Always Fresh PR

It’s time for an advanced lesson in public relations.

What happens when you can’t get traction for a story, no matter how hard you pitch it? Or worse, when journalists tell you, “that’s not a story.”

When this happens, it is time to redefine the narrative.

In journalism and PR, the story narrative is crucial to success. Without a strong narrative, there will never be a media placement, regardless of how many contacts you have in the media.

During my years as a news producer with NBC and CBS, there were many times I pursued a story only to discover that the story I thought I was pursuing - changed. When this happened, we had two options – kill the story or salvage it.

Want to get the most out of your PR firm or publicist? Try showing a little empathy with your team and see how it leads to better results.

Most experienced entrepreneurs and sales leaders understand the value of empathy, but unfortunately – when it comes to outside vendors – it’s frequently forgotten. I’ve observed and experienced this inside and outside of the PR business.

As a former Executive Producer with NBC, I always showed empathy with my producers and reporters because I genuinely felt their pain. I recognized when employees needed a break to recharge their mind and body, or when a family issue needed time outside of work. It might not have been financially aligned with the corporate spreadsheet but it always inspired more productivity and loyalty.

Plus, it was the right thing to do.

In this era of tight employment and waning worker loyalty, empathy needs to be on a higher level. You can’t fake it because workers will see through it in time.

Unfortunately, when it comes to hiring an outside PR firm or publicist, we don’t get to experience empathy until after the contract is signed. Over the last decade of running this agency, I’ve seen how clients who value our work with a spreadsheet are typically the most difficult. They ignite more stress. In the worst situations, they believe they know more about the media than me and undermine every decision.

Here’s a closer look at some of the warning signs that suggest you might need to do an empathy check. And if you have empathy, trust me, the best pr firms will always want to work with you and usually at a lower price.

Why does the cat always catch the mouse? When you think of how agile and quick a mouse can be, he should be able outmaneuver the cat. Yet, nearly 100 percent of the time, the cat will catch the mouse.

That’s not just a fun question. It’s actually a way of thinking that applies to PR and business.

First off, I’m not an expert on mice or cats. I have never owned a cat and I hate mice. But as a person who lives in Brooklyn, and every New Yorker will tell you – “if you have mice, get a cat and the problem will go away.”

I found an old email today that details an article I wrote for a PR agency when I was at CBS. They asked me to write an article on the biggest mistakes I see publicists make. This podcast outlines the most common mistakes I saw publicists make while I was in the media.

There is no official “right” or “wrong” way to draft a press release but there are definitely “dos” and “don’ts” that will either increase or decrease your chances of getting a reporter’s attention. Here are a few of the biggest mistakes I see publicists make with their press releases time and time again.

I got an email on Linkedin last week from a professional connection, promoting a service. It was about publicity so naturally it got my attention.

He opened his email with a provocative statement that appealed to every entrepreneur’s core.

“Publicity is the most under used method to get attention, yet the media is starving for stories.”

Could it be possible that the media is starving for stories and getting publicity is the most under used method to get attention?

Sorry to burst your bubble but this soon-to-be-deleted Linkedin contact is shoveling perfume-scented manure to his professional contacts.

Public relations is like coffee, but it should never be confused for cocaine when it comes to PR.

Coffee – much PR – is needed to give your day a boost. Without coffee, you are not as quick on your feet and it’s harder to get through your day. Every growing business needs public relations just like you need your coffee. A healthy dose of public relations, like your morning cup of Joe, gives your business a jolt and if it’s an effective publicity campaign, it makes your workload easier.

Public relations is not medicine. It’s more like a vitamin. We take vitamins in the morning to stay healthy, strong and vital. We turn to medicine when we need a remedy or when our health is failing. All public relations campaigns will be more successful if they are launched while a company has a healthy headwind.

Just when you thought your SEO strategy was in place, Google changes the rules again. The new algorithm, nicknamed “Hummingbird,” impacted 90 percent of the search engine traffic in 2014.

Of course, we all know Google doesn’t reveal details on its algorithm but one thing Hummingbird does reinforce is the importance of content.

