Reality is the name we give to silly TV shows and sometimes to novelty Web sites where someone is seen acting silly. Yet there is another, actual reality that PR pros must take a hard look at when they pitch a story that nobody wants.
So how do you take a Plain Jane hook for a milquetoast product and turn it into something that's going to get consumers stoked? Alas, it's high time for all of us to remember--and regain--that one undoubted truism in modern PR: If it seems like it's not getting the pickup it needs, you have to adjust your pitch to make it less about the facts and more about what people sorely want.
You know we (privately) call this tactic “escapist news.”
Making news big is not groundbreaking. But you must know that today's news is all in the wrapping, much more so than ever before. And it's a hard lesson to learn.
When speaking to big groups about artful PR, I always suggest taking a Hollywood approach to buzz. People respond with mass grimaces, feeling that large-scale pop angles are an L.A. thing. Hardly.
This all-out push toward TV and movies and, well, trivia, is something every story should strive for no matter how dull on paper. This is not merely done by Paramount and Pixar; it's the wily world of aggressive PR on a corporate-attack scale.
One look at a wholly-unspecific Life section of USA Today and you can view a host of very strange angles to what the daily calls the news of the day. What's inside?
* News that a Chicago science museum is turning into Harry Potter’s school for a while. You too can be a wizard-in-training.
* A report that Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” a show about the tumultuous lives of crab fishermen is pulling more than 4 million viewers per episode.
* A note about how Popular Science ran a story about a guy who works as a parasitologist - a worm doctor featured in a story titled "Worst Jobs Ever."
* Confirmation that Gordon Gekko will return to the big screen in a sequel to the flick about ultimate excess: Wall Street.
Witness how it all seems like it's above the fray with some extreme form of escapism. But with a closer reading, and some deep thought, these stories demonstrate how prevalent out-of-whack trivial hooks have become.
Say you have a client who owns a chain of travel agents based in a non- small to medium-size markets. Using the above thesis, the hook is that this chain notes an increase in senior customers. You, the PR mucky-muck, gate crashes the news by putting out a survey showing how citizens over 55 travel more than ever.
Your agencies become the easiest source for journalists to find if anyone is planning to write about travel and the ever-aging Boomers. Soon, USAT and travel guides want the client to comment on stories it runs about senior travel - the new trends. This filled an unmet need, got the agency name out, and, honestly, created a trend out of thick air.
Make the transition to Hollywood expert by seeking older characters in sitcoms or flicks who are rarely at home (call them "OTR seniors"). Set the client forth by giving advice to older folks via dailies and wire services and there's a new brand of oldster.
It's not news, but it is sure news-y since it has a couture film and TV angle. We all know that entertainment is all anyone derives their knowledge and wonderment from these days (see: Daily Show, The).
Today's drama is news-like. Today's news is pure drama. Not only is nothing out of bounds now, what could be beyond the scope of news after the feeding frenzy that has resulted from Michelle Obama being an attractive woman with toned arms?
Only your imagination is in bounds. News, friends, has a brand new bag: Wizards, arms, crabs, worms, probably sexy housewives, and news about greed, it's all inside. You light that way-off bonfire quickly before someone else...er...makes it up.
Thanks for the post...the one u ae discussing,..is something which happens with every PR person when there is actually nothing to do with the client..an inactive phase is always there ..putting no news but putting some ingredients for the news is actually a good idea!! What people are talking about and their perceotion about the company is also very important for a journalist...and stuffing news on such a basis makes it all the more interesting!!
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