According to an article in today’s NY Times, these words help PR folk get press. The article discusses two issues; how certain words can get an editor to sit up an pay attention, and how ‘keyword’ density can help with press release pickup and search engine rankings.
It is well-known in the industry that the 5-second headline read is usually the make or break point to pique an editor’s interest. However, it is not as common for PR practitioners to write for the ‘robots’ that pick up press releases and distribute them through RSS feeds, news portals and search engines. In the article, David B. Armon, the president of PR Newswire, discusses the benefits of PR Newswire’s keyword density tool that makes suggestion to add keywords to a press release to help with its rankings. It’s a delicate balance to keep and not turn the press release into an overly repetitive document that seems to have been written for search engines and not for humans.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the use of AP Style as more and more PR people are trying to please the editors and the robots in order to get their news out.
Update: It seems that Gawker wrote a rather eloquent reaction to the above mentioned article, entitled “How to Write a Press Release That Doesn’t Suck.” (For education and entertainment purposes - it’s worth a look.)
June 30th, 2008
Sandra
Here are the articles we discussed as a team at our staff meeting this week. Enjoy!
- Delaying News in the Era of the Internet, New York Times, June 23, 2008
- Product Placements Get FCC Scrutiny, The Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2008
- Beijing There: It’s Not All Fun and Games, Brandweek, June 22, 2008
- Google Launches New Space Race to the Moon, CNN, June 20, 2008
- New York Times Taps Social Media Boom, Bulldog Reporter, June 19, 2008 (no link available)
- Verizon Hires a Teddy Bear that Twitters, PR Week, June 16, 2008
- Flooding Forces Quaker Plant to Close, Chicago Tribune, June 14, 2008
- Breaking into Business Media: Editorial Calendars, CEO Meet–and–Greets Key to Ink, Bulldog Reporter, June 4, 2008
June 23rd, 2008
admin
Earlier this month, Affect Strategies‘ Walter Ocner attended a PRSA “Meet the Media” event connecting PR pros with the producers of morning shows. We thought his notes would make a great guest blog.
Recently, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) held a panel discussion called “Meet the Media: Landing Top Morning Shows: Getting the Gold in Breakfast TV” at Fleishman-Hillard. The panel consisted of Tammy Caputo, Senior Producer of the CBS Early Show; Jennifer Cunningham, Senior Producer of Fox & Friends; Christina LaRosa, Associate Producer of Good Morning America Now and Dori Kornspan, Talent Producer of The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. Unlike other panel discussions I have attended in the past, this was a gathering of highly influential producers who genuinely wanted to give tips and advice on what they are looking for in a good guest and story.
The panel discussion, which ran approximately one and a half hours, was an informative, interesting and entertaining session. I will try to distill what each of the producers is interested in for their respective shows:
Tammy Caputo, CBS Early Show
Tammy is the gatekeeper for story ideas and guests on the Early Show. Generally stories should appeal to women and to an older demographic. She asks that pitches be short and to the point and the subject matter should be eye-catching. As she generally reads her emails via Blackberry, less is definitely more. In an email pitch, please make the subject line clear and straightforward. A cute subject line will get deleted.
As far as booking a story, they sometimes fill grids one to two months in advance. Immediate and breaking stories will require a faster turnaround. Oftentimes they will need to secure an expert quickly for a breaking story, so it’s important to keep an eye on the news cycle and pitch someone who may be a fit right away. Holiday and awareness dates should be pitched one to two months ahead. Never assume you are pitching something too early in this day and age of instant information.
She prefers you not pitch multiple people at the station. If you do, please be upfront about it so as not to waste their time and annoy them. Also, if your client is going to appear on competing stations, full disclosure is recommended. They will oftentimes take the guest anyway but by not being honest, you run the risk of being blacklisted.
