PR Mike! You just hit a bullseye!
September 2nd, 2010
I often write about poor PR pitches to the media. So let’s discuss one that got the job done for the reporter, PR firm and firm’s client.
Mike is from a New Jersey PR firm. He addressed the reporter by name. He started his pitch with a short paragraph not about his client but about a victim. Mike wrote as if he were telling a story, a short story about a man who lost a lot of money.
“Personally, I try to tell a story in all my pitches,” Mike said. “I try to keep it short & interesting to help build a picture. I’ve heard horror stories from media outlets about off target, incoherent pitches so I always aim to give a clear understanding of the pitch. Before I send a pitch out, I read and think, would I be interested in this? Would this pitch sell me? It’s a good practice and not time consuming at all!”
Ok. So far so good. But is this victim living in the reporter’s market or is his home on the other side of the planet? In the second paragraph of Mike’s pitch, he explained the victim is based in the reporter’s area. Then he wrote the company playing the role of expert (his client) is also in town.
“I try to make it easy for everyone involved,” Mike added in a follow-up email.
Maybe too easy, the reporter wondered. Then Mr. Media thought “Ah ha! I know what must be wrong!” Maybe Mike was having all the media in town telling this story and interviewing his client.
Nope. Mike did not disappoint.
He said: “I handle that with honesty, especially with TV. Once I receive an acknowledgement and confirmation, that station gets the exclusive. First come first serve in my book!”
The pitch written by Mike from New Jersey is two paragraphs. It is 155 words. And perhaps the most important stat: A TV crew shot the story just two days later.
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PR Pros Working with Media Minus One
September 1st, 2010
This picture is from a news conference in which a police department announced an arrest in a murder investigation. The room included some reporters but what stood out were the photographers without reporters.
Weeks later, while covering a stranger danger incident, you could see a TV photographer on a sidewalk trying to interview students by himself. No reporter.
PR pros should grow accustomed to working with reporter-less photographers. It’s a growing trend. Some local TV stations even share photographers and their video as part of an effort called LNS, Local News Share.
When the crew heading to a story is a crew of one, I think there are opportunites for communicators. Consider some reporters don’t like much direction from marketers. And some marketers don’t appreciate reporters who don’t focus on key talking points. With reporters out of the mix more often, PR pros may have more space to get their vision of the story across on TV, in print or on the web. Journalists might cringe at this notion, but consider when TV photographers are carrying typical gear (camera, tripod & lights), they’re hauling about 70 pounds. Now imagine dragging around that 70 pounds in inhospitable places such as Arizona’s heat. Those photographers have enough going on. They just might welcome some suggestions on what questions to ask and what shots to get.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying photographers are pushovers. Some are extremely aggressive and stubborn. But on the whole, they might be more receptive to your ideas as long as you don’t treat them like children or with any less importance than you would treat reporters. My husband has listened to many newsroom conversations among reporters about PR pros. And no matter how much you think you help reporters, many of them find communicators annoying and in the way. Photographers might be willing to play along a little more.
For PR pros, this might be a blessing in disguise. At least on TV, stories are only as good as the video. Maybe it’s about time more communicators buddy up to those holding the cameras not the pens. Give it a try. The next time you work with a crew minus one, try some new ideas out. See if you get further. If you offer to hold the photographer’s tripod or microphone, that would be a good first step.
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Judging a PR Pro by a Cover
August 31st, 2010
A New York publicist mails a client’s book to a reporter across the country. The package includes a slick brochure. The reporter recognizes the publicist’s name but doesn’t recall her giving him a heads up the book was on its way. He flips through the book, stops momentarily to check out some bullet points on a page and wonders if his wife might find it interesting. He puts the book on his desk and throws away the brochure.
The book doesn’t relate to any particular issues the reporter covers. He doesn’t recognize the authors. There’s no obvious connection to the reporter’s community. If the package included a personal letter to the reporter, he never saw it. But the trash did.
I’ve talked before here about PR pros not simply pitching media like throwing darts. But it’s not uncommon for publicists to mail out clients’ books without much direction. And because we’re not talking about email, I wonder what it costs to mail 250 pages to many members of the media across the country. Maybe some of the media are specifically targeted and care about what the author says. But often, it does seem like someone is throwing darts.
