–The publishers of Human Capital magazine are looking for “lessons learned” stories about your employee recognition programs. For example, what worked and what didn’t? What were positive and negative employee reactions? Were there any unexpected reactions? If you have been involved in a recognition program that presented challenges, email Betty Hintch, editor of Human Capital… Read More
Pitching
Tie into the popularity of poker, bridge
When I called my sister on New Year’s Eve to wish her a happy new year, I asked her what everybody was doing. “The geezers are upstairs watching TV and Tim is in the basement with his buddies playing poker,” she said. Tim is my nephew. He and his buddies are 16. Back when I… Read More
TV loves fitness, diet stories during January
My Jazzercise instructor has already warned us to be braced for packed classes this month. That’s because this is the month when everybody tries to take off what they gained over the holidays. TV stations everywhere want to know about these stories. Here’s an almost guaranteed way to get your company on the local TV… Read More
Include statistics when pitching a story idea
The next time you’re reading a newspaper or magazine article, notice how many times the reporter mentions statistics high in the story. You should do the same when you pitch. That’s because statistics help validate a story. I found the following statistics in just one section of the Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal:… Read More
Research the media before you pitch
I grumble all the time about media mutts who deliver pitches that have nothing to do whatsoever with the media outlet they’re pitching it to. For a perfect example of what I’m talking about, check out this poorly written pitch I received this week from Travel Features Inc., complete with errors: “Kindly find a 900… Read More
Invite reporters to participate in your story
When members of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania traveled by bus to Albany, Ohio earlier this month to meet with Abercrombie & Fitch and complain about the retailer’s controversial T-shirts, a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rode along with them. The women were upset over sleazy T-shirt slogans such as “Who needs… Read More
The best time to pitch is before and after Christmas
I can hear the engines revving right now. It’s the sound of Publicity Hounds starting a pitch-fest that lasts from now through the new year. Savvy Hounds know that this week and next are the very best times to pitch newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, bloggers, ezine publishers and other media that have short deadlines.… Read More
Pitch these story ideas in December
Thanks to Publicity Hound Shawne Duperon, a TV reporter, for reminding us that December is the very best month to pitch TV stations. “Newsrooms are no longer in a busy Sweeps month, so many employees are taking time off,” she says. Fewer employees means they need your story in a big way. She suggests: —Any… Read More
How to get great radio publicity
Some Publicity Hounds sabatoge themselves and make it difficult for the media to find them, then wonder why they don’t get publicity. For example, they give media contacts only their office phone numbers, forgetting that radio talk show hosts and newspaper reporters work around the clock and sometimes need to contact sources in the wee… Read More
Let’s Expose the PR Flunkies
One of the worst ways that PR agencies rip off their clients is by forcing new hires to make those idiot phone calls to journalists asking questions like “I’m just calling to see if you got my news release and if you know when it will be printed?” These calls infuriate the reporters. The company… Read More