So why the algorithm change? Google has trained consumers to ask questions when searching for results, so it was only natural this latest search evolution would place a higher emphasis on how your search looks for answers. Unlike the earlier years of search, when keywords were used to find topics with search engines, Google now places a higher emphasis on content that delivers valuable information.

Credibility matters in life, but it especially matters for journalists. Whenever you pitch a story to the media, the journalist is subconsciously measuring your integrity and experience. If the producer is going to invest time and energy on your story, he wants to make sure the idea has credence from the start so he’s not chasing false leads.

A lawyer pitching a story on corporate fraud or a teacher pitching a story on education reform will always have more credibility at the onset than a retired citizen who works part-time at the public library. The journalist will rightfully assume the lawyer and teacher have insider knowledge or expertise, which will lend credibility to the topic.

Your publicist and PR team can be your best or worst advocate - and much of that success depends on how you manage the relationship with them.

Believe it or not, publicists are people too and they actually feel and act on those emotions. If they feel indebted to you, or believe you’re trying to help them succeed, the best publicists will move mountains for you. And if they feel like you are secretly sabotaging their work or not supporting them, who knows what they might say when you're not around.

I’ve worked with a nonprofit organization for the last 5 years. When the CMO first approached me in 2016 and told me her budget was $600/month, I knew this wouldn’t be a profitable media campaign. It takes time to find the right journalists, pitch them and coordinate interviews. Even more costly, I have to develop a strategic editorial campaign that leads to coverage.

But I accepted this PR work because I liked the CMO. I believed she was a kind person with good intentions, and I wanted to help her cause. I’m glad I did because over the years, this nonprofit grew into a national organization with a larger, more market reflective budget.

Contrary to what some publicists might tell you, not everyone is a good PR candidate. There are some industries that shouldn’t waste their money on PR. They will likely achieve more exposure by allocating their budgets to advertising or content marketing.

At the same time, there are industries and businesses that are made for the media. Their expertise is needed in this complicated world and their insider knowledge gives us a deeper view of topics that impact our lives. If positioned correctly, these types of clients can consistently find themselves on the news. These are the best PR candidates.

I frequently hear friends and potential clients say getting a story on the news is a crapshoot. I don’t believe that. There is a strategy and approach that can improve your chances for exposure, but only if you have the elements needed for a news story. And what are those elements? They are rooted in the social sciences of journalism.

I belong to a private Facebook group where journalists and publicists mingle over story ideas and mutual needs. It’s a great group where media and public relations pros exchange ideas and discuss emerging trends in the industry.

Recently someone asked, "is PR dead?".

This particular category of marketing has certainly evolved over the last 5 years and the pandemic has accelerated much of this change---but reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated.

In this complicated world, journalists change jobs more frequently while putting a smaller emphasis on media contacts. The competition for eyeballs is harder as attention spans get shorter and the consumer segment is more fragmented, making targeted strategies more critical.

Here’s a deeper look at why I believe the personalized publicity industry will become even more valuable within the next half decade and why strategic thinkers will lead the way.

He might have been a painter at the root, but Andy Warhol can still teach entrepreneurs a ton about revenue growth and publicity, even decades after his death. Warhol knew intuitively how to frame an idea that continually captivated the media's attention and elevated his brand.

Even more impressive, he found ways to turn that publicity into revenue that pushed his art value to record highs. When I was an executive producer at a television network, I was fascinated by how Warhol was able to tap into that creative spirit and produce ideas we had never seen before. Even today, as the owner of a public relations firm, I see how Warhol's approach to publicity is applicable to business.

It’s the question every company will inevitably ask when debating marketing strategies: Should we hire a West Coast, East Coast or local public relations firm? Or, do we bring it in-house?

There are objective methods to identify the best PR approach for your business. And contrary to what many entrepreneurs believe, it has nothing to do with a PR firm’s size, revenue, industry or makeup. It has everything to do with your company’s objectives and goals.

This podcast outlines three questions to help you better identify whether an East Coast, West Coast or local PR firm is best for your business, regardless of your industry or location.

