Journalists do not want to regurgitate a news release that by definition sits in the public domain. If the news release encapsulates the complete story with anecdotes, texture and a touch of drama, you leave no room for a journalist to navigate. IBM’s recent announcement of a mainframe illustrates how good content – not great …more
I’ve been waiting months to share this exchange with a journalist at a major business publication. I love this example because it shows a journalist’s reaction to the same core content: one based on the typical bulldoze pitch, and the second reflecting storytelling techniques. Here’s the first volley. Me Journalist This was probably my worse …more
Obviously, we’re passionate about applying storytelling techniques to our client campaigns. These are more than words. We walk the talk. Here’s an example from Jacqueline, one of our senior account executives in our Silicon Valley office. By Jacqueline Velasco The Hoffman Agency (Silicon Valley) Being solely reliant on press releases for coverage is a thing …more
Do you remember Michael Arrington and TechCrunch declaring “Death to the Embargo” a few years ago? Maybe not. Allow me to refresh your memory with the start of Arrington’s rant: “PR firms are out of control. Today, we are taking a radical step towards fighting the chaos. From this point on we will break every …more
Luica Mak who spearheads our European operation, is one of the most connected people I know when it comes to the UK media. In this guest post, she asks veteran journalist Nick Booth three questions that probe how new ventures can attract media attention in the UK. I think it’s fair to say his input …more
The media vetting of Facebook and its IPO makes applying for Supreme Court judge look tame. So how does a media property find that one unique angle on Facebook’s IPO day when thousands of journalists are essentially writing from the same script? By digging out storytelling standards like greed, cheating, sex and sticking it to …more
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook trekked to China in late March to show the world that Apple cares. After the damning New York Times report, “In China, Human Costs Are Built Into An iPad,” Apple wanted to specifically connect with what goes on behind the curtain in the making of its products. I noticed that photos …more
There’s often a gap, no make that a huge gap, between what the media values and what the PR function “sells.” It’s no wonder the relationship between journalists and communicators can border on contentious at times. In the graphic below, you can see two variables that go a long way toward aligning with the media’s …more
We’ve touched on how Apple has shaped a master/servant relationship with the media. More than a master of storytelling, Steve Jobs carefully controlled “supply” to ensure media “demand” was always there. This communications foundation has served Apple well over years. Which brings me to the question posed in the headline: Does the potential wrath of …more
