I must give credit to Quiznos.  On March 2, 2009 I shared my frustration when I tried to redeem a coupon I printed from the Quiznos Web site for a free sub offered in the Quiznos Million Sub Giveaway.  My frustration was that I couldn’t find a Quiznos that was participating in the promotion.  I received an e-mail apology from Quiznos that asked for my name and home address.  A couple of weeks later I received six (6) coupons from the Quiznos located closest to my home but none of the coupons were for the “free” sub.  I was disappointed and said I wouldn’t eat at Quiznos anytime soon. Continue Reading »

I’m not in that category of people described as cynics so I tend to see the positive in almost everything. Excuse me for a minute while I tout what I think is a pure win-win and thank the folks at American Express for coming up with the idea more than 20 years ago. Which idea? Cause marketing, also known as cause-related marketing.

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As I read through your wish list of resolutions you would like public relations professionals to commit to — while I completely agree with and understand your frustration — I am hopeful you have ever encountered a successful relationship with a public relations practitioner. I agree with every one of your resolutions, especially those regarding knowing who you are talking to and what beat the journalist covers before you pick up the phone. On the public relations side of things, nothing would be more embarrassing than a journalist explaining to me I am not contacting the correct beat reporter.

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Are you a Lovie Smith fan?  I am. 

Maybe not for the reasons one might think, considering he is an NFL coach of a very popular team in one of the largest cities in the good ole’ US of A.  Sure, there is that important fact that he coached the Bears to a Super Bowl, and he won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award and there are some pretty decent stats attached to his tenure thus far with the Bears.  But no, that’s not what impresses me.

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We’ve heard most of these tips before, yet some PR professionals avoid them, giving the rest of us a bad rap.  I recently attended a PRSA lunch here in Chicago, and although it was supposed to be on healthcare media, it was actually more about what to do and not to do when pitching. 

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Blog written by Sydney Ayers, APR

Over the weekend, PRSA Chairman and CEO Jeff Julin was interviewed in the Denver Post.  During the course of the interview, the reporter asked Jeff about a somewhat controversial seminar the Colorado Chapter held last year entitled “Taking the BS out of PR.”  Jeff’s answer was elegant and to the point.

“There is no question that many people think public relations is simply publicity and spin.  That is a challenge to individual professionals and the profession as a whole.  For me, public relations is an overarching communications discipline that focuses on helping organizations develop strong relationships with stakeholders.  When done well, public relations helps organizations grow, prosper, and contribute to the communities in which they operate.”

Heady stuff that.  Convincing clients and others that what we do on a daily basis in’t about weaving stories, distorting facts and, well, spinning issues is a difficult assignment.  It is something we have to be committed to doing — PRSA member or not — on a daily basis.  We must make it our mission to encourage truthful, open and respectful discourse in the public arena.  Only then can we hope to turn the tide and fully restore our image as the trustworthy communicators we know we are.

Check out the full interview with Jeff Julin at  http://www.denverpost.com/businessheadlines/ci_8899305

Blog written by Molli Megasko

Good PR doesn’t just mean adding photos or links to your emails and making sure your pitch is sent on a slow news day?  Come on!  I’m here to tell you folks, good PR is about the relationships. 

In the past few weeks I have seen too many articles on how to get your pitches read, and how to get reporters to respond, which is good and all, but don’t get your hopes up for amazing results.

The best results I have received are not from adding interesting subject lines to my emails, it’s because I pick up the phone, get to know the reporter, and ask them what they want to hear about. 

Yes, building a relationship takes time and energy, but good PR is about quality not quantity.  It is building that trust so that one day the reporter turns to you for stories.

If you don’t want to end up on Wired’s next email blacklist, or have your reputation trashed by PR Watch, let’s do our jobs and do them well.  Let’s teach our staff that is out there pitching how to pitch the right way.  Let’s do PR for the PR industry from the inside out, one step at a time.