Make the News

At least twice before I've mentioned a mentor's media relations mantra: you have to know the news to make the news. It got me addicted to NPR. An awareness of current events is critical.

But what do you do when you know that the news is all about Brad Pitt's hygiene and Old Spice commercials (I'm on a horse!)?

There are rare instances you can make your own news. Ryan Lytle is one of those examples.

Ryan is competing to become MTV's Twitter Jockey. His hometown is my hometown: Cincinnati. And some folks here are helping him secure his gig. That's how we roll.

Once you announce the local tie to a national competition, you effectively have told the story. But as we all know, online voting competitions happen in waves and you usually need more than one wave of publicity to get the word out.

Lytle's team had a local park, Lytle Park, temporarily renamed @rlytle as part of the promotional effort. It gave the media another reason to discuss the effort and encourage people to vote for Ryan.

Taking a sleepy park (with free public wi-fi access natch) tucked away in a corner of downtown and making it a reason to promote MTV and Twitter is creative. It's smart and clearly it was a good pitch.

It's also a specific example. You won't always be able to make the news. But this was a second wave vs. a first wave pitch. This clearly had a role in the pitch's success.

Disclaimer: Over the years I've worked with a few of the folks that made this pitch happen. But I had no knowledge of this pitch until the article ran and have had nothing to do with Lytle's support effort.

Summer Field Trip

Summer. Consider the opportunity. Holidays. Vacations (fwiw, Laermer is in Tel Aviv. In two weeks, I head out much closer to home). Nice weather (alongside hellish weather). It's the perfect storm for slacking--or for a little creativity.

This post excerpt inspires me:
Stale. One thing that I never want to be.
We all have a tendency to learn up to a point, we get comfortable and keep chugging along rarely investing in our ongoing education.
I call it the slow but sure path to irrelevancy.
Let me share my prescription for avoiding irrelevancy: Try new things.
Simple right?
Read more here.

With Magoo like luck, I tried blogging in 2002. Fast forward to 2010. That sure as hell paid off.

So let's pay it forward. Whether it's just you or a band of co-workers, here are three fast to-do items for a little trend field study.

1) The Road Less Traveled: We get so used to things; we don't even feel our shirts hanging from our bodies. Ever get to work and not remember the commute? Take a new/different route to work. Try a meeting with no chairs in the room. Just don't ask anyone "hot enough for ya?"

2) BE the Customer: This could be your client or your client's customers. Have you really walked a mile in their shoes? This can be tougher for BtoB with the average considered purchase costing six figures. But you get the idea. Figure out a way to be the customer for a transaction, for an entire day. Shadow an existing client/customer. Just bring mints.

3) Media Immersion: This is arguably similar to #1. But completely stop your current media consumption. Rebuild it from scratch. This is most helpful if you have RSS feeds. For one day, what do you miss? Build it back up (no bionics though Steve Austin) pulling out the waste you did not miss. Add in some new sources.

If this freaks you out, make a map of your current consumption before you do it so you're not totally screwed. The more modest way to do this is to pick three outlets you consumer now to stop following and follow three new ones -- for a week.

OR just head out to your nearest place of print media commerce (news stand, book store, corner joint with all the mags n papers and JOY!) Buy three mags that do NOT directly relate to your current interests, clients, field of career.

What Did You Learn?

The big thing I challenge you to do at the end of any of the above is to report back...to me, your blog, your coworkers...whatever. Pay it forward!

Hiding Behind Vocus

A quick rant...

Got another "pitch" sent via an email marketing platform. I won't go off on the tangent explaining why I so loathe this approach with every fiber of my being multiplied by infinity with the intensity of a thousand suns -- on a stick. But I will share with you a DISCLAIMER that was at the top of this particular piece of spam:

This press release was sent through the Vocus PR platform. Should you no longer wish to receive these communications, please unsubscribe through the link in the footer. If you do not want to be listed on the database, please contact Vocus directly to request for your details to be removed: PHONE NUMBER

Shambot, Lazybot, Spambot, Lamebot
If you're not taking the time to validate your lists whatsoever and think the above disclaimer helps your case? You're content to spend life polishing turds. Fine, I'm in a mood. But to hide behind Vocus (which BPB knows, loves and uses from time to time) is lazy.

At the risk of making too much of a big deal out of this, what if we did a find replace with the same phrase above?

This BULLET was sent through the SMITH & WESSON platform. Should you no longer wish to receive THIS AMMUNITION, please MOVE AWAY FROM THE TARGET. If you do not want to be SHOT, please contact SMITH & WESSON directly to request for your LOCATION to be removed.