Other things to note: the station likes exclusives and by offering them one that works well, you build a solid relationship which will get you placed at the top of the list for consideration. Make sure that pitches are timely and relevant. If your spokesperson has had lots of coverage, let her know that and send links. The more coverage and on-air time your person has had, the better chance they will consider using them.
Jennifer Cunningham, Fox and Friends
Jennifer Cunningham is the Senior Producer and decides who will appear on the show. She is looking for new twists to old stories (for example, ‘What Father’s Day gift should dad get when he exchanges the ugly tie he got?’). She is also interested in stories that are more news-oriented and less feature-oriented. They also want stories that are human interest or outrage stories. An outrage story is one that makes the viewer demand a call to action.
When pitching, note they have Blackberries so keep it short and to the point. They are rarely sitting by their phones and so the pitches should briefly bullet the following: who, why, story hook, background nugget and whether the guest will be in-studio or remote. She also asks that you anticipate what they will want to know and give as much information in a short format. The more attractive the subject line, the better chance it will be read.
Jennifer also asks that if your spokesperson is booked, do not contact her multiple times. The show will contact you the day before. By calling and being a pest, you are ensuring that they will not take your clients in the future. She also commented that putting conditions on what a spokesperson will or will not discuss is a sure way of getting canceled and never getting on the program in the future.
Finally, Jennifer said the best way to pitch a story is to ask yourself, “Is this a story that I would stop what I’m doing to watch. If I wouldn’t care about the subject, why should they?”
Dori Kornspan, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet
Dori is the talent producer and responsible for the guests and content of the show. Generally, the subject matter is racier, sexier and more adult. Their demographic is women 25-54 and more urban-oriented. The stories they cover are fun, upbeat and entertainment-based. You won’t see cooking segments, product showcases or relationship experts. They do like debatable topics or segments that skew more controversial. They like medical breakthrough stories and are always looking for experts to have on tap at a moments notice.
When pitching, email in bullets is preferred with no attachments. Voicemail messages should be very short with the contact information at the very top. It is ok to follow-up with a call but not ok to be a pest. Also, when pitching, take into consideration they generally book a week or two ahead. If pitching multiple people by email, she asks you copy everyone on the same email so there is no confusion during their booking meetings.
Christina LaRosa, Good Morning America Now
Christina stresses that stories should be webby, or web-friendly. She is always on the lookout for fashion, cooking or top tips stories, as well as stories that have a great visual aspect.
When pitching, she asks that you package the story idea for the web. She wants to see slideshows, PPT presentations, video excerpts and images. She prefers emails that are mostly bullet points for quick scanning and stresses she is rarely ever near or on the phone. If sending something by snail mail, which she does accept, always email her to let her know to be on the lookout for the package.
With so much content needed to fill space, she asks that you pitch for the next day or a 1-2 week timeframe. She often needs to fill a hole at the last minute. She may ask for a guest the same or next day. Christina also can help with GMA Radio and guests for the first two hours of the televised show. She usually needs to slot people late in the day, so pitching afternoons and evenings are welcome.
In Short
If there was one thing that was stressed by all the panelists, it was that including a link to video of the spokesperson is the best way to get their attention and be considered. They need to know the person on camera will not only look good but also be able to communicate in a clear and interesting manner. Television is, after all, a visual medium and they want to be able to “see the product before buying”.
Overall, I want to say this was a highly informative session that was well attended by a capacity crowd. As a person who has been in the field a number of years, I can say I learned a lot about what works and doesn’t work when pitching morning shows. As I walked outside that evening, I couldn’t wait to jump back on the phones and put what I learned to practice.
-Walter Ocner
June 23rd, 2008
Leslie
We just got our July copy of “Deliver: A Magazine for Marketers” published by the United States Postal Service. This is one of my favorite magazines and I always look forward to receiving it.
Delivermagazine.com is the companion website to the magazine, and is even more resourceful. Both always cover some aspect of direct mail (of course), but do a great job of embracing traditional and new media channels with research, news, case studies and video clips. And by the way, back issues of Deliver magazine are all archived on the website.
