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Answer Upon - The Press Release is Dead (Now Will Somebody Please Tell the Clients?)
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. There are other useful definitions for both, for example, creativity can be measured according to the number of ideas produced, the diversity of those ideas and the novelty of those ideas.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generate
A short, personalized e-mail – three paragraphs at most – to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline, but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet’s aud
In its broadest acceptance, the term ‘clothing’ refers to coverings for the entire body. When speaking about clothing, we can also refer to coverings for the hands , feet or head. Almost all the people on this planet wear clothing. Other terms such as ‘dress’, ‘apparel’ or ‘garments’ may be used when referring to clothing.The reasons why people wear clothing are both functional and social. The human body needs protection against some weather or environment features, and clothing provides safety for people. There is also a social and cultural meaning associated to clothing.There are many other ways in which a person can decorate his/her body, such
For two of the three requirements, the issue was our embarrassment of riches. But for press releases, we were hard-pressed. These days, we write fewer and fewer press releases – most being the obligatory personnel announcements sprinkled with the periodic feature release. We just don’t see them as being as important a tool for PR practitioners as they once were.
Yes, there are exceptions. For disclosure purposes, news releases on occurrences or developments that could materially impact a publicly held company are mandatory. And some businesses have real “news” to report, even if they’re not publicly held, that may lend itself to distribution via news release.
But despite the popular image of PR firms as press release factories and their account personnel as pitching machines, and the regrettable fact that many still churn them out and indiscriminately blanket the media with releases that have little or no relevance, the reality is that they’re pretty much dead as a piece of the strategic communications arsenal.
Think about it. As a society, we've gone from the era of mass production, mass merchandising, and mass marketing to one where customization is king. In this environment, press releases are to PR professionals what the 30-second television commercial is becoming to the advertising industry. As far as most reporters and editors are concerned, they are overproduced; they lack differentiation; they generally aren’t relevant; and the vast majority just aren’t coverage-worthy.
As a profession, we must be falling down on the job of providing education and counsel. Why else would prospects, clients and their bosses still insist on “expertise” in developing press releases, when the pertinent question should be: “For our business and our purposes, what are the most effective ways to get media coverage?”
Understanding the client and the thinking/strategy behind its offerings is a first step leading to the best possible storyline hooks. It takes getting to know the company and its positioning – intimately. What differentiates it from the competition. The thinking by senior level people in the organization that makes it great.
This takes an investment of time and requires the PR professional to think and act like a reporter in order to gather the intelligence that leads to more than just message points, but solid story ideas that will position the company in the best possible light. Researching trends, issues and concerns in the industry generally and the company specifically will provide the fodder for probing questions to form the basis of useful interviews with appropriate executives.
The exercise adds to your knowledge base and gives you an idea of problematic areas that may have to be countered publicly at some point. While giving the executives a taste of the interview process for future reference, it also allows you position yourself as someone who is thinking more strategically and has advanced beyond the PR 101 rote.
The second step is to target your media markets and customize your message accordingly. Even products with mass consumer appeal will get more buzz with journalists if you narrow your focus and customize your positioning to reflect the individual journalist’s beat, orientation, likes, dislikes, and recent coverage topics, as well as the publication’s positioning with readers. Much of this intelligence can be gathered through services like MediaMap, or the old fashioned way – by doing a byline search and skimming through the journalist’s past articles (or segments in the case of the electronic media).
A short, personalized e-mail – three paragraphs at most – to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline, but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet’s audi
A smallish budget and a need to spend it wisely – I think the most important thing to do is ensure that you are aiming at actual potential customers. Luckily as auto repair guys – you have a head start as most people have cars nowadays. But….. make sure that you are aiming at people who own the kind of cars that you repair – be that make of car, age of car and/or income level.Second consideration is what you want to market – Be Specific. Have a service – or make one up – that you can explain in a few words. Try something like “Pre Freeze Tune Up” or “First Car Service” or “Pre Purchase Checkup”. Notice how the name explains it all. Try and off
But despite the popular image of PR firms as press release factories and their account personnel as pitching machines, and the regrettable fact that many still churn them out and indiscriminately blanket the media with releases that have little or no relevance, the reality is that they’re pretty much dead as a piece of the strategic communications arsenal.
Think about it. As a society, we've gone from the era of mass production, mass merchandising, and mass marketing to one where customization is king. In this environment, press releases are to PR professionals what the 30-second television commercial is becoming to the advertising industry. As far as most reporters and editors are concerned, they are overproduced; they lack differentiation; they generally aren’t relevant; and the vast majority just aren’t coverage-worthy.
As a profession, we must be falling down on the job of providing education and counsel. Why else would prospects, clients and their bosses still insist on “expertise” in developing press releases, when the pertinent question should be: “For our business and our purposes, what are the most effective ways to get media coverage?”
Understanding the client and the thinking/strategy behind its offerings is a first step leading to the best possible storyline hooks. It takes getting to know the company and its positioning – intimately. What differentiates it from the competition. The thinking by senior level people in the organization that makes it great.
This takes an investment of time and requires the PR professional to think and act like a reporter in order to gather the intelligence that leads to more than just message points, but solid story ideas that will position the company in the best possible light. Researching trends, issues and concerns in the industry generally and the company specifically will provide the fodder for probing questions to form the basis of useful interviews with appropriate executives.
