Press Policies on Gadgets, Free Products & Other Giveaways
While there's never any guarantee that a gift you send to the press results in a positive story about your company or product, Media Monitor will help you to better identify your efforts. Each month, we look at "gift policies" of three media organizations. Please e-mail editor Debra Murphey at [email protected] with suggestions for Media Monitor profiles.
| Publication | Sources | Gift Policy? | What They Do With Your Gifts | Comments |
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BicyCling 2425 Porter St., #3 Soquel, Calif. 95073-2454 FAX: 408/462-0279 |
Geoff Drake Editor 408/462-5698 |
Formal written policy. Magazine pays for all trips and expenses. | If big-ticket items like bicycles are sent, they're promptly returned. Small cost items like water bottles are given to charitable cycling events/causes. | Each issue reviews 10-20 products and 4-10 bikes. Reviews exercised two ways: Magazine orders products for review or negotiates costs with manufacturer. Manufacturer in-turn sends products for review. |
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BirminGham News P.O. Box 2553 2200 Fourth Ave., North Birmingham, Ala. 35203-3840 FAX: 205/325-2283 |
Bobby Brandonburg Spokesperson 205/325-2172 |
No formal policy. Doesn't accept gifts of any size, type or form. | Gifts are promptly returned. Books are reviewed and cataloged in the paper's corprate library. Other books are returned to sender. | The paper prefers not to receive gifts, clinging tight to editorial ideals. And, the reporters and editors like to get PR pitches with clever angles. She recalls a Little Caesar's "Turkey Pizza" pitch for fitness minded consumers. Presto, pizza exposure. |
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Conde Nast Traveler 367 Madison Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017-3136 FAX: 212/880-2190 |
Dee Aldrich Managing Editor 212/880-2126 | Formal written policy. Part of contract signed by all employees. Do not accept trips or paid trip expenses (i.e. meals). If happens, editor/reporter is immediately terminated. | Accepts an array of travel items (cell phones, digital cameras) Nine-out-of-ten times the items sent are reviewed. Other occasions, the items are sought. | The magazine's policy is not only to turn down trips, but magazine refuses to send a reporter. Trips taken at editor/reporter's own expense. Trip reviews based on research and freelancers' ideas. |