Everyone has heard of influencers, but have you heard of emotional motivators? They should be at the top of the radar of every public relations strategy. Emotional motivators are a specific group of consumers who like the need for excitement or attention. They influence others and drive decision-making.

When a PR strategy taps into emotional motivators, you can earn a brand ambassador better than any celebrity spokesperson. In my experience, these motivators help bring a higher return on investment for any PR campaign and increase the chances that your brand will spread via word-of-mouth. This podcast explores how to reach them.

An experienced communications strategist is more than a publicist. They should be a sound advisor who provides a broader societal view when it comes to messaging — someone who understands where the news is headed and how to position your brand into that cycle. It helps if they have a strong intuition for what makes for a good story.

There are many successful entrepreneurs, politicians and entertainers who have a gut instinct on how to move the media narrative. Like or dislike his politics, President Trump has a pretty good understanding of how to get his different brands on the news.

Every entrepreneur should be thinking about what can happen if you don't  keep your pulse on where the consumer is headed. Your business might be  in front now, but any event or disruptor can change your position  quickly.

Over the years, I've worked with startup disruptors similar to that  founder who forced industry leaders to change their business models.  I've also run media campaigns for existing industry leaders who found  themselves suddenly losing market share to smaller brands.

Each situation is different, but here are three tactice I try to always keep at the forefront of my business. These tactics are based on watching established organizations fight off new threats and young  startups strive to become leaders in their space.

There's a big difference between the way you communicate with a  journalist and the way you communicate in business. The messaging styles  are dramatically different in their approach and execution.

In business, the client and team leaders will give you time to work out your thoughts.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way with the media. Reporters are  under a deadline and by nature are driven to hear the story lead  quickly. Few reporters will give you 30 minutes to elaborate on your  business model or explain your story concept. You have a few precious  minutes at the top of the interview to bring them in and sell them on  the story — or you risk losing the media placement.

It’s never easy standing out from the noise in a cluttered space, but if you’re going to survive as a startup, you have to figure out this  formula fast. Otherwise, your business, product or new technology might  never have a chance to catch on with the masses.

I experienced this firsthand in October 2018 when I had to market and  promote an off-Broadway play I wrote on the final hours of Elvis  Presley’s life. Initially, I was like most producers: confident that my  theatrical play was compelling and our story on a music legend would sell itself. I was wrong.

For my play to stand out from the bigger-budgeted shows, we had to create more noise. Along the way, I learned three tactics that helped my  play stand out in a crowded space. On the surface, these tactics might  appear to be limited to theater, but look deeper and you will see these  metaphorical approaches can generate buzz in any industry.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, so you knew it was only a  matter of time before a PR agency tried to package it for public  relations. But can AI help get stories in the news or is it just a new  agency spin to stand out from the crowd?

For three years, my PR agency ran the media and branding campaign for a  digital health company that is a leader in AI. Its co-founder told me  how his company had four billion data points from real people and that  was why he believed the technology was more accurate than and superior  to its competitors.

You need billions of data points for AI to learn, grow and predict  over time. But more importantly, you need quality data. If AI uses  incomplete or unreliable data, it will never be able to learn and  develop.

PR is nowhere near gathering this kind of big data for news coverage.  Yes, social media can predict which stories will gain momentum in their  news feeds, but that is analyzing existing data. Google and Yahoo News  also have big data on news stories tailored to individuals, but that is  merely filtering out existing news content based on individual habits.  No one — to my knowledge — is gathering big data on the local or  national news cycle.

We’re in a fragmented world. Some brands might believe repetition  over the airwaves leads to increased sales, but today’s consumer is on  overload. The old marketing approach of reaching the biggest pie with  one shot is outdated. Today’s consumers have shorter attention spans,  with more toys at their disposal during your sales pitch.

But when it comes to news consumption, consumers are engaged in this  pandemic era. We put down our phones when the important pandemic or  election news comes on TV, and we check the online news sites when we  get bored working at home.

If you’re a marketing executive looking for new consumer data on  trends, this insight can provide guidance for 2021 marketing budgets.

