InsidEPR

Happy Birthday Press Release! Looking Good After 100 Years!

By Jeannette Bitz

2006 marks the 100th birthday of the first press release. This milestone also marks the birth of the PR industry.  So let’s toast the press release with a glass of Cristal or '73 Cabernet or whatever you prefer. Before the toast, however, let’s recognize the influence of the press release. Press releases serve as a critical source of news for the media about a company’s products, services, and financials. Press releases can quickly be distributed to national news sources to let the public know about a major product recall that may save lives. They help put the spin on political news.  And they can reveal far more than we want to know about Hollywood starlets.

In looking back at my more than 10 years at Engage PR and 13 years as a PR professional, I have to ask, “Have we gone overboard with the press release?”  I think that sometimes we have.  A release is one of many tools in a company’s overall marketing and PR kit, but like any tool, we need to use it correctly and for the right job.  Releases should be targeted at the right editors/publications, where they’ll be appreciated, not at publications that have no interest in the business. We certainly like it when clients say a release has such a strong impact that it has brought in sales leads, but we need to remember who the release is designed for… the press. And the press is not interested in — or rewarded for — selling product; it is interested in reporting the news.

The Death of the Newspaper?

By Jeannette Bitz

The Economist recently printed a story on what happens when the newspaper dies. The author quotes Philip Meyer’s book The Vanishing Newspaper: "The first quarter of 2043 will be the moment when newsprint dies in America as the last exhausted reader tosses aside the last crumpled edition." The article acknowledges the role newspapers have played for more than a century and questions who will take over their critical role of providing news to the masses.  I’m not convinced that newspapers will die or even fade away, however, despite the continuing decline in print advertising. 

As the article reminds us, newspapers can have the credibility to hold governments accountable for their actions.  Two Washington Post reporters played a critical role in bringing down President Nixon back in 1974; the paper had such influence and credibility, and the evidence of wrongdoing was so strong, that Nixon was ultimately forced to resign. Most readers understand that papers such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal have certain biases and take their editorial views with a grain a salt, but the American public still trusts their reporting.

The ‘Ask, Don’t Tell’ School of Analyst Relations

By Megan Atiyeh

The goal of engaging analysts is to get included in an industry report or to have an analyst say good things to the media about a specific company and/or product, right?  Well…sometimes. But it’s important not to let a clients’ focus on the final outcome distract him or her from taking advantage of other opportunities.  The real goal of every AR program should be not just to give but also to receive information about relevant technologies, competitors, markets, and trends.  This helps clients better understand their markets, and helps analysts do their jobs.  Sounds simple enough, but it’s not.

Clients are generally very good at building relationships with reporters.  Perhaps it’s because both parties clearly understand the process and have realistic expectations.  If a reporter is working on a story and the client has relevant information and can add value to that story, or if a client is announcing a new product and the reporter has accepted an invitation for a briefing, coverage for the client or its customers will likely appear.  But with AR, the result may not be as immediate. 

Sink or Swim?

By Armi Elma

I've been around the PR industry long enough to have experienced and heard about the various ways that agencies like to "break in" their new employees, especially at the entry level.

The "sink or swim" mentality was a common theme throughout my early years in PR. From day one, entry-level staff were thrown into the everyday grind of the agency and expected to follow along at the fast pace things were moving. Those that could not keep up either gave up and quit or were terminated. The "sink or swim" mentality, while widely accepted at many agencies, also attributes to the high turnover rate at the entry level. At my first agency, I was introduced to a new AC nearly every other week. As a result, we had no time to build connections or friendships since we didn't know how long people were going to be around.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

By Becky Caudill

A recent study from Sharon Barclay, general manager for PR firm Blanc & Otus, concludes that there are more women than men in tech PR due to the following three reasons:

1. A woman's traditional role in society has been that of a caretaker/nurturer, and this translates best to a services-oriented career.
2. The environment of a PR firm and how a PR business is run is more conducive to a woman's personality.
3. Women are better programmed to lie (it's in our DNA).

I have to ask, what's with all the hate?  First Forbes runs an article about why men shouldn't marry career women (we're awful, vile creatures, dontchaknow?) and now comes this study highlighting our ability to tell tall tales better than our male counterparts.  I'll admit to telling a white lie here and there.  For instance, when I buy new clothes I'll sometimes keep them in the closet for months and then wear them the following season.  When my husband asks when I purchased said item, I can truthfully respond, "what, this old thing?  I've had it for ages."  It's not so much a lie as it is the creative relaying of information.