Not only is the content well worth reading, but the visual aspect of the magazine (especially) and the website, are just impressive and attractive.
Its well worth subscribing to the magazine (free) as well as getting email updates.
Kudos to USPS for an inspiring magazine and website!
June 19th, 2008
Yasmin
On Monday I attended a portion of the “eCommerce Innovations & Strategy Forum” as part of Luxury Interactive 2008. Sheldon Gilbert, CEO of Proclivity Systems [disclosure: our client], Mary Senin, Corporate Director of E-Commerce Marketing, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, Misty Locke, President, Range Online Media and David Manela, Vice President, Ideeli, participated in a panel session on online strategies for luxury brands.
It was an interesting discussion that opened my eyes to some of the dilemmas that face the luxury market in a virtual world. Alot of the discussion centered around replicating the ‘brand experience’ in an online forum. If the brand is all about personal service, prestige, being ’seen’ or being exclusive - how do you replicate that through a website? There was some chatter about luxury brands often being late to the digital party - but as Missy Senin pointed out, the next generation of luxury customers is online, and that’s where the brands need to be. According to Senin, if they don’t make inroads in the online community, they may lose those prospective clients in the future. David Manela also pointed out that with all of the tools and technologies available, you can create a luxury, personalized experience online for customers and brand advocates. Mary Senin also shared a story about how technology can also work against a company if they are not prepared. She shared a story about an unsuccessful attempt to implement a ‘live chat’ feature on their website but when the backend support wasn’t there it led to frustrations on the customer and service sides.
Another insight shared by Locke was on the topic of ROI. For those of us that live in the Web world, we love to measure everything - clicks, views, abandons, conversions, registrations etc. However, just because we can measure everything, doesn’t mean that we should. Often, this focus on measurement may lead us to dissapointment because the ‘metrics’ don’t add up to our expectations or measure the true value. There are still many benefits of online advertising and interactivity that cannot be effectively measured or that lead to an immediate action. Locke lets her clients know that these are long term investments in your brand, in raising awareness, in positioning and other criteria that cannot always be measured in clicks.
Check out the photos on Flickr.
June 19th, 2008
Sandra
I caught this small typo on the New York Times website last week and had the immediate urge to take a screenshot. I kept the file on my desktop for awhile, not knowing what to do with it.
This morning I realized what I like about it. Isn’t it a relief to know that even the New York Times makes a silly mistake sometimes?
The next time you make a dumb spelling error in the subject line of an email — or feel your blood pressure rising when a member of your account team does the same — remember that.
Related: In a Changing World of News, an Elegy for Copy Editors (the NYT, of course, via Blogrunner)
June 17th, 2008
Leslie
Here are the articles we discussed as a team at our staff meeting this week. Enjoy!
- Inside the War Against China’s Blogs, Business Week, June 23, 2008
- Here’s Our New Policy On A.P. stories: They’re Banned, TechCrunch, June 16, 2008
- MySpace Might Have Friends, but It Wants Ad Money, New York Times, June 16, 2008
- Travel: Gas Pain Proves Debilitating, Brandweek, June 16, 2008
- Red Cross Turns to Nascar in Unique Marketing Campaign, Austin American-Statesman, June 15, 2008
- Insider Threat Exaggerated, Study Says, PC World, June 15, 2008
- Majority of Data Breaches Go Unnoticed, Study Finds, Redmond Channel Partner, June 13, 2008
- Watching While You Surf, The Economist, June 5, 2008
- Beyond Blogs, Business Week, May 22, 2008
June 16th, 2008
admin
Conor O’Donnell has been an Affect Strategies intern since May 2007. A Philadelphia native and current NYU student, Conor returned home last weekend to participate in the Special Olympics’ annual Pennsylvania State Games. We asked Conor to step into the guest blogger seat to tell us about his experience.
