We're not sure just what we're supposed to do with this but our first reaction when we got a certain press release from Crescent Communications, Atlanta, was to retire it to the circular file. The firm's release said that a recent survey of its clients found that they were highly satisfied with Crescent. But, instead, we thought we might use it as a benchmark for a lesson in media relations.
Apparently the survey was in response to a Dallas Marketing Group study that indicated that only 40 percent of Atlanta advertisers ranked ad agencies as very good or excellent. Still, when you send editors a release saying you've found that your clients are satisfied, it doesn't give us any kind of news peg (to be exact, would you report that they think you stink?) If you want us to possibly bite on a fact like this, be a little more discreet, give it to us from a third-party source and make it part of the big picture. This was hype - not market research. (Crescent, 770/698-8650)