In last week's issue, we revealed some less-than-flattering survey responses about journalists' take on PR people. As you might recall, among the "PR pet peeves" of journalists at Phillips Business Information Inc. (of which PR NEWS is a part) are PR folks asking whether the reporter received a fax; feeling pressured to run a press release; and not putting them in touch with the right people.
This week, we disclose the good impressions that PR people have made on our editorial colleagues. For example, our colleagues are impressed with quick response to queries; hand-delivered announcements; PR people who freely provide financial and background information about their company; and those who are willing to give out their home phone number in case of an emergency. (As far as the latter impression, we at PR NEWS are rather guarded about our home phone numbers, but please leave a detailed message on our voice mail if a hot story breaks and we'll call you right back.)
The findings are based on an email survey of about 50 editors, reporters and managing editors at dozens of newsletters. We received responses from 24 of our colleagues. We recommend that you keep the survey responses in a convenient location.
The best PR person I know does the following:
A) Always returns calls, often within 5-10 minutes unless he or she is in a meeting.
B) If he or she has to refer the call to someone else in another branch of the company, that person usually calls back within the hour. The PR guy I know also calls both of us to make sure I got called back.
C) Has a pager and responds to pages.
D) Freely gives out his home phone number for use in emergencies.
Actually the best pitch I got was when Saab Aircraft flew me over to Sweden to see its operations and talk to its officials. This face time is crucial since the personnel know who you are the next time you call them with questions or an interview request.
When a PR person follows up to make sure I've received the correct information.
The successful PR people I deal with know when to run interference and when to get out of the way - whether it be during the interview or when a company may be upset with something we've written. * I've received lots of free software that has led me to peek inside the app. I have been impressed by the soft pitches that I've been getting recently by e-mail. These have been from people who clearly understand their marketplaces and what publications like ours might want. I'm thinking of e-mail inquiries that I've been getting where - rather than hyping their products -the pitchmen have suggested angles for news analyses in which the product could appropriately be mentioned or they've given facts and figures about the marketplace along with news about their products.
A PR person called ME to arrange an interview with a new high-level official in a big international airline. She came here to do the interview with the official, and followed up within days from her home base on questions the official had been unable to answer.
SwissAir obtained a vintage DC-4 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its first transatlantic flights around Manhattan. I also was given access to the company chairman and a flight attendant on the inaugural flight for interviews. As remembrances, I was given a pair of SwissAir wings for my lapel and a certificate for taking part in the anniversary flight. Lunch also was served and I had a chance to mix and mingle with additional SwissAir employees and customers. The event was one of a kind, the news value was good and the hospitality was first rate.
I remember gimmicks - like mailing T-shirts. The most useful is when a PR rep. respects the fact that my time is limited, gives me the bottom line immediately over the phone, mails me background material and offers to set up an interview with the company president (or similar executive).
An impressive PR action I've experienced is when I was writing a story about Tickle Me Elmo. Even though the PR agency for Tyco Toys had talked to literally hundreds of TV and print reporters about the Tickle Me Elmo craze, they returned my call promptly and proceeded to talk with me at great length about the story.
The most impressive thing a PR person ever did was with one of my established PR people. The company was buying another company and they were going to announce it the next day, which is the day I send my newsletter to production. She knew that for me to mention it and get interviews with executives and analysts, I need to know beforehand (even though when the issue came out on Monday, it would be Friday's news). She knew my production deadline and gave me the "News," not just went through the rounds and called me after the fact. I think her call came from the road from a pay phone at an airport!!!!
I'm most impressed with PR people who make appropriate execs available to comment on general industry trends who can speak broadly without confining their comments to only promoting their own company or agenda. Those make the best stories and I remember those execs and PR people and then try to go the extra mile to accommodate their needs when I can.
The fact that a guy from a trade association flew down from D.C. to Raleigh, N.C., so that I could interview him for a story I was doing for UPI on some tree-related subject. Even though my story was going to be transmitted around the world, I wasn't used to people in a big city treating a fellow from Raleigh so seriously.
In the aviation industry, a lot of money is spent cultivating trade reporters like me. The one I enjoy working with the most is Bombardier Regional Aircraft out of Montreal. Whenever they organize a press trip anywhere in the world, it's first-class from the beginning to end. The three-person PR staff is very knowledgeable about the product lines and will pass you to the relevant person immediately if you have further questions. They say one of their main jobs is to help us do our jobs easier. It does make a difference.
Anything that is imaginative, but that rarely is generated from PR firms.
Three that I recall - (1) the humidor the Cigar Aficionado publisher Marvin Shanken sent to advertisers and the press prior to CA's September 1992 launch; (2) Sports Illustrated for Kids' January 1989 launch at a Harlem elementary school; and (3) Black Enterprise's 25th - anniversary issue (August 1995) being delivered by a tuxedo-attired (with tails) messenger - came directly from magazines without any outside help.
