About

Stuart Robinson

Lightbulb Communications, named for the cartoon expression of sudden clarity, is dedicated to producing that “ah ha” moment in which an idea or message resonates with its target audience.

Lightbulb leverages writing, editing, media relations and social media to communicate messages with the audience in mind – short and to the point, easily digestible but not “dumbed down” – and applies creative thinking to foster “win-win-win” scenarios for clients, partners and the public.

Lightbulb serves clients in the Phoenix area and throughout the nation. Founder Stuart J. Robinson spent 15 years in the news business, including 12 in the Washington press corps. More than seven years covering Congress made him expert at explaining complex issues in simple terms.

After moving to Arizona in 2005, Stu spent seven years working in media relations, public information and social media for city and state government. He is a savvy judge of news value, knowing what is likely to interest reporters and their editors.

Stu has edited copy for numerous platforms – newspapers, magazines, trade publications and online portals – and has written for publications such as The Business Journal, Scottsdale Magazine, Congressional Quarterly’s Politics in America and Insight magazine.

In Arizona, he drafted Peoria’s first social media policy and created Facebook and Twitter content for the city. He also handled writing, editing, media relations and social media for the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Stu graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and served for 12 years on Northwestern’s national alumni board. He is a pop-culture aficionado who blogs about entertainment and social media.

Stu Robinson has worked on behalf of:

 

Stu Robinson is a member of:

If you would like to discuss our services in more detail, please email us at info@lightbulbcommunications.com.

Writing

At Lightbulb Communications, good writing conveys its intended message with clarity and brevity.

“Good writing grabs a reader’s attention and makes its points efficiently.”

An article is useless if the audience stops reading because it’s too long or too complicated. Individuals today are bombarded by messages 24/7: telephone calls, email, texts, social media, TV screen crawls and more. Good writing needs to grab a reader’s attention amid this cacophony and make its points efficiently and memorably before the consumer moves on to something else.

Lightbulb specializes in the following:

News Stories/Releases

They should get right to the point, contain all the pertinent information and match the style of the targeted media platform. Indeed, editors should be able to publish them verbatim if they are so inclined. They also should include all the information a reporter would need to follow up and produce his or her own version: phone numbers, compelling photos and potential interviewees.

PHX Terminal 3 Project – Taylor RyMar Corp., Nov. 25, 2014

(June 1, 2015)

PHX-Terminal-3-Project.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_news

Panel Adopts Tentative Final Maps – Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Dec. 20, 2011

(May 31, 2015)

Final-Maps.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_news

Explanatory Writing

A message is wasted if the recipient doesn’t understand it. Explanatory writing is the art of communicating complicated ideas in simple terms – easily digestible, but not “dumbed down.” Legislation, health policy, financial services and technology are just a few examples of topics that benefit from clear, plain-English descriptions.

‘Commissioning’ Finds Glitches Before They Happen – Taylor RyMar Corp., Feb. 28, 2014

(May 31, 2015)

Commissioning.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_explanatory

Holistic Healthcare – Scottsdale Magazine, April 2008

(March 7, 2013)

Featured-Writing-Scottsdale-Magazine.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_explanatory

Features

Whether telling a story or profiling a person, features draw in a reader and use words to paint a picture that will stick in his or her head. They aim to pique readers’ curiosity and leave them wanting more.

Membership Blues – Sun City Independent, March 25, 2015

(May 31, 2015)

Mship-Indpt-LBsite.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_feature

Personal Profile – Phoenix Business Journal, Nov. 17, 2006

(March 8, 2013)

Profile.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_feature

Advocacy

Editorials and op-ed pieces express opinions and offer supporting arguments in order to persuade readers to act in a desired manner.

Second-Chance Hires Pay Off – Response Magazine, June 2009

(June 1, 2015)

Second-chance-hires1.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_advocacy

Public Influenced Redistricting – Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Feb. 3, 2012

(March 22, 2013)

Persuasion.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_advocacy

Ghostwriting

Celebrities, executives and public officials often lack the time to put their thoughts into prose. A successful ghostwriter can take a few bullet points and flesh them out for a book, op-ed column or speech using the client’s voice.

Redistricting Chief Apologizes to Flagstaff – Arizona Daily Sun, Aug. 5, 2011

(March 22, 2013)

Ghost-CrisisMgmt.png View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_ghost

Employees Enable Peoria to Weather Downturn – Mayor's Column, 2010

(March 22, 2013)

Ghost-Writing-Peoria-AZ.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: writing_ghost

What they said ...

“Stuart Robinson’s writing is outstanding – given his education and experience in journalism, this is not surprising.”

Kelly Corsette,
Communications and Public Affairs Director City of Scottsdale, Ariz.

If you would like to discuss our services in more detail, please email us at info@lightbulbcommunications.com.

Editing

Editing doesn’t get much attention. And, if it is done well, it shouldn’t. That’s because good editing removes distractions so the audience can focus on the message being conveyed.

No matter how adept the author, any piece of writing benefits from a fresh set of eyes. A writer is invested in his or her topic. After conceiving and creating a work, he or she is unable to view it as a first-time reader will. It’s a “forest for the trees” thing. An editor without the creative baggage can approach the work from the audience’s perspective and ensure that the message is received correctly.

Whether the project is a few paragraphs of marketing copy or a lengthy book manuscript, a seasoned editor can help it communicate its message with the audience in mind.

There are several levels of editing.

Content Editing

Content editing tackles areas such as accuracy, clarity and point of view. The importance of accuracy is obvious. A writer presumably knows his or her topic, but factual errors will undermine the audience’s trust. Clarity enables recipients to get the message quickly and easily. Similarly, an author may approach a topic with different concerns than the readers he or she is targeting. A good editor makes sure an item conveys its points in a way that engages the audience.