Yeah, it's overkill. But my point is that you cannot blame Vocus for not doing your homework. You're not buying an email list. Email lists (the good ones) have scrubbed the addresses, made sure there are no dupes and made sure they've opted in to receive info from related third-parties. You do not even get to see the list, just send to it. Vocus is a starting point for ongoing media relations when it comes to the actual list. Obviously it's more akin to CRM than email marketing.

SANY0204 uploaded by eelke dekker

Emerging Media and the News

Brad King interviewed me for Emerging Media and the News. It's an audio series he's producing for his Ball State University students. King has worked for Wired, MIT Technology Review and he is also part of the SXSW Interactive speaker selection process.

Prior to this, King created a video series at SXSW-i catching up with folks from Harvard Business Digital, Telegraph Media Group and Tweetdeck to name a few.

So I'm pointing you to both series for some great content. In Emerging Media and the News, King and I discuss the Bad Pitch Blog. But more importantly, check it out for interviews with author Dan Gilmour, Technology Review's Jason Pontin, as well as folks from SpotUS, Time Magazine, The Times of London and more.

The Synchronator: Video and Audio from both ends of a Remote uploaded by Josh Bancroft

More on "When THAT Story Runs" | part two

Some great comments on the previous post compelled me to create this follow-up post.

Anon: Any advice on what to tell [the client] when they come to you with the article and say "well, why weren't we in this?" They have a valid question when their competition might be included, but how do you explain that it's not humanly possible to know about every round-up or every article that a publication has planned, or to know and have a relationship with every single writer out there?

To which Mollie adds: Anonymous has a good point. I once had a client that paid $10G to bring a triple gold medal Olympian to speak at his event. I invited reporters to interview him after his morning workout the day of the big event - he was training for trials - and provided them with all sorts of background details on my client, and his connection to the Olympian, as well as the goal of the visit, etc... FYI: my client was training with him and was also interviewed.

A two page article ran without a word about my client.

This was 6 years ago and it still troubles me. Unfortunately, I've run into many situations since then wherein the editor likes the story - but neglects to appreciate the value of my client's participation in making the story happen.
---

It's tough to suggest one approach here. Every situation is different. But, based on my experiences, here are some general observations.

Interviewed...No Ink.
Let's assume your client interviewed for the story and never appeared in the article. Was the client interviewed at the beginning of the process? If so, you probably became background information vs. a quotable source. This could mean your source needs to think in sound bites to make it to the final story. A round of media training and/or general messaging can help with this.

Beginning, Middle or End?
If the client was interviewed towards the end of the editorial process, the journalist probably had the story nearly finished with just a few very specific blanks to fill in. Your spokesperson perhaps did not fill in the blanks so they did not use them.

To prevent this from happening, ask where the journalist where he/she is at in the process. And ask who else they've interviewed for the story. You may not get an answer to the last one, but you don't know unless you ask. These answers help you focus when discussing messaging strategy prior to the interview.

Now let's consider Mollie's situation. It's always risky when you bring another element into the story to draw media attention. The case above is common -- whether or not you spent $10K to get media attention.

Once Removed, Twice As Likely to Not Get Coverage
When constructing media relations campaigns and discussing messaging, it's important to construct a message and angle that truly has the client baked in. Oddly enough, I've also promoted an event with an Olympian as the media draw. The client was sponsoring the appearance, but it was the finale to a half-day event where the client's employees had at risk kids shadow them. So the Olympian was there to inspire the kids based on their experience that day. It also helped that we invited client-relevant media vs. sports journalists.

But even if you're pitching your client's case study you may only get a single mention. Don't forget the story is about the client's customer, right? If your client wants more than that, you should manage expectations accordingly. Similarly, if you're doing a joint story with a partner company about a client case study? You need to work even harder to make sure there's a clear strategy.

Blind Sided?

If the story literally was never on your radar and it caught you off guard? Be honest with the client. And then do some homework.

Who wrote the story? If you already have a relationship with the journalist, get some back story from them as to why they didn't involve your client. There are ways to ask that are more effective than others of course. Ask in a productive manner that shows you want to make sure you're considered for the next one vs. hating on the journalist.

If you don't have a relationship with the journalist, you now have a great reason to start one. Make some lemonade with those lemons. As strapped for resources every corner of the fourth estate has been, you might think you have your bases covered. And for reasons outside your control, they assigned the story to an off beat reporter. Off beat as in not covering your topic normally vs. eccentric.

