Journalists Wet the Bed!

I was recently asked by a public relations and communications student if having a relationship with a journalist matters. The answer is yes and no. If you ask a journalist, he or she will say - on the record, of course- that it doesn't matter. The journalist will tell you that everything in life is fair and that they treat every single press release with the same consideration.

If you ask someone like me, the answer is 'yes'. Relationships do matter. They matter because it is easier to call up someone you know and get your pitch moved forward vs. a cold call- or worse- a press release via email.

Journalists can't promote something based solely on a relationship. But, they can vet it based on the relationship. A publicist is a sales person. He or she must sell the pitch in spite of the relationship, which is where a journalist may "wet the bed" in industry speak.  If a PR person fails to follow AP style or is pitching something that isn't timely or has media value, then the relationship doesn't matter. If the publicist has something with media value to pitch, then the relationship does matter.

The truth is, media -in general- has more than 50 shades of gray when it comes to rules, policies, and relationships. I saw trust your gut and always be honest.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Bad PR Moves

I was recently speaking with a client who had a terrible idea. I had to break the news and that is always hard. So, what was the idea? Sending gift bags to the local media. Not only is this a huge waste of money and time, it violates many ethical boundaries on the journalist’s end and the publicist’s end.  The intention was never to bribe the media with the gift bags, just get their attention. So, when does a gift turn into a bribe and a bad PR move? Well, anything over $25 dollars defines the line.

Yes, professionally, the IRS allows “gifts” to be under $25 if directly related to your specific industry. You can buy gifts for clients if the presents are under twenty-five dollars.  The PRSA seems to agree with the IRS. So, gift cards for coffee or lunch are ok, but expensive gift bags aren’t. Let’s say a journalist accepts the gift bag. Let’s say the journalist honestly likes your story- and covers it. Let’s say that a competitor finds this out. He or she can single handily ruin the reporter’s career, the media outlet’s brand and your reputation as a publicist. Now, was that media get worth it? Of course not!

So, on a Tuesday, ask yourself what your worst PR move has been and hopefully it doesn’t include well-intended bribes.  If so, don’t make this mistake again. Get your media obtained by actually earning it, not buying it.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

The Inside Track to Sales

Here’s the thing, you have to sell yourself. Regardless of what it is for (contracts, a job, new accounts, promoting a nightclub), you need to convince people to buy products and service pitched by yourself. It can be nerve wracking, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be.  I have developed a few ways to ensure sales without becoming nervous during a pitch.

First, never think of a sale as a sale. Instead, think of yourself as a problem solver. You are presenting someone with the opportunity to fulfill a need or rectify a problem. You are a hero, act like one!

Next, listen. People are so busy selling stuff that they forget to listen. The biggest and easiest way to gain a sale is to listen to the client and then explain, using their words, how you can help. Don’t be pushy and don’t do the majority of the talking. If your client isn’t a talker then ask questions. The more they hear themselves talking to you, the more they envision working with you.

Finally, be honest. Don’t tell people what they want to hear. People know this is a trick and they are weary of people who say things that don’t seem valid. So, be upfront and honest. This goes a looooonnnnnnnggggg way.

Coco the CEO

4 Pet Peeves of Publicists

Let’s get real. You hire a publicist because you are not a publicist! So, why then do you bug your publicist? This is a major complaint of anyone within public relations field – the know it all clients.  We are often now allowed to meet our capabilities as PR professions because we are so busy taking phone calls, reading emails and reviewing edits from clients. The truth is, the most a client stays out of our way, the better promoted he or she will be!

I took a poll among my peers for tonight’s blog. So, without further delay, here are four ways to annoy your publicist. If you can refrain from committing any or all of these four ‘pet peeves’ then you will have a happier publicist and a better chance for media coverage.

1.     Put me on Oprah and do it tomorrow. LOL, OK – and can I charge you more for this order?  If you're just starting a public relations campaign, don't expect to end up on the front page of the Times--or any major news outlet--by Friday. Media campaigns take time and you need to be aware of publication cycles. Just because you think you’re newsworthy doesn’t make it so. Give your PR team 6 months to a year to build up your brand.

2.     “When am I going to get an interview?” This is a common question for those new to the PR field. Again, things take time and sometimes breaking news happens or you are interviewed and the story is cut by an editor- or even the reporter. Stop calling your publicist on a daily, hourly or second-by-second basis asking when the interviews will start rolling in or why they were cut. You will receive a PR report. It will be accurate. Your PR team wants to be resigned based on their ability, but again – you have to get off email and phone attempts to pressure them so they can be on email and the phones with the press.

3.     Demanding. Oh, most PR people hate this. Don’t demand anything from your PR team unless you want to be put at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list re: your account.  You get a lot more with honey then you do with vinegar. Demanding reports early, copies of pitch reports early, or just being demanding in general gets under the skin of many PR agents because their job is already demanding enough.

4.     Expect results in 30 days or less. Again, PR is a process. According to one of my peers, “If a PR firm promises you dramatic results at the end of the month, they're not being honest. PR is a long game where relationships and brand awareness build over time.  Public relations is a valuable tool in any company's toolbox. It's important, however, to have realistic expectations about what public relations is and what it can do for your company. And you have to work with the PR team. If you are not following their recommendations and tips, you’re hurting your own brand and setting the PR team up for failure.”

Remember these points and help your publicist out!

Until next time,

Coco the CEO

The Best PR Gift You Can Give Yourself.

You didn’t hear this from me but the best way to obtain media value is to develop it yourself. While a strong PR campaign is built on honest and years of layering your value like one would lay bricks in the media’s eyes, there is the power of controversy. For example; any commercial or video that is banned from a major network will go viral online. It is a gift of PR from the networks to the product or person being featured in the video. Getting yourself banned, condemned, caught with your undies (or no undies) showing will create a sense of immediate mystique about you and your brand.

This is a catch-22 situation, however, because it isn’t true that all press is good press. You can ruin your brand if you’re constantly showing up to step and repeats for the sole purpose of having your photo taken. You have to do something that shows value, otherwise the controversial move you will create will-indeed-only last 15 minutes.

If you’re going to take the plunge and do something controversial to up your media value, make sure you have a product or purpose to back it up. Otherwise, that quick value you create will not result in any actual sales.

Until next time,

Coco the CEO