Work Samples

Peoria Blood Cleanup Statement

(March 7, 2013)

Statement-Blood-Cleanup.png View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: edit_content_clips

Aviation and Transportation Security Act

(March 7, 2013)

Editing_clip_avsecBA-copy1.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: edit_content_clips

What they said ...

“Last year, I was in need of some honest feedback for a book I wrote. I’m so glad I chose Stu Robinson. When Stu reads your work, it’s not just a minor skim with superficial notes. He gives amazing feedback that can up your manuscript into a polished, finished piece. He’s got a great eye, a great sense of story and doesn’t sugarcoat.”

Abby Schachner young-adult novelist

If you would like to discuss our services in more detail, please email us at info@lightbulbcommunications.com.

Media Relations

Present clients’ messages in ways that will draw the interest of journalists. A savvy judge of news value knows what is likely to resonate with reporters and editors.

The challenge in media relations is to entice reporters and editors to include a client, product or message in news coverage for free. That involves persuading journalists that the topic is worth covering because their readers or viewers will be interested. The key is tailoring the idea to create a “win-win-win” scenario in which the journalist gets a good story, the client receives free publicity and the media relations practitioner earns his or her keep.

“The challenge is to entice reporters and editors to include a client, product or message in news coverage for free. That involves casting the topic in a way that will be relevant to their readers or viewers.”

It’s not simply a matter of spin, however. A good media relations person knows journalists, their interests and their various media platforms. Presenting something to the right reporter at the right publication in the right format puts that message on the path of least resistance. An industry-specific pitch, for example, might be better received by the trade media rather than the mass media.

Lightbulb Communications has media contacts from multi-platform national outlets to community newspapers. In Phoenix, Lightbulb’s knowledge of the West Valley offers clients a competitive advantage in that region. Lightbulb’s Stu Robinson also forged media contacts in northern, southern and eastern Arizona through his work for the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission.

Buyer Beware.

No credible media relations practitioner can guarantee media coverage. A topic won’t resonate if it’s too narrow, of parochial interest to the client or simply not “news.” A person who wants a message published or aired verbatim should buy an ad.

Media Placements

Trim Barré at The Yoga Hangout – Fox 10 Phoenix, June 24, 2014

(June 1, 2015)

Trim-Barre-Fox-10.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: media_relations_clips

Hanging Yoga at The Yoga Hangout – Fox 10 Phoenix, June 24, 2014

(June 1, 2015)

Hanging-Yoga-Fox10.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: media_relations_clips

AZ Fact Check – AZCentral.com, Oct. 11, 2011

(March 8, 2013)

AZ-Fact-Check-copy.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: media_relations_clips

Spotlight: Green Your Ride

News Release

(March 22, 2013)

Green-Your-Ride-Project-NR.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: project_spotlight

Photos

(March 22, 2013)

Green-Your-Ride-Project-Photos.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: project_spotlight

Articles

(March 22, 2013)

Green-Your-Ride-Project-Articles.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: project_spotlight

What they said ...

“Stu Robinson has, over the years, been instrumental in getting our press releases published and picked up by a host of relevant trade and general business magazines. He’s often suggested topics for either news releases or guest columns that have earned me publication in key trade magazines.”

Peter Feinstein,
President/CEO Higher Power Marketing

“The [2009 Green Your Ride] event was a huge success for the city and a very creative way to publicize not only National Public Works Week, but also the city’s substantial efforts in improving sustainable operations and service delivery. …The extensive media coverage of the event has certainly helped put Peoria’s sustainability efforts in the public eye and has improved the city’s reputation in general.”

Susan J. Daluddung,
Deputy City Manager Peoria, Arizona

“Stu Robinson was a big help to me. … His ability to anticipate journalists’ needs and provide timely information to members of the public enabled commissioners, counsel and the rest of the staff to focus on the tasks at hand. I appreciated his advice whenever the commission found itself in the news.”

Ray Bladine,
Executive Director Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission

If you would like to discuss our services in more detail, please email us at info@lightbulbcommunications.com.

Social Media

Lightbulb can save clients time and effort by identifying the most appropriate platforms and handling online engagement.

The social media realm is wide-ranging and ever-changing. It’s easy to become distracted by the shifting mosaic of platforms. Learning how to use new ones and keeping current on existing platforms could be a full-time job.

But social media is about more than knowing how to post. The value is in knowing what to post, and where. That’s not something that can be delegated easily. In order to be successful, whoever handles social media for a business or organization must be enthusiastic and willing to “take ownership” of the role. It’s not enough to post a set number of times per day, whether the topics are worth it or not. That’s because managing social media is not a task, it’s an ongoing relationship with the audience.

Social media users can tell when they are receiving the attention they deserve. So launching a Facebook page or Twitter feed isn’t a simple “add on” that can be relegated to the margins. A decision to engage via social media is a commitment akin to being open during posted business hours. If nobody is there, users will go elsewhere.

Cities Use Twitter to Inform, Connect – Cronkite News, Sept. 13, 2012

(March 7, 2013)

Cronkite-Twitter-copy.pdf View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: social_media_clips

@PeoriaAZ

(March 7, 2013)

Peoria-Twitter.png View | Download

Summary: You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you’re not sure why. Live, from 1976, it’s the $2 bill! Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it’s detailed etching of...

Categories: social_media_clips

What they said ...

“Stuart Robinson is a very savvy social networker. In Peoria, he ran our Twitter and Facebook programs for two years and built those from emerging curiosities into important elements of a full-spectrum communications program. He understands the difference between communicating to an audience and communicating with people. That important subtlety is critical to successful online engagement, and Stuart definitely gets it.”

Kelly Corsette,
Communications and Public Affairs Director City of Scottsdale, Ariz.