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HOW THE
PROS GET THEIR STORIES TOLD.
By Pam Droog
Preassembled shelters by modular-building manufacturer Porta-King
received a lot of attention after Sept. 11, 2001. “We sent out information
about how the buildings can be used as guard booths to control traffic
in and out of airports and government facilities,” says Mike Drone,
president of Drone & Mueller, PortaKing’s public relations agency.
“They got a lot of interest because of security issues.”
At Brown Shoe Company stores, women are buying detailed dress shoes
for the fall, says Vice President of Corporate Communications Beth
Fagan. “We have 1,300 retail outlets, so when we see a trend like
that, we put out a nationwide alert on the wires and to fashion
editors, backed with data from the stores,” she says.
From shelters to shoes and beyond, one of the keys to successfully
pitching a story is to tie in with a trend, says Jackie Himmelberg
of Fleishman Hillard. “That ups your odds of getting noticed,” she
says. For example, when FH client Alcan Aluminum introduced new
automotive products, “we knew the annual national auto-safety statistics
story was coming up, and also that Jaguar, which uses a lot of aluminum,
was releasing safety data. We plugged into those two things and
sent information to reporters,” she says. “Our client got a lot
of coverage.”
"YOU CAN'T BE SHY OR
RELUCTANT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A GOOD STORY. IT
MAY TAKE SOME GUTS TO CALL AN EDITOR BUT YOU HAVE
TO DO IT OR HIRE SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU."
Mike Drone
president,
Drone & Mueller
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Besides tying into a trend, Craig Kaminer of Kaminer and Company
says it’s equally important to “know the media you’re pitching.
It’s not enough to say, ‘This is newsworthy,’ and send a release
to everyone you can think of. In fact, that’s the worst thing to
do,” he says.
By knowing the media, Kaminer means knowing who the audience is.
“For example, a morning show producer tries to reach people getting
ready for work. The noon show is pitched toward seniors and the
3 o’clock newscast reaches stay-at-home moms,” he says. “If you
know the media and the stories they’ve done lately, you can say,
‘I saw this story, and it reminded me of this thing my client is
doing and here is why your audience would be interested.’”
"THE BEST THING IS TO
TOUCH BASE BEFORE YOU SEND YOUR PITCH. GET A BUY-IN.
THEN SEND A SHORT, DIRECT E-MAIL. CATCH THEIR IMAGINATION!"
Craig Kaminer
president,
Kaminer & Company
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How do you know what the media want? Just ask, Fagan says. “About
three years ago we met with editors from Conde Nast and asked
them how we can fill their needs. They were surprisingly willing
to tell us,” she says. “It basically came down to being responsive
and fast, because the fashion magazines work on very tight deadlines.
We made the commitment to them that if they called and needed a
red shoe with a one-inch heel in size nine, we could send it immediately.”
THE PITCH LETTER—OR E-MAIL
“In the ideal world, pitching your story amounts to no more than
picking up the phone or writing to the editor of a target publication
about the story idea,” Drone says. In a less-than-perfect world,
however, a pitch call or letter is required. “It may be the first
and last communication you have with an editor,” he says.
Whether your pitch is a written letter or an e-mail, make it dramatic
and concise, Drone says. “Don’t try to get 15 mentions in 40 words
and don’t make unsubstantiated claims,” he adds.
The pros agree e-mail is becoming the preferred medium for the pitch.
“If you send a press release, it could stack up on someone’s desk
for up to a week,” Kaminer says. “It’s an inefficient process. The
best thing is to touch base before you send your pitch. Get a buy-in.
Then send a short, direct e-mail. Catch their imagination!”
"IT BASICALLY CAME DOWN
TO BEING RESPONSIVE AND FAST, BECAUSE THE FASHION
MAGAZINES WORK ON VERY TIGHT DEADLINES."
Beth Fagan
vice president of
corporate communications,
Brown Shoe Company
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For Himmelberg, that starts in the e-mail’s “Subject” line. “Sometimes
we have brainstorming sessions just about what to put there. It’s
that important,” she says. Keep an e-mail to four paragraphs or
less, she advises. Regarding sending photos, “that depends on the
reporter’s computer,” she says. “You need to know if it can receive
a large file. To be safe you can put photos into an FTP (File Transfer
Protocol) site and drive reporters there.” Many companies also direct
editors to their web sites where photos are posted as well.
“In any case, editors are inundated with news releases, and a dramatic
photo will often carry you to the top of the stack,” Drone says.
Things work a little differently for an event. Naturally, a company
would like coverage for a grand opening or new product introduction,
for example. However, Himmelberg says, sometimes it’s more effective
to invite reporters not just to the opening day, but to an exclusive,
behind-the-scenes sneak peak beforehand. “Take them on a hard-hat
tour a week before or to a client’s site where they can see the
new product or process actually in use, not just being demonstrated
for the media,” she says. “Getting coverage before the actual event
might be worth even more to generate interest.”
FOLLOW IT UP
“Keep in mind an editor gets hundreds of releases and pitches a
week. Something has to rise to the top of the pile, and the difference
could be a well-timed follow-up,” Kaminer says. He explains, if
you’re calling a news producer, don’t call 30 minutes before a broadcast
starts, or worse, during it. “Know the deadlines for print reporters
too,” Kaminer adds. “Almost all media have their contact and deadline
information online, so you can find out who to talk to and when.”
Follow-up is especially important with events, Drone says. “You
want some commitment that the press will be there,” he notes. Usually
a program director sets the schedule that morning. “But remember,
you’re at the complete mercy of the events of the day. All your
best-laid plans go down the drain if the mayor resigns, or a sports
figure commits an indiscretion the night before.”
Persistence generally pays off, Drone adds. “You can’t be shy or
reluctant, especially if you have a good story,” he says. “It may
take some guts to call an editor, but you have to do it, or hire
someone to do it for you.”
It all comes down to this: “Make the reporters’ jobs easier,” Himmelberg
says. “Help them connect the dots.” For example, provide an analyst,
an industry spokesperson, customers, or interesting sound bites
or visuals. Kaminer adds, “Give the media something it would be
hard for them to do on their own, like providing expert references,
lining up interviews with hard-to-reach people. The easier you can
make it for them, the better the chances to be covered.”
Then, with the right story, you can even call the New York Times.
Pam Droog is a frequent contributor to St. Louis Commerce Magazine.
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