Man Bites Dog

Managing client expectations is an integral part of the job for most PR professionals. The harsh reality is that most stories don’t end up on national TV news. (Remember it’s often bad news that makes national headlines, so be careful what you wish for).

Anyway, I’ve just read an article by Gordon Platt, a former US ABC News producer, who’s penned his ten commandments for media relations. And I thought a couple were particularly worth sharing:

Thou shall tell a story. Reporters don’t write announcements; they write stories.

Thou shall make news. Is your announcement really news? And is it new or does it simply rehash old information? Imagine yourself taking a look at the day’s headlines as an average news consumer. Would this story interest you? Remember it’s a reporter’s job to sell stories—first to his or her editor and then to you, the public. If you wouldn’t read it, it’s not a story.

Thou shall recognise the forest and the trees. It’s all about context. If it’s your company each and every announcement may be of crucial importance and interest to you, and that’s the way it should be. However, it may not be of monumental importance to the world or even your industry. What’s news to a trade publication may not be news to The Wall Street Journal. Take a deep breath; be as objective as you possibly can, and gauge your outreach—and your expectations—accordingly.

Thou shall know what’s happening in the world. In the media, as in life, timing is everything. What might make the papers on a slow August day will not make the cut on an August day when the stock market is crashing. If there's major national or international news and your story can wait, hold it. If not, well, that’s sometimes the breaks.

Twitter Power

With public sector bodies under increasing pressure to demonstrate their worth, it seems some have been turning to Twitter.

Tameside Borough Council recently held a 24-hour twitter-thon to shout about its everyday activities – from blowing up balloons to cutting bowling greens. Not exactly earth shattering stuff but a low cost way of highlighting what gets done in an average day.

Sometimes PR gets too creative for its own good – and Tameside's twitter-thon was an engaging, straighforward and effective way of saying “we’re doing a great job”.

So before you get too carried away, remember what it is you’re trying to say – and don’t make things more complicated than you have to! The simplest ideas are often the best.

Want to hit the headlines?

Do it first!

Pizza Express is basking in the glow of the media spotlight today, following news of their new ‘pay now’ i-phone app.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2004167/Pizza-Express-diners-use-iPhones-pay-walk-out.html


Contactless technology is of course big news and for Pizza Express customers the new app means no more waiting to pay at the end of their meal.

Regardless of how successful the trial is, it’s a great bit of marketing by Pizza Express.

Be creative – take a look at what you do, give it a topical twist and see what you can come up with. It might just lead to some great PR!

Get On TV!

The Dragons are hungry - and on the lookout for invesment opportunities.  If you've got the nerve then why not apply for the next series?

Regardless of what happens in the den it'll be great experience and could help you get your name out to millions of TV viewers. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden/apply/

Story of the Week: The Record Breaker

Get Me To The Church On Time!

What a great story – a Yorkshire vicar who has just set a Guinness world record with the fastest motorcycle hearse.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385793/Like-bat-heaven-Vicar-claims-world-record-fastest-motorcycle-hearse.html

Nicely timed ahead of Dying Matters Awareness Week it’s fantastic PR for the entire funeral industry.

As well as profiling the availability of alternative forms of funeral transport (and believe me there are quite a few), and raising the profile of ‘heaven’s angel’ Rev. Biddiss and his Triumph Rocket, the story also makes the point that funeral professionals enjoy life just as much as the rest of us.

(The hearse even has it’s own facebook page). http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rocket-Motorcycle-Hearse/186681858017304

And of course the story is a sub-editor’s dream….’the faster pastor’, ‘bat out of heaven’, ‘god speed’, ‘meet the ‘rev’ vicar’, ‘the quicker vicar’….


A lot of people spend an awful lot of money on PR and can only dream of achieving this sort of coverage. It’s worth remembering that sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective. Could you attempt to smash or set a record to raise your profile?

When the unthinkable happens...

The morning after a Bank Holiday weekend and news of at least two theme park tragedies are making headlines.

Of course it has to be a visitor attraction’s worst possible nightmare. There’s no going back and nothing they can do to turn back the clock. The best they can hope for is that they had a plan in place to cope.

We hear a lot about business contingency planning – how you’ll manage if your IT system blows up etc – but PR is often overlooked. But what would you do if you suddenly found yourself the centre of unwanted media attention?

Shrug it off and say all PR’s good PR or take it seriously and work hard to come out with your reputation intact?

Regardless of whether you are a manufacturer or service provider you need a crisis management plan - much the same as you need insurance.  Sadly things do go wrong – so prepare for the worst and expect the best.

Free Advertising in the Daily Mail

Blooming Cheek!

Hats off to Essex businessman Robert Blyth, whose daffodil display has led to some great PR and press coverage.


When local Town Hall officials caught sight of his 13,000 daffodil display - commissioned to promote his car boot fair business – they saw red. Even though the flowers were on his own land, Robert was accused of illegal advertising and ordered to dig up his display or face an escalating fine.

But days before the deadline the council backed down and Robert’s roadside daffodil display was granted a stay of execution.

So, while it might have looked as thought the stunt had backfired – the council helped Robert make it into the nationals – ensuring that millions of people now know about his car boot fairs.

I’d call that a great PR result!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375663/Blooming-cheek-Businessman-ordered-dig-13-000-daffodils-arranged-companys-deemed-illegal-advertising.html