To impress an editor or reporter, offer creative and memorable pitches packed with information, editors say.
These relationship-building interactions might include insight-gathering field trips with uninterrupted access to facilities and top executives or a creative media package that offers a third-party perspective, according to the editors at Phillips Business Information Inc. (of which PR NEWS is a part),
In the second part of our survey of 45 editors business-to-business editors and reporters, respondents said they take notice when PR pitches and press releases contain detailed information and include an analyst's view of how a product or company competes in its specific market.
Thus, it would be wise to train account executives to think more about their audience needs and less about spin control when interacting with savvy business editors. Editors, like most of us, want you to make their jobs easier and tasks less time consuming. This means pitching creatively, but also getting the information up-front and fast.
In this, our follow-up story to last week's list of "pet peeves," we highlight some of your colleagues' most impressive pitches. Unfortunately, we had a lukewarm reaction to this section of our survey, with only 16 editors offering examples of a great pitch. Others gave us no response or shrugged that they could not remember a pitch that stands out among the crowd. These results leave us this impression that, at least in the business-to-business arena, PR executives have their work cut out for them.
However, below, you'll find examples of the best pitches and interactions cited by these editors, which offer model examples for you to emulate.
Question: What was the most impressive pitch you received and why?
"One aircraft manufacturer I write about flew me first class to their facility-in Stockholm, Sweden. They gave me unfettered access to all the executives I needed to see and we had a great time. Efficiency like that does color a journalist's perspective and their calls are always returned by me quickly to this day."
"I'd say one was not really a pitch at all - I was taken out for lunch, given exposure to top officials and told it was just a get -acquainted session; it was relaxed and fun, and later when we all felt comfortable with each other [and] I was able to ask business questions." The restaurant, Veni Vidi Vici, Atlanta.Classy
"One organization involved in the World Cup just sent me a soccer ball and a display stand. The company's involvement in the tournament is big, so they used an attention-grabbing way to demonstrate it." The editor later added he's no soccer fan, but the pitch was so out of the ordinary, he'll remember the company.
"The mayor of a small New Hampshire town wanted to explain his plans for revitalizing the community. He spent an afternoon driving me around town and showing me what worked and didn't work for the city - i.e. decaying buildings v. vacant lots. At the time, I covered the town for a daily newspaper. The key was the time he spent and the fact that he could show me vivid examples of his plan. Incidentally, the voters liked his pitch, too. He was elected to (New Hampshire) State Senate in 1996." The Senator's name is Allen Whittle.
"The most impressive pitches are usually non-verbal. If I get a press release that is filled with valuable information that makes sense - rather than filled with phrases such as 'our cost effective solution' and 'a proactive partnership to create synergies' - that is when I stop reading and pay serious attention. If it's a truly huge development that I've been waiting for, then it doesn't matter how the release is written. The best thing a PR person can do to make press releases more compelling is try to think like a journalist. Avoid monotonous, empty-handed phrases - they only make us think you're trying to hide something."
"Any pitch that does most of the editor's work for him (or her) is going to be an impressive one. It should have a killer press kit attached and an interview with a key player offered. It must, however, be relevant to the publication in question, and the PR person must be able to take 'no' for an answer."
"It was from an agency who was publicizing something new at a company I cover. They called to let me know about the new product and offered to set up an interview for me with the head of the division. When the interview time couldn't be pegged down for a day or two, they kept in touch with me to let me know what was going on, then got the executive to come in early on the day to do the interview over the phone."
Survey participants included:
- Seth Arenstein, Managing Editor, CableFax Daily
- Evan Bass, Assistant Editor, Electric Messaging News
- Tom Butts, Editor, DV Business
- Chris Driscoll, Assistant Editor, EDI News
- Paul Dykewicz, Senior Analyst, Satellite, Communications Daily
- Charles Flippen, Editor, Electronic Commerce News
- Shelia Foote, Reporter, Congress, Defense Daily
- Bryant Frazer, Editor, DVD Report
- Roger Friedman, Editor, Item Processing Report
- Devorah Goldman, Senior Editor, Selling to Kids
- Ian Goold, London Editor, Commuter Regional
- Airline News International
- Ron Hudak, Senior Analyst, Electronic Commerce
- Erik Huey, Reporter, Air Safety Week
- Nicole Jackson, Contributing Editor, Corporate EFT Report
- Eric Laing II, Editor, World Airport Week
- Steve Lott, Reporter, World Airline News
- Paul Leighton, Editor, Aircraft, Value News
- Gordon Masson, Contributing Editor, Satellite News
- Mike Maynard, Contributing Editor, PCS Week
- Elisa Modugno, Assistant Editor, Intelligent Network News
- Heather Montgomery, Editor, World Airline News
- Ellen Mullally, Managing Editor, Washington Telecom News
- Tom O'Rielly, Executive Editor, DVD Report
- Gregory Twachtman, Assistant Editor, Wireless Data News
- Michael Sabine, Editor, Multimedia Wire
- John Scheinman, Senior Editor, EFT Report
- Max Smetannikov, Senior Editor, ISP Business News
- Malcom Spicer, Assistant Editor, Mobile Phone News
- John Spofford, Editor, Broadband Business Report
- John Sullivan, Contributing Editor,
- Washington Telecom News
- Chuck Steele, Assistant Editor, Helicopter News
- Benet Wilson, Assistant Managing Editor, Commuter Regional Airline News
- David Zeliff, Assistant Editor, Land Mobile Radio News