I’ve started conducting telephone training sessions for PR firms that want a refresher course on things like press releases and pitching, as well as a look at many of the opportunities in the world of social media.
They don’t have to pay my regular speaker fee. I don’t have to hassle with airports. And everybody’s happy.
Last week, a PR firm asked me to critique several of its pitches, including one about a ground-breaking for a new upscale retirement community.
“To round out the ceremony, a mayoral proclamation will be read, honoring (name of retirement community),” the pitch read.
No wonder it landed with a thud.
The media despise staged media events like ground-breakings, ribbon-cuttings and check-passings.
And they’re especially unimpressed with politicians who attend these events. Remember, reporters who cover city hall see politicians several times a week. The last thing they want to do is see them again–at a ground-breaking, no less.
I showed the PR firm how to rewrite the pitch by offering a tantalizing story idea that’s a lot of fun and eliminates the need for a tired ground-breaking ceremony. When I worked as a reporter, I told them, I would have jumped on a story like this one.
PR pro Dan Collins is a master at coming up with great ideas, including publicity stunts. He explained them all during a teleseminar called “Fun Alternatives to Boring Ground-breakings, Check-passings and Ribbon-cuttings.” We recorded it, and it’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download as soon as you order has been approved.
Read more about what you’ll learn at https://www.publicityhound.com/blog/cdgroundbreaking
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