At one point, a bunch of these books covered a strip of wood that separated desks at my husband’s TV station. Consider it a library of randomness. But somewhere out there, a client put a lot of work into writing those pages. And somewhere out there, a publicist is trying to make that client successful.
My recommendations:
- In addition to the author, find someone before contacting media that journalists can interview who can share a personal story. Find a different personal story for each different city. Searching for people on Twitter can help.
- Decide if you’re willing to fly your client into cities for interviews. Satellite and Skype interviews are possible but often look blah.
- Don’t open up your pitch explaining your client wrote a book. That shouts “commercial” to cynical reporters. Pitch your client as an expert. Subtly bring up later the client wrote a book and ask if the reporter wouldn’t mind mentioning it or if the photographer wouldn’t mind taking a shot of it.
- Try to connect the client’s subject to an current issue being discussed in society.
- Tell journalists they can interview clients at a relevant location. If the book is about the work environment, find an employer who will let you use their place as a backdrop. Conference rooms and offices are so boring for interviews!
- Google your client to ensure the reporter won’t dig up anything negative and surprise everyone with a story you didn’t expect.
- Give the reporter a few links where readers and viewers can find out more about an author and maybe just buy the book.
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In the Winds of Change, Don’t Let the Rumor Windmill Spin Out of Control
August 30th, 2010
A company makes a major change to its daily business operations but doesn’t let its employees know about it ahead of time. What does not saying anything actually say to employees? Lots. It tells employees they are not important enough to “bother” with – just shut up and do your job! Management’s let-them-eat-cake attitude acts like a proverbial guillotine, cutting off any sense of trust from employees. Talk about disengagement.
With management hiding behind the corporate curtain like the Great Oz, employees speculate about what the change means to them. How does it impact their jobs? What does this mean for the company’s future? This only churns the company rumor windmill with gusto. Questions meet vague responses. Or, better yet – a shrug and the ole’ standby: “It’s corporate’s decision.” This is a company that sets its cruise control to adequacy and apathy and its weak communications style will always play second fiddle to rumors.
On the flip side, there’s the company with an open and honest communications policy. Facing layoffs affecting every department, the challenge: when to communicate? Do it from the outset without yet knowing which employees will lose their jobs or wait to communicate – springing the news on employees on D Day? The decision: Honor the open and honest communications policy by communicating early and letting employees know this is coming. Why? It’s the right thing to do. Maybe some employees plan on making major purchases like a house or a car. Knowing this information would be invaluable to their decision-making.
Does announcing the news early cause some panic and rumors? Sure. In fact, this is the argument some people might have against letting employees know about the layoffs in advance. Communicating early gives the company the chance to stay ahead of the rumor mill and explain the why before too much noise filters out what’s important.
When companies sit on big news without letting employees know, it hurts credibility. It can have a negative domino effect on all future announcements requiring employee buy-in. Employees who have been scorned, stunned or outraged from past actions and lack of communication will raise their eyebrows with skepticism at whatever the company line happens to be.
So, does your company have major news or changes coming down the pike?
- Communicate early.
- Communicate often.
- Communicate consistently – before the rumor windmill spins out of control.
- Refresh and continue. Communications shouldn’t stop once the change happens. Get feedback on how messages were received. If necessary, fine-tune your message based on that feedback and continue.
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Don’t Fake It
August 22nd, 2010
Fake The Flowers Not The News
Someone in PR pitches what she describes as a national story to a reporter. The reporter gets “first dibs.”
In the first paragraph, she explains why the story is relevant to the reporter’s city. She acknowledges a local journal already published the story and sends him a link to it. She lists video and interview opportunities and on short notice, even appears to have everyday people available so the reporter can help personalize the story.
But there’s a snag. The story involves visual workshops that haven’t started yet. So the PR pro is thinking of a “mock class” even though she acknowledges faking it isn’t really a good idea.
I’ve known journalists who would blow their tops when someone suggested faking something for the purposes of a news story. But some reporters often allow it to happen. And there’s a philosophical debate about just how realistic any person or situation can be when the biggest camera you’ve ever seen is watching your every move.
Even if you can sometimes get away with role playing for visual purposes, don’t do it. It strikes at the very heart of what news should be. And by just mentioning it, you’ll lose instant credibility with some journalists who will assume you don’t know the difference between Hollywood and the five o’clock news.
