On the average day, we would be hard-pressed to come up with a journalist who enjoys follow-up communications. Most resent phone calls, emails or even letters following up on a
previous communication.
But Matt Thurber, editor of PRN sister publication Aviation Maintenance, is raving about a follow-up from Fluke Corp., a manufacturer of electronic testing equipment. Earlier
this month, Thurber received a package touting the benefits of Fluke's new Pyro product. In keeping with the fiery theme, the package included a bottle of Fluke's very own "Pyro
Hot Sauce."
This week, Thurber received a follow-up letter:
"Dear Matt,
We appreciate the opportunity to provide you with information on the latest product from Fluke. We hope you enjoyed the 'Pyro' package and that you've had a chance to review
the information. And, of course, we hope you carefully tried our very own Pyro Hot Sauce. Since we know Fluke Pyro Sauce is probably the hottest you've ever tasted, we've enclosed
some Pepto-Bismol tablets to help you put out the fire. Pepto - like the Fluke 61 - is fast working, inexpensive, and provides you with quick relief for those extra hot
situations."
The letter (with its enclosed antacids) was an easy and creative way for Larry Wilson, PR manager for Fluke, to gently remind editors of the material he had sent along earlier
- and provide a little entertainment. "I guarantee it got my attention in a positive way," Thurber says.