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Got a techno-toy? Robert Moritz may just want to hear from you. Moritz pens the monthly "Gadget Guide" for Parade Magazine, covering three to five consumer electronics products
and Web sites with each column.
Parade's circulation is 44 million, with a pass-around total of some 80 million people, almost a third of the U.S. population. Needless to say, the demographic is pretty broad.
Even when it comes to the tech column, the readership "runs the gamut," says Moritz, who also pens a few features for Parade each year and writes for an annual tech issue.
Content/Contacts
Moritz is the chief and only contact, and he wants to hear about stuff, as opposed to ideas and trends. "It is very much a product-related column, looking at anything
electronic," he says.
Well, not quite anything. "People may send me a pitch for lights for your bike, but it is not about that. It is really about consumer electronics and the computing experience.
That covers everything from computers and software to portable MP3 players to a device that takes foul language out of your TV broadcasts."
Keep in mind the Parade mandate of making life more livable. "This is not about tech for tech's sake. It is about things that improve people's lives. [A product] does not need
to be cheap, but it does need to represent some kind of value." Email [email protected].
Pitch Tips
Moritz wants email. No calls, no faxes. You can use the good ol' U.S. Postal Service to send him demo models of cool gizmos. Keep pitches brief and to the point. "I like to see
a summary of what the product is and what distinguishes it from the rest. I also need to see the approximate street date and the cost," says Moritz. "I also like to know whom they
imagine the product will help. Why is it good for a student going back to school, or good for a grandmother at home?"
The longer the pitch, the more likely Moritz is to tune it out. "I don't like long, elaborate things. I have a pretty good idea of what I can and cannot use, so I really just
want to see the facts. Anything else is superfluous."
Comments
Multi-functionality is a strong sell. If a product combines multiple products a consumer might buy separately, it will definitely catch his eye, he says. Take for instance the
$400 flat-screen LCD monitor that doubles as a TV screen. "It either has to give the most bang for the buck, or it has to be the cheapest. I need to see something that makes it
stand out." Moritz has a soft spot for mom-and-pop stories, products that came about through personal initiative.
In the Pipeline
In the coming months Moritz plans to examine the latest in cell phones and mobile computing. He wants to look at online finance services, and especially online gaming. He also
will be looking at devices that can deliver mobile personal video. He needs to see pitches two to three months ahead of the expected publication date (for anyone living in a cave,
Parade publishes once a week on Sundays in newspapers nationwide), and he typically firms up his product lineup two months in advance of publication. On the plus side, pitches
need not hawk items that are brand spanking new: Moritz will consider including items in his column that already have been on the street for two or three months at the time the
column appears.