From where I sit it doesn't matter how old you are or what process you use in generating positive coverage for companies, products and people. What matters is HOW RELEVANT YOU ARE.
This is particularly true for companies providing consumer products and services. We've had a rash of conversations about this topic with clients in the last 6 weeks -- spurred on by Sequoia's Deck. Clients wondering why some of their/our outreach programs have stalled.
PEOPLE! We were/are in the middle of a worldwide financial crisis the dynamics of which the experts don't understand (hello! when John Doerr says he doesn't understand what's going on, that there is time to worry), on top of a game-changing presidential election on top of highly contentious statewide and regional elections. PEOPLE! If your company or product or executive doesn't have something precient to offer about these issues, you're not going to get covered in a meaningful way. Really, not many companies MATTER in this environment.
COMPOUNDING this problem is the huge number of reporters who have lost their jobs in the last 12 months -- todays reporters are covering more topics, in more formats, and simply do not have the time to respond to everything they like. Today, the pitch needs to be "cut and pasteable" so that if they like it, the cut and paste and bookend it and they're done -- you've got your story, without any feedback and they're on to the next. It's not rude, it's practical.
Of course we saw this coming and started changing tactics in mid September. We moved to con calls and virtual meetings over in-person meetings. We started changing up the pitches and "loading in" different options so that when the election was done, reporters would have a suite of stories to pick up.
And it's working. The whole situation started changing last Wednesday -- loosening up with more reporters freed up from the election back to their regular business.
So now the pitches seem to be working and moving into print or tv. BUT NOT JUST ANY OLD STORY. Stories that are RELEVANT to the national financial situation, to the time of year, to the trends going on (job losses, healthcare costs, smaller personal budgets, etc.).
So -- the job is to get postive, business-driving coverage for our clients. In many cases today that will mean, NOT delivering the kind of stories the client wants, but stories where the client is cast in a positive and relevant light in relation to the macro trends impacting the consumer today. That is the job -- stop doing what doesn't work, start doing what does.
Be relevant. Focus. Be HELPFUL to reporters. And help your client understand what is possible and what is not for their programs.
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