You Only Got 4 Minutes To Save The World

Chapter 6 of Ewen's "PR!" (Pages 116-119)

The organization "4 Minute Men" was created by George Creel when America was at it's first World War. The CPI sought after Creel to organize the group consisting of local leaders (who were usually businessmen) in order "to shape attitudes within the frame of people's daily lives" (Ewen, page 117.)

Forming the "4 Minute Men" was in my opinion a clever strategy. In order to deliver a message intimately, the best way was to bring the message to the people. Three years before the first radio broadcast, many businessmen throughout the United States spoke in their hometowns to neighbors, and peers to maintain a positive outlook on the war.

In order to maintain the moniker, members were not supposed to go over four minutes while speaking to a crowd. Bulletins were sent to members that would already include pre-written speeches and suggestions on what issues to bring up, and ways to motivate the crowds. Delivering an effective speech must've been difficult for some, because not only were they being seen by their neighbors and locals, but they were being monitored by chairmen whose role consisted of ensuring the speakers were doing their job properly, and also served as guides to provide critiques and advice for future speeches.

Overall, if one was good at public speaking, and agreed with the CPI's intentions, then they were most likely a shoe-in for membership of the 4 Minute Men; that is of course, interested candidates must also be a professional or a business man. Being a 4 Minute Man, in my opinion, did not require one to go out of their way to figure out how to convince a crowd of their message. As long as one followed the bulletins' guidelines to a tee, and simply used enthusiasm, they could maintain the undivided attention of a crowd.