I’ve known reporters who needed video of someone on the phone and waited until a real call came in. That might seem silly to you, but if you’re the one who said let’s keep it real everyone, you’d score big with at least the reporters who care about the purity of the business.
Leave role playing to other parts of your life.
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Employee Engagement or Whirlwind Romance?
August 18th, 2010
Put a ring on it
- Met online on at jobs website – seemed like a perfect match.
- Intense courtship (recruitment).
- Popped the question (the offer).
- Signed a prenup (acceptance letter, confidentiality agreement, new hire paperwork).
- Went on honeymoon (new hire orientation).
- Started to feel out of touch (didn’t feel appreciated; tried to meet unreasonable expectations; didn’t know important information).
- Tried to rekindle the romance with a company BBQ and some gifts (tsotchkes like a key chain with the company logo).
- Tried to make it work with counseling (Employee Assistance Program).
- Broke up (exit interview).
- Kept the ring (key ring) but gave the office keys back.
What comes to mind when you think of employee engagement? Is it just another buzzword? How achievable is it in a tenuous employer/employee relationship where each partner wonders if the other is going to love ‘em and leave ‘em?
Is it too much for companies to think they can capture the minds and hearts of employees? Probably – especially when company profits are increasing yet they continue to cut costs and salaries. Companies are still expecting employees to do more with less – like take on two jobs because the company isn’t replacing people it fired and is offering little in increased pay. Then there are companies who get creative and give employees more responsibility in the guise of a promotion by putting them in a completely different area of the company without the proper tools to do their new jobs. It’s a “sink or swim” mentality – a setup for failure. In these cases, companies are working against themselves, making it impossible for employees to feel engaged.
So, what’s a corporate communicator to do when the company holds employees in the palm of its collective hand, squeezing every last bit of productivity out of them like pulp from a lemon? How do you communicate when the company:
- doesn’t give employees the tools to do their jobs effectively
- is not clear about the company’s vision
- hasn’t created a culture that’s rewarding and fun
- doesn’t treat employees with respect
- has a management team that fears open and honest communication
- doesn’t promote ownership in the business by including employees in decisions
- doesn’t encourage development or provide opportunities to learn and grow?
Not doing these practices day in and day out leads to disengagement. Communications alone can’t shoulder the responsibility of engagement unless these practices become a company way of life. Engagement should not simply be a program that makes its way on the executive radar screen once a year when the employee survey results come in. It has to be woven into the company fabric to be successful.
What does employee engagement mean to you? Have any good examples to share of companies doing it right?
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More time for your clients on TV!
August 17th, 2010
You're live in 3 minutes!
My mother-in-law, a freelance journalist and journalism teacher (most recently at Arizona State University), has never felt totally comfortable with modern TV news. She reminisces of the Cronkite days when the meaning of objectivity was not debatable. Today’s walking and talking reporters and blurred line between journalism and opinionated TV talk shows make her shake her head.
The one aspect of journalism’s evolution that might make her flinch most is cable news’ uncontrollable lust for two talking heads yammering and pointing their fingers at each other. That dynamic really hits home considering someone close to her often plays the role of polished and witty TV pundit on the national stage.
The talking heads and some of their temper tantrums often are reserved for the 24 hour cable stations. But recently, I’ve noticed local stations engaging much more in some of this talkback TV. If it’s not two candidates engaged in verbal jousting, it’s an anchor going one on one live with a guest smack in the middle of a local newscast.
No matter what you think of this format, it’s important PR pros take notice. If this continues to catch on, you may have a whole new category for your clients.
Once the midterm elections pass, political candidates won’t be keeping the seats warm for these live talkbacks. Welcome in your clients, the experts, to yammer on about the latest controversy. Think about it. Instead of your client clamoring for a 10 second soundbite, you get a few minutes of unedited, live television in primetime. And considering a lot of local talking heads don’t come naturally packaged with the glitz and glamour of those on national cable news, your client might be just as good as the next. The downside: If your client is boring, a nervous nellie or easily rattled, this opportunity could turn into disaster. Live TV does not offer do-overs, except when screw-ups end up on YouTube for everyone to laugh at over and over.
If you ever need some assistance training a client to be “good live TV,” I’m sure my husband could offer a helpful hand with some helpful tips. In the meantime, keep an eye on this possible trend. You might want to take advantage of TV talkbacks.
