As Bon Jovi Would Say: “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame…CES, you give PR a bad name”



It’s that time, again.  Everyone in the consumer electronics space from technology companies to content developers, reporters, analysts, advertisers and public relations professionals are gearing up for CES.  And as expected, PR pros are put in the spotlight as the “most annoying” of them all.

Now, please don’t get me wrong.  There are some PR folks out there who do give our whole profession a bad name.  In fact, my colleagues and I have all been pitched by them too (we’re assuming because we contribute to this blog, they think we’re at the blogger/reporter end of the spectrum).  These few definitely fuel dislike for PR by the well-respected journalists, bloggers and analysts of the world.

But then, there are a few (of which I believe I am a part) who are doing responsible, accurate and honest work – aiming to help educate the media on our clients products, solutions, customers, etc. while garnering the media coverage our clients are seeking.  After all, what pays our bills is securing positive articles, blog posts and references.  So one must ask, why would we intentionally get on the bad side of those in the media world?

So in my effort to help my fellow co-workers, I decided to share a few tips that I take to heart every day and encourage other PR pros to keep in mind when in “CES mode.”

Here are a few steps I take:

  • Evaluate! For a show like CES, there are more than 5,000 people registered on the press list.  There is no way one pitch is relevant for all of these folks.  This list absolutely must be vetted for the benefit of our clients.  From there, you must decide which contact at each vetted outlet would find this news of most interest and start there.  Showing a reporter you are aware of his or her interests and are bringing news of value is key.
  • Research! I will never approach someone who covers PCs with a pitch for a new iPhone app.  It simply won’t happen.  Unless I’ve worked with a reporter previously, I will also do a search on Twitter and their site to get a taste of their beats.  I won’t waste someone’s time with a pitch that may get sent directly to their deleted folder – because that’s a waste of my time too!
  • Read! I read their past articles.  PR is first and foremost about relationship building.  What better way to do that than to start a conversation?  It’s human nature to like to hear that someone is paying attention to what we do or say – its no different when it comes to a reporter.  Sometimes PR people get bogged down in securing interviews that we don’t see the big picture.  We are only at our best when we have ongoing relationships with influencers and we cannot forget that.
  • Don’t be a creepy stalker! There are only so many times we can email and leave voice mails for the same person before we cross that line into scary town.  If you send a few emails and leave a voice mail and still haven’t heard back, assume it’s a non-starter, at least for the moment.

CES is a hectic time for us all.  It is absolutely in a PR person’s best interest not to be nicknamed the annoying one.  By following these steps and building relationship with key contacts – you can ensure a better chance that your email will be read when 300 or so other CES pitches are left unopened. 

Any thoughts?  I’d love to keep this conversation going with PR folks and media alike.  Especially once we can all breathe after the show. :)

Happy New Year!
Tracey



Tags: Breakaway Team, Evolution of PR, Street Scene


Barb Hagin





Patty





Tracey





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