Posts Tagged ‘Public Relations’

A Good Pitch Won’t Guarantee You Coverage – But a Smart Subject Line Will Get You Noticed
Monday, 12 July 2010 by Jacqueline Edelman in Public Relations • 0 Comments

I get over 1,000 e-mails a day – and this is nothing compared to journalists and reporters, whose attention PR professionals (like me) are clamoring to captivate. But as e-mail interaction has replaced the phone as the primary source of communication, it’s become increasingly difficult to get noticed.

Like a plain-Jane trying to get past the velvet rope at the hottest new LA club – overly mundane subject lines often get lost in the shuffle while outrageous ones might make you an outcast, thrusting your carefully quipped, well-written pitch into the realms of SPAM. So always remember that simply hitting “send” on an e-mail is no guarantee that it will actually be read.

So what does it take to be seen and more importantly, get read? Well, as we see it, a subject line needs to be somewhat irreverent, highly intriguing and/or slightly confusing (but in a good way – not in the “that makes no sense” way). In other words, it’s got to catch their attention, get them to open the e-mail and then read it top to bottom.

For Example: “Laps with Led Zeppelin”

Got your attention, didn’t I?

Bet you want to know what that’s all about, huh …

Well, so did the media. That headline generated interest amongst top national consumer publications like Time magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Men’s Journal, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. time mag

Had we led with something safe like, “Aqua Lung Invents Snorkel with a Radio,” or something more aggrandizing like “Aqua Lung’s New Technology Revolutionizes Swimming,” our pitch may have been passed over as PR hype – or in other words, “just another new product being hocked by overzealous PR peeps promising something out-of-this-world.”

By the way, since you’re dying to know, the aforementioned subject line was used to promote our client Aqua Lung’s launch of the then revolutionary Aqua FM snorkel – the first snorkel with a built in FM receiver so swimmers and snorkelers could tune-in underwater using state-of-the-art Bone Conductivity Technology. (Of course now you can take your Ipod underwater but this was ground-breaking news at one point – we promise.)

Some basic rules to follow:

  • DON’T use hyperbole
  • DON’T be too technical
  • DON’T be boring
  • DON’T lead with outrageous claims of excellence or revolutionary concepts (no one will believe you)
  • DO be clever and eye-catching
  • DO use creative devices such as alliteration (when appropriate and in moderation of course)
  • DO keep it short
  • DO play on words
 
JWalcher Communications’ Work on the Hotel Indigo San Diego Launch Featured in PRWEEK
Monday, 29 March 2010 by Jacqueline Edelman in Public Relations • 0 Comments

PRWEEK recently interviewed Jean Walcher and Caroline Counihan of InterContinental Hotels Group about JWalcher’s PR campaign for the launch of Hotel Indigo San Diego. 

 A quote from the client cites our work as informing the company’s “best practices:”

 “…the campaign is informing best practices across IHG’s entire portfolio of hotels, which include Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza.  The hotel, which has 1,235 Twitter followers and 727 Facebook fans, received coverage in ABC News, Los Angeles Times, and Travel + Leisure.”

 Check out the PRWEEK article here: http://www.prweekus.com/ihg-gets-local-for-san-diego-property-launch/article/166630/

 

 
Social Media: The Rules of Engagement
Monday, 22 February 2010 by Jacqueline Edelman in Marketing, Social Marketing • 0 Comments

So my mom is on Facebook.

Though she rarely signs in and hasn’t posted anything since the day she opened her account – she’s taken the steps to joining the Social Media revolution by just putting her name out there.

The problem is, if she were a business, her blank page would not bode well for her company. It would signal to customers and the rest of the social media universe that she merely signed on because everyone else had done so, not because she genuinely intended to communicate directly and offer valuable information.

Her lack of posts, interaction and presence are tell tale signs that she jumped into the deep end of the pool before learning the basics on how to swim.

Businesses should not dive into the fast-paced realm of social media without first understanding the rules of engagement:

1. Update your website. Appearances are everything and regardless how the motto goes, people do judge a book by its cover. A businesses’ webpage is its online identity – whatever social networks you join, people will refer back to your webpage to find out more about you. If you wouldn’t go to a social event without first making yourself look presentable, why would you join a social media site without first making sure your website is up to par?

2. Know who you want to reach. Think about it this way, would you go to a Monster Truck Rally to sell medical supplies? While that might not be a bad idea, typically you’re not going to find the type of customer here that will empty their pockets to purchase the latest finger splint. Point is, know your audience and go where they are. Different social media sites cater to different demographics- so do the research!

3. Don’t be a wallflower, join the party! It’s not enough to simply join a social network – you must actually have a presence there as well, otherwise you’re missing out on the opportunity to meet and interact with current and potential customers.

4. Don’t be that Guy/Girl. Everyone knows them, the guy/gal that only talks about themselves. It’s a turn-off. Don’t do it. It’s called social networking because it’s meant to be social. Take the time to interact with people, contribute to conversations without being self-promotional.

Which leads me to my final rule…

5. Have something to offer. We live in a “what’s in it for me” world and let’s face it, if you can’t bring something to the table, you’re likely to be passed aside. Social network sites can and should be used, not only to announce the latest news, but to provide tips/advice, answer questions, etc.