When the BBC broke the story last month of an adoption battle over twin girls brokered over the Internet, a BBC reporter phoned an American attorney specializing in adoption
cases for comment. The story hit U.S. shores shortly thereafter, and the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (of which the aforementioned lawyer is a member) issued a
statement to more than 200 reporters, posting the same statement on its Web site. Before long, AAAA attorneys were interviewed for an AP story, which was then picked up by hoards
of newspapers nationwide, as well as NBC Nightly News, Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Yomiuri Television in Japan and so on, and so on.
Driving this responsive media campaign was Chicago-based MSI Strategic Communications, the AAAA's agency of record. MSI has a "News Center" staffed by former journalists who
spend their days scanning headlines and looking for possible points of entry for their clients' various realms of expertise.
"Unfortunately, it is the tragedies that get the most media attention," concedes Candice Warltier, VP of outreach and creative centers at MSI, referring to the adoption case,
in which babies were essentially brokered like commodities in an as-yet unregulated environment. And while some might pan such media overtures as exploitative and opportunistic,
Warltier characterizes the AAAA's plug as both a strategic PR move and a public service. "It was important for us to get the word out that there are experts who know
adoption law, so that birth mothers and people looking to adopt wouldn't be frightened away by these stories," she says.
No doubt, piggybacking on a breaking story often paves a quicker path into journalists' hearts (or at least their Rolodexes). In March 1999, Ottawa-based software manufacturer
Cognos leveraged the hysteria over the Melissa virus as an opportunity to shore up its pre-existing reporter relationships and establish a few new ones (PRN, Dec. 11).
Granted, its approach was somewhat counterintuitive: "Our primary pitch was, 'We've got the virus. Do you want to talk?'" recalls Roberta Carlton, then corporate PR manager at
Cognos (she now works for the CAD software maker PTC in Needham, Mass.) "It was easy to get reporters to pay attention, because most companies were being cagey about whether or
not they even had the virus. But since we'd taken a proactive approach to protecting our customers and partners [and shut down our external email server the minute we
received advance notice from our European offices], we had a very positive message to communicate in relation to a very timely story."
"I don't think anyone can avoid getting a virus," Carlton adds. "The key is how you respond to your stakeholder groups once you get it. But you also don't want to
become an ambulance chaser. If we had run after every subsequent computer virus story, people would've started to think our company was beset by computer viruses. You can only
do this kind of thing once and then move on."
Acute, Obtuse and Right Angles
Of course, capitalizing on a hot story does not mean beleaguering points that have already been reported ad nauseum. New angles will get you everywhere. Edward Segal,
president of the eponymous DC firm and author of the book, Getting Your 15 Minutes of Fame and More!, recalls deploying this strategy for a client back during the Persian
Gulf War. "The client's product recycled toner cartridges for copier machines, and the cartridges were oil-based. So we pitched a story on energy independence - the idea being
that if people recycled more of these [toner cartridges], America would be less dependent on foreign oil." With his media alerts, Segal supplied numerical data citing exactly how
many millions of gallons of oil could be saved in the U.S. annually through recycling programs. The story was picked up by every major wire service.
The goal, Segal says, is to look for stories that have legs and will last through multiple news cycles. "Read the paper and watch CNN every day and think about which stories
you might be able to contribute to. The hot story [last week was] the Lockerbie bombing verdict. Now that's a story that lends itself to victim's rights, to lawyers, to
terrorism experts, to mental health professionals. If I specialized in post-traumatic stress disorder, I'd think creatively and strategically about how I could be a part of that
story."
Let it also be noted that while this form of media relations may be reactive, it is not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants endeavor. IT staffers at Cognos were media
trained long before Melissa was even conceived - as were adoption attorneys (at AAAA's annual conference) well in advance of the Internet twins fiasco. If nothing else, such
training prepares uninitiated execs for the rigors of tough media questions. "In cases like [the adoption story], reporters always want lawyers to comment on the specifics of the
case at hand, and they can't," Warltier says. "We coach our experts about how to respond to those kinds of questions."
To Speak or Not to Speak
Even when pre-emptive measures such as media training drills have been implemented, capitalizing on a hot potato issue is not without risk. There's always a strong
chance your expert may be drawn "off message" by a string of extemporaneous questions. Which is why some companies eschew the piggyback media strategy altogether.
UPS, which is known in "best practice" circles for a superlative executive communications program (PRN, Oct. 16) tends to avoid news-o-the-day feeding frenzies, opting
instead for a more calculated approach to shaping public discourse. "We're not shy about inserting ourselves in a debate [that's relevant to our brand]," says Ken Sternad, VP of
PR for the Atlanta-based powerhouse. "But we do it in a more controlled way, through editorial board briefings. It's not the kind of thing where we scan the news and then try
and concoct a pitch based around something that happens to be hot. In the long-run, we've got the luxury of being a well-recognized brand, so if we can [position our executives]
with more planning and forethought, we do."
Duly noted - although not everyone has the luxury of being a household name. And most companies don't transport 7% of the GDP on a daily basis, thereby enjoying carte blanche
access to the editorial boards of Forbes, Fortune and BusinessWeek. For smaller players - particularly local businesses, nonprofits and associations that don't have
large budgets or PR staffs - responsive media relations often is the most cost-effective route into the limelight. "That pre-existing news coverage may be their window of
opportunity. And they may only get that chance once a year," Warltier says. The question is whether or not they'll be watching for it in the news - and ready to jump.
(Carlton, 781/370-5479; Segal, 202/333-7966; Sternad, 404/828-6124; Warltier, 312/944-7398)
Help Reporters Find You
The best laid reactive media relations plans are buttressed with proactive outreach. "Luck favors the prepared person," says Edward Segal. Will you be ready to respond if a
story hits that's right up your alley? Some tips:
Spell out your expertise. As a preemptive exercise, "write down every area of expertise your organization has, and be as specific as possible," Segal says. "Then come
up with best- and worst-case scenarios in terms of stories that could conceivably run on each topic." Play reporter with yourself. Identify the two or three issues or concepts
you'd be qualified and willing to discuss in each scenario.
Put yourself on the map. Are you already on reporters' radar screens? Send out advance memos or emails highlighting your fields of expertise. Consider listing in
directories such as The Yearbook of Experts, Authorities & Spokespersons. And have a Web site that's searchable by keyword, Segal suggests. Rolodex cards also are a
good bet. MSI had a leg up in securing interviews for adoption attorneys in the wake of the Internet twins story, having distributed to key reporters a Rolodex card with a tab
marked "adoption."
Timing is everything. Got a hot lead? A targeted, well-timed media alert may prove golden. As this issue of PRN went to press, MSI got a tip from a medical
manufacturer that the Feb. 1 episode of "ER" would feature a story line involving the use of a procedure known as "transesophageal echo-cardiography" used to diagnose heart
problems. MSI issued an alert to NBC affiliate stations on behalf of its client, The American Society of Echocardiography, urging assignment editors to consider running follow-up
pieces in their late newscasts about cardiac disorders. Bonus: MSI had doctors in the wings prepared to discuss the topic with any reporters who were interested.
(MSI, 312/944-7398; Segal, 202/333-7966)