Onward

Please feel free to bring some more questions if you have other incidents the above thoughts do not address. We're happy to keep discussing in the comments. And don't forget to check out Clay's great ideas on how to get your client attached to a story that's already been published.

When Life Gives You Lemons uploaded by the fabric of my life

For more of the above media relations with half the fat of ordinary blogs, bring it to me (@prblog) or bring it to Richard (@laermer). And we guarantee you it'll be brought-en.

When THAT Story Runs...

You know the one...the story your client should have been in. Whether it was a trend piece, industry roundup or some other piece of news -- it's never a fun situation. From landing an interview only to wind up as background, to the article totally catching you off guard, we've all been there.

Sometimes the client will want us to pitch a follow up story...essentially an extension of the first article. This reminds me of other unrealistic requests, including asking the media outlet to run a correction.

You have some options as it relates to your next steps with the journalist. But first, I offer up some advice from a very wise (very anonymous), ex-journo:

"The odds of a media outlet revisiting a subject, one that's not a big or ongoing story in its own right, is unlikely. Not to say it's not worth making the writer aware of the client for when the subject rolls around again. But the likelihood of coverage without a completely new angle is pretty slim."

My BFF from the Fourth Estate is right (per usual). But there is a reason to contact the journalist that unintentionally made your life "interesting."

** It puts you on the journalist's radar for the next story.

** It gives you an opportunity to pitch a different story.

** Depending on how the first article transpired, it allows you to get insight into why your client was not included in the first article. If your client was interviewed it could be for any number of reasons.

Just make sure when THAT story runs, you manage client expectations accordingly. If you don't, you're just postponing an even more uncomfortable phone call at some point.

# # #

badnewsbaby uploaded by Naoko E.

For more of the above, 140 characters at a time, follow me (@prblog) or follow Richard (@laermer) but even if you follow on Twitter you can still lead...do not go gentle into that good night.

Retrevo’s Good ‘n Plenty Pitch

Jennifer Jacobson knows no fear. Or at least, her Twitter avatar leads us to believe that’s the case.

We’ve been receiving more than a few pitches from Jennifer on behalf of Retrevo. And she uses the same formula every time. And for this she’s getting a good pitch seal of approval from the Bad Pitch Blog (we used to call it Glinda the Good Pitch, but how cool is that, really?)

How does a long line of pitches following the same formula get you a good pitch seal of approval?

Relevance: Jennifer has targeted my blog with research she knows I’ll find of interest based on the topics I already cover. She does not ask me to write about Retrevo, she merely asks me to credit them for the content.

Snack-Sized Content: From short URLs for easier sharing to links to very specific content based on my needs, you’ll notice in the pitch below that while Jennifer could create a news release and blast it out, she creates a pitch and groups together information to make it more of a palette of relevant content from which I can plug and play.

Visuals: Research sells the story, but visuals get passed around online like an iPhone 4G left in a random bar.

Before we post her pitch, we asked Jennifer a few questions.

Give us Retrevo’s elevator pitch. Retrevo.com is one of the largest consumer electronics shopping and review sites in the world, helping people decide what to buy, when to buy and where to buy it. Retrevo uses artificial intelligence to scan the entire web, daily, bringing people the most up-to-date, comprehensive reviews and buying guides for consumer electronics. We also have one of the largest collections of free downloadable gadget manuals in the world.

How long have you been taking this approach (research/visuals)? About a year ago Retrevo was known as a site for matching people with consumer electronics but we wanted to go beyond that and establish ourselves as, "the consumer electronics experts."

Our goals were to stay top of mind and play a more active role in educating people about all things gadget-related. We knew whatever Retrevo did on the PR front had to compete in the crowded space of tech-related news pitches, ideas, and stories, which are often dominated by companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Amazon.

We looked at Retrevo's position of strength; our ability to synthesize volumes of gadget-related data, and decided to track trends in two areas; industry trends looking into how people were spending money and shopping for consumer electronics (Pulse Reports), and the psychology of human behavior, gadgets and tech, (Gadgetology Reports).

We experimented with different chart styles, graphics and methods of reporting and found that reporters liked short and easy-to-read summaries that link to a more detailed online report. Our pitch emails follow our standard "Retrevo format" so they're instantly recognizable, get straight to the point, and provide study "highlights" that we think will be most useful in a story. Then, if a reporter is interested, they are welcome to click through to the full study on Retrevo.com. Most of our outreach is conducted through very targeted emails and phone calls. These days it's rare for us to send out a press release, as we just don't see the same results.

