Art of the Real Deal

Believe it or not, several decades ago, my Mother made sure I was raised to be a good Queens (NY) boy. I was kind of polite, always a “card,” yet capable of cracking up adults at any wedding, graduation or Bar Mitzvah you threw my way. I earned a lot of good guy pats on the head.



Unfortunately for Mom, being first a reporter then a PR guy has wrung modesty right out of me. I learned quickly that the media has no respect for humility. In your quest for coverage, if there’s an angle that you know is best, and you are aiming to be the lead for a Times story, being meek and “helpful” just doesn’t cut it. You’ve got to pitch hard and be not mysterious about what you want or what placement you’re looking for. But you already knew that.

Some of you didn’t know? Over the past several years it seems that everyone has developed a new nicety with the media and with bloggers, presuming that if they’re really sweet and oh-so-darn helpful, reporters will be sure to feature them. While it’s true that being “nice” works with old ladies and in (some) court hearings, it doesn’t work with reporters who are busy fighting deadlines, particularly not with the fact that reporters have to get more done than ever before.

Does being wonderfully pleasing give you license to you be nasty? Nope. Instead, you need to be honest and upfront.

Journalists and online types interview you because they need information and new story ideas. You, on the other hand, have what they need and you need some coverage. See a deal formulating? Reporters are, contrary to popular belief, in fact people and love to be treated like adults. Yes, you should help them out with their story and okay be polite like your mother taught you, but you should also tell them, mano a mano, what story you’re looking for, what angle you think is best for all parties, and—how you can help.



Strangely enough, Mr. and Ms. Business Type, you soon learn that journalists happen to be some of the most talented dealmakers on our planet! If you think I’m on a media Jihad, do a quick Nexis search on Comcast Corporation. A few years ago, just four spokespersons commented in a not small way on a new deal Comcast slapped on the table.

The result was a thousand or so individual pieces of coverage around the globe, each a carbon copy of the last. That wasn’t what you might call luck—it was shrewd negotiation.

Reporters are aware of a balance between knowledge and access. They know how to use leverage when it’s necessary. They’re experts in requesting what they’re looking for—nay, exactly what they need—and they do it with the subtly of a bowling ball rolling down a staircase.

Bottom line: the next time you’re on the horn with a media dude, lay out what you hope to get out of the conversation.

Like never before, frank is what any reporter, blogger or producer will appreciate—and in the final analysis you’ll appreciate when the story or post runs.

Twitter @laermer, @badpitch

Making of a Media Darling: A Simple How To

It’s no coincidence that some companies and products receive constant media coverage, while others never see the light of day. While a solid, innovative product has a lot to do with the coverage a company or product receives, there are other crucial factors affecting a successful media campaign. Below are the top four reasons that companies become media darlings.

Creativity (when a straight product pitch won’t cut it)
It’s all about how the story is pitched. Since there are only so many latest, most innovative, sexiest companies or products, creatively positioning a pitch can be the difference between getting coverage and getting a dial tone.

For example: RLM formulated a pitch for a lip balm. Instead of pitching the gooey product as its own story, we used a dermatologist as a spokesperson, and pitched a TV segment on keeping your skin healthy during the cold, dry winter months. As the dermatologist was giving tips, she worked in the lip balm as a great preventive measure and therapy for dry lips. The producer was happy because she had an expert giving her audience free advice and our (thrilled) client got a brand mention on live, and then viral, TV.

Uniqueness
Of course, if a product is groundbreaking or completely different, media coverage is all but guaranteed. My five-year-old nephew could have placed Viagra or BOTOX stories.

Timeliness/current events
Timeliness is always a key factor in securing optimal media coverage. For example, there is no better time to pitch a digital camera than December for the holiday Gift Guides.
In addition to leveraging reoccurring events such as holidays or seasons, using current events like a really unusual election (read: recall) can also pay nice dividends. For instance, we pitched a “career expert” client so that she could give commentary on life-changing careers as she promoted her new book.

Relationships
At the risk of sounding self-serving, which I risk every day, a good PR firm with established relationships is a key component to placing a story. As with anything in business, strong relationships will take you far. Developing mutual trust and respect with producers and editors will not only increase the chances that they will take a call from a PR pro, but it also increases the likelihood that they will cover stories that have less “headline appeal.”

Yes, of course, these four factors do not guarantee media coverage (or lack thereof), but understanding them will increase your chances of being the next big thing.

Simply put, at that point you can decide if autographs are allowed, darling.