The Associated Press recently added a new section on polls and surveys. The guidance is focused on political polling and explains in a blog post, “The new chapter, available immediately to AP Stylebook Online subscribers, leads with longstanding guidance that the mere existence of a poll is not enough to make news.” While the new chapter is focused on political polling – PR practitioners should keep this guidance in mind when considering consumer surveys for media relations outreach. You know the one. Seeking media attention,…
Read MoreThere’s a recurring debate in Fredrik Backman’s endearing book, A Man Called Ove, in which the title character and his best friend lock horns over the supremacy of one Swedish car manufacturer over the other. This Volvo vs. Saab rivalry reminds me of the ongoing debate between PR practitioners who subscribe to our traditional strategies of media relations and the more progressive proponents of content marketing. Of course, if you have a two-car garage, and budget is not an issue, the easy answer is to…
Read MoreWhen last we met, I was huffing and puffing over the PR anathema commonly referred to as “spray and pray” – i.e. the practice of public relations practitioners indiscriminately carpet bombing the media battlefield with news releases and pitches in the hope that one might hit a receptive target. It’s a tactic loathed by reporters and many PR professionals alike, and what makes it all the more confounding is that it rarely works. So, while I’m on the topic of profligate tactics, let’s talk for…
Read MoreTwo of my colleagues recently interviewed journalist and author Roben Farzad on what’s becoming one of my favorite podcasts, appropriately enough called It’s a PR Podcast. Roben hosts Full Disclosure on NPR One, is a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and used to write for Bloomberg Businessweek. He’s smart and curious, engaging and fun, and he’s also pretty generous with his time. The episode is worth a listen. First, for the sake of full disclosure (speaking of which), I’ve had the pleasure of being…
Read MoreGetting media coverage in trade publications, especially for B2B companies, is a great way to promote your product, service or business to a specific, targeted audience. These publications are professional resources with relevant information on trends, recent developments in the field, new products, techniques and other news that is specific to an industry. If your content marketing game is strong, you’re already sharing these insights on your company’s blog, newsletter, social media pages and other platforms used to communicate with audiences. But sharing and showcasing…
Read MoreI’ve been mulling over Farhad Manjoo’s recent “State of the Art” column in The New York Times. The paper’s technology writer has gone cold turkey on digitally delivered news, restricting himself to print versions of two national newspapers, his local daily (S.F. Chronicle) and a weekly newsmagazine. What first sounds like heresy for a tech writer, he has now, months later, eased comfortably into the anachronistic rhythms of morning paper deliveries, describing his metamorphosis this way: “Turning off the buzzing breaking-news machine I carry in…
Read MoreWe’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of media relations in rural areas throughout Hodges’ history. Here’s one of my favorite examples: For five years, we convinced journalists along the 340-miles of the James River to join students on canoes, kayaks and bateaux’s as part of the James River Expedition, a program that introduced students to Virginia’s history and ecology via week-long trips down America’s Founding River. Luckily, no one fell into the river (on-air). As you can imagine, the James River stretches through…
Read MoreThere was a time when landing a key media relations hit was the be-all end-all of public relations. But today, securing that placement is merely just lighting the flame of its potentially luminous value. It will burn even brighter if you put the right merchandising fire behind it. What do I mean? Media relations works First, let’s acknowledge that there is great power in a media placement. It raises your profile, establishes credibility and provides a third-party, objective endorsement that your company or your products…
Read MoreIf you work in media relations, you’re familiar with the unabashed glee that comes when a reporter positively responds to your pitch, and before you know it, you’re scheduling an interview for your CEO. While your first instinct might be to prop your feet up on your desk and call it day, the reality is that your work is just getting started. Tight deadline or not, planning and preparation is key. With decades of experience preparing CEOs and other C-suite leaders for media interviews, we’re…
Read MoreEvery so often these days, our industry asks if the press release, a staple in the communications toolbox for businesses and communicators for 700 years, er, decades, is dead or alive. I’d argue that aging might be a better descriptor, as in the press release as we know it is aging. I’ll admit there are plenty of reasons not to announce your news or opinions in a press release (hey, maybe that would make for a good blog!), but to say that the press release…
Read MoreWhen it comes to on-camera flops, the most cringe-worthy fails arise when a company spokesperson is drowning during a live interview. With the nerves, cameras and tough questions, it’s easy to do. But that doesn’t make it any more acceptable. Here are five examples of media interview fails, and some tips so you’re never the one flopping: 1. Knowing your key messages, but not really knowing them. The briefing: In this 2015 soundbite, LBC reporter Nick Ferrari interviews Green Party leader at the time Natalie…
Read MoreYou don’t get it. You pick up the paper, and there’s an article on a business that you might have a passing interest in, and you think, “Why them? Why not me? My company is so much more interesting than this firm specializing in inventory management software.” You could be right, but even so, your outreach to the paper over the years has consistently had the same result as those amorous emails to Elle Macpherson so many years ago. Zippo response. Chances are, you could…
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