It has been a year since I attended a webinar on how
Covid-19 is re-shaping the way PR agencies and media are going to work
together. In total, I have attended only three webinars in the past 15 months,
and this was the one I was looking forward to the most.
I learned about things that made my heartbeat faster in
excitement. The consensus was that
- - The way PR agencies operated till now would no
longer work (which I believe referred to the carpet bombing of media with media
releases)
- - PR and Media need to strengthen their
relationships, form strong bonds and make it through this UNPRECEDEEEEENTED
time together (see: https://stefanpertz.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-most-hated-word-of-2021-votes-are-in.html)
- - The key to success going forward is to work
CLOSELY with the media to develop stories.
- - Story pitches would be more targeted than cruise
missiles
- - PR Agencies would be even more specific and
precise when it comes to how they deliver their client’s messages to the
readers of the outlets they deal with so closely
- - Agencies acknowledge that they cannot perform
without the media
There are four or five PR agencies that we have been working
with for a decade. Fantastic people and we bounce things back and forth. Those
I shall exclude from the following analysis of the past twelve months. “You
know who you are!”
So then, how have these above promises panned out? Here is my
summary of the past 12 months, keeping media titles alive so that brands have
outlets for their news, updates and thoughts.
Every time I received a release, I researched the agency. What I found is that
they ALL claim
- - to be highly creative
- - to be putting the client’s interest at the
centre of everything they do
- - to treasure media and
- - emphasise on building the strongest possible
relationship with journalists
Press Releases received: 93
Of which relevant: 0
Of which previously discussed with me: 0
Stories pitched: 0
Inquiries if material about to be sent would be relevant: 0
Replies from agencies that I pitched to, taking the initiative as I KNOW that
they are working with brands that are relevant to us: 0
Messages / calls to check if we are doing ok: 0
Bottles of beer / wine or meals received as a way to ease the stress during
lockdown: 0
(Remember, relationship and all that!)
There were a hand-full of releases that, with an effort,
could have been re-written and edited to fit our magazine. Considering the
effort needed, I asked if there would be any form of reciprocation if I were to
run these releases. Each time the answer came back “we don’t have budget”. And
there I was, thinking that these agencies were creative. As they claim. Send me
a private message and I give you a list of 10 ways to return a favour to the
media, costing you nothing but a bit of elbow grease.
Being curious, I asked one agency (that had sent material
about passenger cars) where they found our contact details (they sent releases to
four emails). They replied that it was from a database where agencies could get
the contacts of journalists. Just that the profile in said database
specifically states that “we do not cover cars, bikes or ferries. Only trucks
and buses.” Nobody cared enough to check the profiles of the publications as
long as they seemed to be vaguely in the right category. Nor the email address
@asiantrucker.com made them go “Mmmmmm, wonder if that is the right media for
us here?”.
Imagine someone had indeed sent a bottle of wine. I am sure,
crafty as I am, I could have made ANY story fit my magazine to show my
gratitude. PR-Value through the roof!
What we did not have access to were international events,
which would explain the ever so slight drop in the number of pages we put into
the magazine.
As for the new new, the improved version of PR and Media
relationships, well, I am curious when the gestation period will be over, we are
in the new new and the concept will take hold.
Meanwhile, several media friends have been swapping stories, we have tossed
each other work, re-hashed stories… Well, we kept things going, especially the
relationship part, although Virtual Friday Drinks is not the same as meeting in
person.
Which makes me wonder why no PR agency has come up with this idea to have a regular virtual meet up. I would even buy my own booze... we would not want to put a dent into the entertainment budget of an agency, now would we?
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