Many brands facing a communications crisis might believe it popped up  out of nowhere, but odds are there were warning signs along the way that  could have slowed or prevented the crisis. The warning signs were  likely just ignored or not seen.

For the media to pursue any negative or investigative story,  journalists first need to have the elements — and those elements don’t  come out of nowhere.

Every negative story needs a victim or business that was harmed. The  better investigative stories are able to present a systemic problem that  allowed the crisis to spread. Ideally, an investigative story will  demonstrate clear boundaries that show this wasn’t an accident but a  crisis that could have been prevented.

Here’s a closer look at some of the warning signs your business might be  headed for a crisis and what you can do to get on the right side of it.

Measuring the effectiveness of a PR campaign isn’t always as  straightforward as an advertising campaign, but contrary to what many  entrepreneurs believe, it is possible to measure the return on  investment of a PR campaign. PR might not be as straightforward or  analytics-driven as a paid advertising campaign, but you can put a value  on its success.

Here are five measures that can help you identify whether your PR campaign is effective.

It's OK. You are human. You're allowed to make mistakes. But what  happens when you need to apologize for those mishaps, and your apology  is amplified by the media?

If you emphasize the wrong message or say the wrong words, any  apology with the media can quickly escalate into a crisis. But rather  than focusing on what not to do, let's focus on how to apologize to the  media — the right way.

Every apology must be clear, sincere, authentic and show contrition.  You can't mince words. Most importantly, your apology to the media  should communicate why this won't happen again.

Press releases don't lead to media coverage. They help with content  marketing and getting a specific message on the record. Press releases can also help with SEO that a reporter might see, but in the scope of  journalism, most reporters aren't going to any PR wire service to look  for a story idea.

That being said, press releases can help you achieve other goals. Here's  a strategic look at when press releases can and won't work for you.

Every once in a while, I’ll get a request from a potential client  asking if my PR agency would work off a performance-based structure.

In theory, a performance-based model sounds like a great idea. The  client doesn’t pay for anything unless the PR agency succeeds. Of  course, as most entrepreneurs quickly learn, if any deal is too  one-sided, you run out of money.

There are many components behind a successful PR campaign: strategy,  research, critical thinking, creativity, contacts and execution. All of  these components require time and money. A successful strategy isn’t  whipped together on a napkin, and media contacts aren’t on speed dial.  (OK, maybe some are, but not when you scale a story to other markets).

Someone has to research those media outlets and pitch the story to  those reporters. And if you’re going to succeed with that story, you'd  better have an editorial angle that is well researched and supported by  facts. You can't wing it with reporters over the phone because you only  get one chance to sell it.

From my perspective — and I’m basing this on my time as an executive  producer with NBC — experience plays the biggest factor behind any  successful media campaign. It’s also the most expensive. How much is my  experience worth at NBC and CBS when I approved story ideas from  reporters, publicists and reporters?

You can't turn on the news without hearing of a new media merger or rumor. This podcast explores how these media mergers are changing the way publicists and journalists get story ideas.

Very few publicists get to go inside the morning news meeting where  stories are debated, argued, sold and bought. It's a tough crowd,  especially in New York where producers and journalists are eager to  prove their ideas are stronger than yours.

Inside these meetings, you typically have about 30 seconds to  communicate an idea and how it impacts readers or viewers. For more  complicated stories, this task gets harder as attention wanes and  competitive peers try to sell their stories over yours for the front  page or A block.

Thirty seconds might seem like plenty of time to sell an idea, but if  you start the clock and put it to the test, you will see it's not  easy.

Believe it or not, there are many internal leaders who don’t like  their outside publicist speaking directly with their CEO. I’m sure there  are a myriad of reasons for this: They don’t want to waste their CEO’s  time, maybe the CEO doesn’t want to speak with the publicist, or they  don’t think it’s needed.

Yes, there are times when a CEO needs to delegate to their CMO or  vice president. And sure, there is a place for keeping internal  information, well, internal. But if you’re the CEO, your publicist or PR  team should be a continual presence on your calendar. These internal  check-ins provide your publicist with unfiltered information that could  inspire new media campaigns.