Has it been successful? Give us an idea of scope vs. results if possible. This approach is a very successful component of Retrevo's PR efforts. Our studies are featured regularly throughout the media, and the majority of the stories are not reprints of our commentary; they are actual stories, where the reporter discusses our findings, provides their perspective and publishes our charts.

Retrevo's highlights include stories in: Forbes, The Huffington Post, Elle Magazine, The New York Daily News, Reuters, The Boston Globe, Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg,Yahoo! Tech, The San Francisco Chronicle, VentureBeat, Men's Fitness,CNET, Mashable, PlayBoy Radio and many more.

What's your strategy and advice for others?

Do Right By The Reporter. The biggest secret to running any successful PR effort is to be a real, professional human. Good PR professionals listen to what reporters want, deliver what needs to be delivered, and don't waste the reporter's time. If someone asks to unsubscribe from Retrevo's PR list, I do it. If a reporter tells me they don't cover the beat my database says they do, I fix it in my database, and tell them how to contact Cision and MarketWire, so they can have their public information updated. If a reporter has questions about Retrevo, I try to answer them as quickly and as openly as possible.

Technologies like Twitter enable you to connect with and even befriend people in the media. As Director of Public Relations for Retrevo, and a one-person PR department, I frequently monitor what reporters and industry authorities say on twitter, (many of them vent there and when a PR representative does something they don't like, Twitter is the first place they talk about it).

The relationships between PR professionals and reporters should never be an "us versus them" struggle. Because I have a background in broadcast communications, I know what it takes to write a story, shoot a video, edit and work under deadline. Understanding what the person on the other end of the equation goes through, I think can make a person better in any profession, especially public relations.

Pitch What Is Relevant, To The Right People. A great campaign needs to have good timing, content, and relevance. Reporters don't want random pitches, they want to hear about companies, insights, services and sources that are going to fill out and support the stories they are already working on. As a PR professional, you need to find reporters that cover topics related to your company or client, and you need to find a way to give them what they need, in a way that they can use it. If this means doing extra research, and going the extra mile, go for it.

Retrevo's stories, while tech-related, are also pitched to people covering other industries like the "green" industry, psychology, commerce, finance, and even relationships. I hand pick people that receive Retrevo's PR stories. Sometimes it means pulling a list from Cision or MarketWire and then, filtering through contacts in Excel by beat, and position. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it, to make sure our stories get to the right people. When I have a story that I know is relevant and timely, it’s not uncommon for me to make fifty or more calls in a day. I trust this method far more than I do a standard press release distribution system.

Timing is Essential; Timing and Gravity. Align the timing of your pitches and stories with significant trends, events or industry announcements. If you're pitching a new winter resort, in the middle of the summer, it's not going to work (unless you're pitching a media outlet with a six month lead time). If the media is heavily reporting stories about a specific person, product, company, or trend, find a way to align your company’s current pitch with it. The gravity of “hot topics” is powerful, and if you think creatively, you can often make it work for you.

Good Organic Stories Trump Re-Prints. Successful media relations, in the long-term, is not about press releases, launches, VNR's, Mat Releases, and word-for-word reprints; it's about giving reporters something that will make a great story. It's about making your company or client a valuable resource to the right reporters and being available to them when they need you.

About Jennifer L. Jacobson: Jennifer L. Jacobson is the Director of Public Relations at Retrevo.com and the author of 42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business. Follow Retrevo on Twitter: @retrevo. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jcommunication

||| THE PITCH |||

Hello Kevin

I thought you might get a laugh out of Retrevo's new (humorous) article about "unintended" possible iPad-related careers. You are welcome to reprint it or cite it and use it's graphics, so long as Retrevo is cited.

Article and downloadable images: http://www.retrevo.com/content/blog/2010/04/six-unintended-ipad-careers

Shortened URL: http://bit.ly/95QCGg

Story: Six Unintended iPad Careers
By Jennifer L. Jacobson of Retrevo.com

You've just bought an iPad. Maybe you're holding it now, reading this article on it. Maybe it's still on order. Either way, now that the iPad is an actual, hold-able, own-able device, and no longer a unicorn concept, we thought we'd get you up-to-speed on some of the possible upcoming "unintended" job opportunities sure to come about from the adoption of this magical new device.

