxing or e-mailing a press release.

Propose your stories one at a time. That’s how PR Rainmaker works.

Copyright 2003 by W.O. Cawley Jr.