I’ve been volunteering with Special Olympic Swimming for 5 years now. After a hiatus because of college and work, I returned this past weekend to Penn State to help coach at the yearly Pennsylvania State Games. On the bus to State College, my friend and fellow volunteer muse about our situation. Most volunteers participate for a year or two in high school and then move on. Yet here we were, seasoned veterans, trekking across the rural nothingness that is central Pennsylvania.
State Games is a four day marathon of competition, ceremonies and events designed to foster community and friendship. With more than 2100 athletes and 800 coaches and volunteers, the campus bubbles with frenzied activity. The swimming competition is 3 days. Our days consist of military-like schedules: Rise at 6 am. Breakfast. Pool for morning session. Lunch. Pool for afternoon session. Dinner. Dorms to change. Nightly event (ranging from games night to BBQ cookouts). Back to dorm. Team meeting. Athletes curfew. Coaches meeting. And then finally…I crash.
All of my athletes did incredibly well over the weekend. I’d say 75% of them set personal records in the pool. Win or lose, out of the pool they come with grins to put Julia Roberts to shame. The medal ceremony after each event is a favorite among my swimmers. They don’t even try to hide their pride as the judge laces the medals around their neck. In every sense of the word, it’s awesome.
The bus ride back. My friend and I slip in and out of consciousness as we journey home. We’re dead tired and completely drained, but looking back – it’s been a great experience. I’ve known a lot of the athletes I coach for more than 5 years now. Most of them are older than me and have been doing the Special Olympics since they were 10. I suddenly realize why I’m still on this bus. Special Olympics is so much bigger than me and my experience. It’s a collective good that touches thousands of lives. It allows those less fortunate to get away from home, be independent and gain a sense of confidence. This is more important to them than most will ever know. And thus I too know it’s something important to be a part of, even if mine’s only a small part. So I glance out the window and smile. One year from now, I’ll be in exactly the same seat.
Interested in becoming a Special Olympics volunteer? Contact your local Special Olympics chapter. Thanks again, Conor!
June 12th, 2008
Leslie
Here are the articles we discussed as a team at our staff meeting this week. Enjoy!
- ‘Hypermilers’: Squeezing Out Every Mile Per Gallon, NPR, June 9, 2008
- Thieves Steal AT&T Laptop with Employee Data, Consumer Affairs, June 9, 2008
- Truck Driver Goes Down for Computer Theft, Galaway First, June 8, 2008
- Significance of Public Relations, The Daily Etallat Srinagar, June 7, 2008
- Stanford Laptop with Employee Data Stolen, The Mercury News, June 7, 2008
- ‘Aware Car’ Knows When You’re Too Old to Drive — and Tells You, Wired, June 4, 2008
- It’s Not So Easy Being Less Rich, New York Times, June 1, 2008
- Live Ad by Honda Designed to Keep Viewers Tuned In, International Herald Tribune, June 1, 2008
- Online Insight: Challenges Better than Cheerleading, eSchool News, June 1, 2008
- Tapping the Wisdom of Online Crowds, 1 to 1 Magazine, June 1, 2008
- Ten Technology Companies to Watch 2008, American Banker, June 1, 2008
- Digg: What Works, What Doesn’t, and an Example, Blog-well, May 27, 2008
June 9th, 2008
admin
This is new from MarketingSherpa. This neat little “Chart of the Week” pops into my inbox every Tuesday. Their goal is to bring you something useful and interesting in only 2 minutes by presenting a bite-sized piece of their research and lessons learned from it.
Just to give you an idea of topics, here are some charts that they have sent out recently that I found interesting:
- Why You Must Pay More Attention to Your ‘About Us’ Page . Open access until July 3rd
- Should Tech Marketers Hide Prices? (access passed)
- Tech Buyers Don’t Always Tell the Truth on Registration Forms (access passed)
- Display Ads Do Work — And They’re Getting Better (access passed)
If you haven’t subscribed to this yet, I recommend it.
Here’s the link to subscribe
June 5th, 2008
Yasmin
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