Pleading and humour aren’t enough to get you into editorial pages
Some people find this Youtube video of a mock-plaintive junior at PR agency Ten Yetis amusing. Maybe it did the trick but it left me feeling a little embarrassed for her. If I was her client, I’d be wondering if that’s all there is to pitching journalists – and wondering if I didn’t need a little more marketing savvy injecting into my PR efforts. Why, for example, was there not one single good reason offered up to the journalist to write about the product in that video? Why do readers need to know about ... read the full post »
03 May 2011 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Blog | Comment on this post »
Tagged : adding value, media coverage, media relations, pitching, PR firms, reputation, selling, USP, YouTube.
The crucial role of subject lines in email pitches to editors
There was a good illustration recently of why it’s so important to think carefully about the subject line when pitching story ideas by email to journalists. It arose at a recent breakfast briefing organised by media information firm Gorkana with The Independent on Sunday’s Julian Knight. Knight edits the newspaper’s money and property section. He’s got ten pages to fill each Sunday on his own, so it quickly becomes apparent that his week is a constant stream of commissioning, writing and editing - all done to fit in with a conveyor belt of various deadlines. At the same time ... read the full post »
18 April 2011 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Blog | Comment on this post »
Tagged : Independent Newspaper, media coverage, media relations, pitching.
Pitching your story to a TV news programme: a 2 minute tutorial
So you think you’ve discovered something that would make a good television news item and get you or your organisation some great exposure, maybe even swamp your website with customer enquiries? Now all you’ve got to do is sell the idea. Where to start? This two minute video from Associated Press (AP) is a great primer. Although it’s from the US, the principles of pitching stories to television are pretty much universal – and of course AP is a global syndicator of news. The question of how to ... read the full post »
22 November 2010 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Blog | Comment on this post »
Tagged : Associated Press, news, pitching, publicity, television, TV.
Pitching media stories requires instinct and persistence
This is a story that will ring plenty of bells, and should be encouraging, for those who spend most of their time pitching stories to media. It might also be revealing to those who pay their salaries. A couple of years ago I worked for a management consultancy. The firm specialised in the corporate finance function, helping CFOs of medium to large corporations improve operating efficiencies, and generally improving the ability of their finance functions to serve the business strategically. It was all very sober stuff and, as might be expected, the firm’s employees were ... read the full post »
23 July 2010 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Blog,Uncategorized | Comment on this post »
Tagged : media coverage, pitching, The Financial Times.
Pitching is on the rise – but who really pays and how much does it cost?
Most companies who hire marketing services firms love to assert their power by making their suppliers jump through hoops from time to time, and it’s an increasing practice. Which is why, a few times each month, suppliers of advertising, public relations and other marketing services have to participate in a time consuming and usually fruitless ‘beauty parade’ game, otherwise known as pitching for client business (other businesses use the more generally known term: selling). I’ve been on both sides of the fence on many occasions and can tell you it ... read the full post »
18 May 2010 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Blog | 1 Comment »
Tagged : agencies, agency management, Microsoft, new business, pitching, PR firms, PRCA, selling.