1. The iPad au pair or "iPair" Are you tired of "baby sitting" your iPad? After all, it does require a significant amount of attention. You can't just set it down on the counter at Starbucks while you put creamer in your coffee, and you certainly can't throw it into a handbag or "man-bag" as the case may be. You need a 24/7 iPad attendee, so why not consider an iPad Au Pair? Similar to traditional au pairs who serve as domestic child-care assistants living with host families, the iPad au pair or "iPair" is a technologically skilled Mac enthusiast who is invited to live with an iPad owning family, so long as they have their own room, a reasonable allowance in iTunes credits, and at least two full days a week off. The iPair's duties include holding your iPad while you eat greasy foods like french fries or pizza, holding your iPad while you talk on your iPhone, holding your iPad while you're driving, and holding your iPad while you take your kids to the park.

2. iPad Smudge Station Attendant If you've used your iPad for more than two minutes, you've quickly realized the importance of clean hands. But inevitably, you're bound to build up natural oils, apply moisturizer, or perhaps eat something with your hands, and when you do, your iPad will go from sparkling to smudged. Not to worry. Simply drive your iPad to your local "iPad smudge station," usually found at gas stations and car washes. Once there, simply hand your iPad to a trained smudge station attendant, and watch them make your iPad look like new. Remember, it is customary to tip them, which can either be done in cash or the purchase of an app for their own mobile device.

3. iPad Fashion Designer Sure, the iPad is a great mobile device, but it can also be a wearable fashion statement. If you're a budding designer inspired by the visually shocking and unusual accessories worn by Flava Flav, Bjork, and Lady Gaga, consider a career in wearable iPads. Not only is it a bold fashion statement, it's a flexible one that can be modified to match the color, style, and mood of its wearer.

4. The iPad Custody Lawyer Unless you are the only member in your household, chances are, everyone in your family will want to use your iPad, and who can blame them? However, if your home only has one magical device, there are bound to be quarrels and turf wars over who gets to surf the web, send emails, and play Scrabble. Who you gonna call? An iPad Custody Lawyer of course. This trained specialist will help bring peace to your family by mediating who gets to use the device, when, and where. Just don't be surprised if they don't accept Apple Store gift cards as payment.

5. The iPad App Matchmaker or "AppMaker" Like so many people, your life is packed with important activities, and finding the latest iPad apps to stay ahead of the crowd can be time consuming, and if you're caught not knowing what' in-now, even embarrassing. That's why you can hire an iPad matchmaker; a personal consultant , to pair you with apps that will actually help you in your own daily life, or at least apps that you can brag about to your friends in the book club. Need to know where to find vegan restaurants in New York? Get the app. Need to know what you missed in your favorite TV series? Get the app. Need to find out what apps you need? Get an AppMaker.

6. The iPad Addiction Counselor As with the introduction of all new technologies, there are bound to be people who "overdo it," and the iPad is no exception. Whether you're playing AirCoaster, telling your Facebook friends that you're updating your Facebook status, tweeting what you ate for breakfast, or making a poster for your yard sale in Pages, if you're spending "too much" time with your new and shiny iPad or spending your rent money on iPad apps, it may be time for an intervention. You'll need the services of an iPad Addiction Counselor. These people are trained to recognize the signs of iPad addiction, like expecting non-electronic objects like doors to open, with the flick of a finger, or talking to your kids with your thumbs. A good iPad Addiction Councilor can help you regain your connection to the people, not the things, that matter in your life. Once you've come to terms with your iPad addiction and completed iPad addiction program, then you're free to tweet to everyone how far you've come.

Thank you,
Jennifer L. Jacobson
Retrevo - Public Relations Director & Outreach Specialist
Jennifer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jcommunication

Social Media
Retrevo on Twitter: http://twitter.com/retrevo
Retrevo on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Retrevo
Retrevo Resources for the Press

Press Page: http://www.retrevo.com/content/media
Management Team: http://www.retrevo.com/content/team
Partners: http://www.retrevo.com/content/partners
Media Kit: http://www.retrevo.com/content/mediakit2010-who-we-are

What is Retrevo? Retrevo http://www.retrevo.com is one of the largest consumer electronics review and shopping sites in the world, helping people decide what to buy, when to buy, and where to buy. Retrevo uses artificial intelligence to analyze and graphically summarize more than 50 million real-time data points from across the web to give shoppers the most comprehensive, unbiased, up-to-date product information they need to make smart, confident purchasing decisions for electronics. As a thought leader in consumer electronics, Retrevo publishes regular studies around industry trends (Pulse) and also around psychology and technology (Gadgetology). Retrevo is a Silicon Valley based company that was founded in 2006 and has recently been featured in Advertising Age, SmartMoney, The Motley Fool, MacWorld, PC World, Fox Business, The UK Register, and more.