The exercise adds to your knowledge base and gives you an idea of problematic areas that may have to be countered publicly at some point. While giving the executives a taste of the interview process for future reference, it also allows you position yourself as someone who is thinking more strategically and has advanced beyond the PR 101 rote.
The second step is to target your media markets and customize your message accordingly. Even products with mass consumer appeal will get more buzz with journalists if you narrow your focus and customize your positioning to reflect the individual journalist’s beat, orientation, likes, dislikes, and recent coverage topics, as well as the publication’s positioning with readers. Much of this intelligence can be gathered through services like MediaMap, or the old fashioned way – by doing a byline search and skimming through the journalist’s past articles (or segments in the case of the electronic media).
A short, personalized e-mail – three paragraphs at most – to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline, but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet’s aud
The Today show? The New York Times? Vanity Fair? What's your dream hit? While nothing inspires more fear and trepidation in public relations professionals than media relations, it doesn't have to be complicated. There are 2 keys to a press release... the Headline and making sure it doesn’t sound like an advertisement, but more like it is news. A media release (which also goes by its former name, the press release) is a one page, double spaced, single-sided document designed to transmit news about books, products, and people. Don't forget that real live people, editors and producers, must pull the release from the fax machine and be motivated to read it.
As a profession, we must be falling down on the job of providing education and counsel. Why else would prospects, clients and their bosses still insist on “expertise” in developing press releases, when the pertinent question should be: “For our business and our purposes, what are the most effective ways to get media coverage?”
Understanding the client and the thinking/strategy behind its offerings is a first step leading to the best possible storyline hooks. It takes getting to know the company and its positioning – intimately. What differentiates it from the competition. The thinking by senior level people in the organization that makes it great.
This takes an investment of time and requires the PR professional to think and act like a reporter in order to gather the intelligence that leads to more than just message points, but solid story ideas that will position the company in the best possible light. Researching trends, issues and concerns in the industry generally and the company specifically will provide the fodder for probing questions to form the basis of useful interviews with appropriate executives.
The exercise adds to your knowledge base and gives you an idea of problematic areas that may have to be countered publicly at some point. While giving the executives a taste of the interview process for future reference, it also allows you position yourself as someone who is thinking more strategically and has advanced beyond the PR 101 rote.
The second step is to target your media markets and customize your message accordingly. Even products with mass consumer appeal will get more buzz with journalists if you narrow your focus and customize your positioning to reflect the individual journalist’s beat, orientation, likes, dislikes, and recent coverage topics, as well as the publication’s positioning with readers. Much of this intelligence can be gathered through services like MediaMap, or the old fashioned way – by doing a byline search and skimming through the journalist’s past articles (or segments in the case of the electronic media).
A short, personalized e-mail – three paragraphs at most – to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline, but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet’s aud
There are a number of conditions that are impacting the roles of managers today. A few of them are:- Greater cultural diversity- Several distinctive employee age groups- Increased impact and use of technology- A growing international market place- Ethical standards that are unclear or inconsistent- Greater stress levels among all employee groups- Corporate direction and strategy is under fire by consumers- The desire of employees for greater independence and autonomy- Increased consumer choices for products and services- Fewer specifically skilled employees- Relentless and accelerati
The exercise adds to your knowledge base and gives you an idea of problematic areas that may have to be countered publicly at some point. While giving the executives a taste of the interview process for future reference, it also allows you position yourself as someone who is thinking more strategically and has advanced beyond the PR 101 rote.
The second step is to target your media markets and customize your message accordingly. Even products with mass consumer appeal will get more buzz with journalists if you narrow your focus and customize your positioning to reflect the individual journalist’s beat, orientation, likes, dislikes, and recent coverage topics, as well as the publication’s positioning with readers. Much of this intelligence can be gathered through services like MediaMap, or the old fashioned way – by doing a byline search and skimming through the journalist’s past articles (or segments in the case of the electronic media).
A short, personalized e-mail – three paragraphs at most – to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline, but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet’s aud
There's a marketing criminal on the loose, and I like to call him the Anti-Marketer. Why? Because the more he talks about what a great marketer he is, the less he convinces people of this fact and the more sales he loses. Are YOU the Anti-Marketer? Let's hope not.Take a look at the Top Five "Marketing But Not Marketing" offenses.. and then be sure to stear clear of these self-sabotaging marketer behaviors!Offense 1. Writing an article that serves no practical purpose to the reader. What types of articles "don't help?" Ones that are too generic. Every piece of advice you offer your reader should be accompanied by explicit "how-to" in
A short, personalized e-mail – three paragraphs at most – to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline, but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet’s audiences. This personal approach is going to have a far greater chance of grabbing the reporter’s attention than a news release that’s written for the masses.
The third step is to ensure the people who are actually doing the phone call or email follow-up in pitching the story are brought up to speed on the context of the angle and overall client positioning. In short, they have to be prepared to answer at least some of the reporter’s basic questions. A pet peeve of mine when I was a journalist, was receiving a mass-produced press release that was followed up by a telephone pitch by “sweet young things” whose responses to the simplest questions was inevitably, “Ummmm, I don’t know. Is it important?” Their unpreparedness reflects poorly on them and the organization they’re representing.
For years, the PR profession has indulged in considerable hand wringing over the perceived lack of respect accorded the discipline, particularly vis a vis other communications disciplines like marketing and advertising. It would help were more practitioners to go beyond the numbers game to ensure broader trends were reflected in performance of even the most basic functions.
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