By Corinne J. Kovalsky
Dictionary.com defines exclusive as something "that is not divided or shared with others as in exclusive publishing rights." In PR terms, an exclusive is that and much, much
more. It's an unparalleled opportunity to shape your employer or client's story and roll it out, for the most part, on your terms.
But, this type of approach is not without risk. There's a huge upfront investment in time and research and in building the tool kit you'll need to pitch and place exclusive
stories successfully. If your C-level prefers quantity to quality of coverage or if s/he believes media coverage is little more than product promotion and a nice to do, then
you've got your work cut out for you. In my experience, if you've got a visionary for a CEO s/he will instinctively recognize the benefit of what is arguably a very small
monetary investment. It's not uncommon to achieve results with a PR operating budget in the low six figures, as long as resources are carefully allocated.
So, you've decided to add exclusives to your communications arsenal. What's next? Begin by convening a half-day session with key stakeholders to determine what your
organization's stories are. Whether client or agency-side, you need to agree on the stories you'll pro-actively seek to place. Keep your undertakings manageable by limiting your
list to ten at most.
Your next step is to start building the tool kits you'll use to help get the word out. Don't rush to pitch. Trust me, you'll be tempted, but don't pick up the phone yet. You
still have work to do. You may need to re-design your media kit or create additional supporting materials. If you're pitching smaller magazines or chronically underfunded TV
programs, you will need professional photography and news-style b-roll (forget anything you've shot for the corporate video). Even some bigger outlets will occasionally use
supplied visuals if you tone down the promotional aspects of what you provide.
As you are building the above, start researching your targets. Who makes the editorial decisions? What kind of stories are they covering/breaking? Who is their audience? Why do
they matter more to you than another outlet? Who are their competitors? Can they accept freebies? In other words, do your homework and leave as little to chance as possible.
Relationship building is also absolutely essential to the success of this approach. If you are a dependable provider of story ideas and information, you'll get a fair hearing.
Start small. Begin with regional coverage to minimize risk and make sure your tool kit works and your spokespeople are ready. After every encounter, re-visit your top-10 list
and adjust if necessary. Did your story ring true to the journalist? Were your spokespeople on message? Were you able to add other elements from your list to the reporter's
piece?
When you're ready to go national/international, you must have a plan of attack. Choose your outlets and decide which story you'll pitch to each one. Respect their audience and
editorial direction. Always pitch your first choice in a given subject area because if they bite, you're done. Usually, first choices are the ones with the biggest audiences, but
that's not always the case. Strategically, you may wish to talk to a particular consumer segment that's better represented by a smaller outlet. If you do opt to bypass the
category leader, don't expect them to welcome a pitch later on. Exclusives, by their very definition, are best run once per competitive set.
If you're rejected, don't give up. Consider finding another way in. Perhaps a contributing editor can pitch on your behalf? If not, re-group, take your story to the second
outlet on your list and start again. Recognize that this approach takes time to yield fruit (hence my caution to make it part of a wide-ranging communications strategy).
Your objective is to manage how you are perceived by controlling how much of your story gets told at any given time. For want of a better metaphor, it's not unlike the dance of
the seven veils. Slowly, you build momentum and encourage discovery by revealing individual elements of your overall organizational self.
Corinne J. Kovalsky is the Chief Communications Strategist for Canada's premier family-owned winery. Kovalsky, a former TV network news producer and broadcast industry
lobbyist, can be reached at 604.264.4046; [email protected].
Pitching Exclusives - A Cheat Sheet:
- Devise a "top-10" list of stories the C-level can support.
- Do your homework before you pick up the phone or put fingers to the keyboard. Is this the right outlet? The right story? Are you talking to the right person?
- Have your elements ready to go. Will they use visuals? Are your spokespeople ready? Are your supporting materials finished?
- Know going in what story you'll pitch and stay focused.
- Let your contact know they are the only ones getting a given story and that you'll respect their right to the exclusive for an agreed upon length of time.
- If you are rejected, ask why and be prepared to adjust your pitch accordingly. After you've made the necessary adjustments to your pitch, offer it to your first choice's
competitor. - Patience is a virtue. Unless the media are clamouring for your story, that elusive breakthrough piece could be two years in the making. Ensure you manage your
employer/client's expectations accordingly.