There’s Something We Can Do
I had a client meeting yesterday where we spent significant time listening to one of the principles complaining to no end that a recent article (which resulted in a tenfold increase in his business’s website traffic) did not include 100% positive information. Not only that, said he, but one site user sent him a letter voicing displeasure about the business concept itself.
Now, we in the communications industry are famous for saying a number of things related to this. 1) We can lead a horse to water, but can’t make him drink. This means that we can set up interviews, but if the reporter doesn’t see a story, it ain’t our fault. 2) We never have total control over the article. That’s what makes us different and – we say – superior to the advertising folks. They pay for the privilege to write what they want, but lose credibility in the process. We don’t pay the media, and lose control over the content, but enjoy higher credibility. 3) Media relations is a serious game, and one better know that there are no guarantees before embarking on a campaign, because there WILL be negative angles taken.
And you know what? For years, I believed all that 100%. But now, after yesterday’s meeting, I want to challenge them. Let’s take them one-by-one: 1) So maybe it’s true that we can’t force a reporter to write a story, but if we do our job of preparing the spokesperson to explain in a compelling – and honest – way why his/her organization/company/product is something special, the reporter WILL walk away ready to write. But there is something else to it as well. How are we pitching stories? Do we only always say that what we are pitching is the most incredible thing to come along in the history of the world? Or are we describing the story in a way that the interview will be consistent with the pitch? 2) It may be true that we never have total control over the article, but we also know that, for each client, there are certain "danger terms" or topics we want to stay away from, and that if we craft the pitch in a way that steers clear of such issues, we give ourselves an almost sure shot at positive coverage. So what are those terms and topics for your client? Have you even identified them? It’s crucial to know. 3) Yes, media relations IS serious, but how thorough a job do we do in preparing our spokespersons for facing the media. Especially when dealing with start-ups, which don’t have endless supplies of money, media training is something that is often placed on the back burner. That is a mistake, and it will be the agency that pays the price later, because your client will blame you for the negative coverage resulting from that lack of preparation.
Will users send complaints to website owners? Yes. Will reporters occasionally take a negative angle on a story? Yes. Are there more skilled and less skilled spokespersons? Of course.
But folks, this is why they are paying us. So we can either continue with the party line of "Hey, there’s nothing we can do," or we can take this as a challenge and try harder when we do our jobs.
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