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Getting To First Base PR Style
August 15th, 2010
Don't Pitch Used Goods
A PR executive emails a reporter, asking if he is aware of a dispute between a city manager and city employees. People have been laid off. Questions are being raised about financial decisions. Public safety might be at risk. The PR pro sends along a press release and says she can put the reporter in touch with the right person for more information.
The reporter Googles the topic and reads that a local newspaper and TV station recently covered the story. It seems the TV station actually took the story a step further and dug up some extra, juicy details that might tick off taxpayers. So the reporter emails the PR executive back, wondering if there’s actually anything new to report.
After reading her response, he sees only one possible new detail to report and he’s not sure he even understands it. By the time the email is over, she says a second TV station is now showing interest and pretty much understands if the reporter passes on this one.
This type of situation happens often between the PR and journalism worlds. There’s the time a reporter finished shooting a special report and when he was leaving, the mother thanked him for putting her other children on camera. That’s because the other TV station didn’t put them on during its recent visit. Trust me. In that situation, telling the reporter the other station’s story was simply a blip on a website doesn’t help a whole lot.
I’ve talked about this before. I understand when a public relations firm wants to get as much coverage as possible. But there must be ways to get more coverage without media thinking you’re selling them used goods. The first example above may seem harmless in the end, but journalists will remember your name “from that time before.” You’re breaking a bond before you ever seal it.
Most stories have different angles and different people to interview. If you want all the coverage in the world, maybe hold something back from the first reporter who comes along. But persuading someone that one detail is worth a whole new story … you’re not fooling too many people. Maybe instead of pitching the idea to all five TV stations, hit up a community newspaper, blog and one TV station. If they’re not true competitors, the media sometimes couldn’t care less about a previous publication.
You wouldn’t want someone to ask you out on a date if he is already in another relationship. And claiming you weren’t sure if that relationship was going to work out isn’t going to make the second person feel warm and fuzzy. With a reporter who’s paying attention, you won’t get to first base, much less score.
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Choose a reporter wisely
August 12th, 2010
Choose Wisely
Persuading the media to cover your client shouldn’t be like throwing darts and hoping one sticks. Decide what type of coverage you want.
Do you want a general assignment (GA) reporter? Your exposure may be brief, but it will air that very day. That’s good news for a time sensitive event. And with GA stories, you increase your chances of more than one media outlet showing up.
How about an investigative or special projects reporter? Maybe you want in-depth coverage in which a journalist can spend more time on the story. The report will air some time in the weeks ahead and you’ll get more airtime. Promotions departments may even air “teases” throughout the day to get viewers to tune in at just the right time. And local media sometimes share special reports with partners in other markets and before you know it, your client is being seen across the country. But when it comes to special reports, media want to feel special. Pick one outlet and work with it. Don’t sell your idea to everyone. If the media find out they invested time on a story readers and viewers can also get elsewhere, you’ll burn a bridge.
Does your client belong on a morning show? The morning news often welcomes lighter topics, from cooking in studio to a weatherman preparing ice cream in a shop while delivering the daily temps. Morning shows include a lot of long live segments. Is your client ready for that? TV stations keep starting their morning news earlier and earlier. And although they might not admit it, those morning producers have a lot of time to fill. Otherwise, they simply repeat the same stories every half hour. More time to fill might mean more opportunities for you.
So think carefully before tossing that first dart. Picking the right reporter or news show will help you get a bullseye.
I’m building both a business and a tower
August 11th, 2010I’m posting a blog the other day. That’s tricky business when a good night’s sleep is only a dream. When you’re tired, catching typos and extra
Building A Business
spaces is not a sure thing.
While posting, my three year old is on repeat mode, saying over and over she wants help building a tower with blocks. My two month old is in his swing, making sounds that a cry of Teradactyl type proportions is on its way. Then there’s the dog doing her dance which means if you don’t open the door, the carpet will be sorry.
Blogging often is about business tips. But sometimes just covering the basics isn’t child’s play without losing your mind. And parents doing business at home sometimes need a reminder that they’re not alone.
So if a typo or extra space escapes my strained eyes, don’t mock this mompreneur too much. I’m building a tower and trying not to trip over the blocks.
