|
Kyle
Potvin
(Continued)
 7.
Good Writing Counts.
Adopt a journalistic approach. Look
carefully at how reputable
publications such as The New
York Times or The Wall
Street Journal write a story. What
is the lead? What type of
quotes do they use? Study
different types of stories --
features, executive changes, news
articles. For the most part,
you'll see the inverted pyramid
style where the most important
information is in the lead and the
rest of the story flows from
there. Despite recent e-word
mania, it's time to eliminate
jargon and buzz words. Say
what you want, but say it simply
and plainly. Another sign of weak
writing is the use of clichés. Finally,
ever feel like you just can't
write that press release? This
blockage often indicates you don't
have enough information. Do
outside research. Interview a
customer. Get another
perspective. Then you're sure to
end up with a solid product that
would appeal to any journalist.
8. Have a Strategy.
Don't use the same media strategy
for every story. Think about
whom you want to reach and how to
create excitement. One
effective technique is to offer a
"first" (as in first
chance to break the story) to a
major media outlet. For the
launch of Minute Maid's new
not-from-concentrate orange juice,
Simply Orange, The Wall Street
Journal got the first
opportunity. We expected that
other media would chase the story,
and as early as 6 a.m. the morning
the story hit, we made calls to
arrange interviews with other
media. Quickly media such as AP,
Reuters, The New York Times,
CNN and more than 100 other
broadcast outlets covered the
story as well.
9. Clients Love Hits.
Despite all the counseling,
strategy, partnerships, writing
and more, clients want media
coverage. Until the industry
creates better measurement
systems, a full page Business
Week story becomes a tangible
"product" that your
clients can hold in their hands
and show to their boss.
10. If You Get Results, You'll
Go Far. There are two
measures of how high you rank on
the value chain: knowledge
and relationships. Success with
media relations is a sure way to
show that you are at the top.
First page > What
You Need to Know > Page 1,
2, 3
Kyle Potvin is
principal at Splash Communications, LLC, a consultancy of communications
specialists with experience serving some of the world’s most visible
brands. She can be reached
at kpotvin@splashllc.com or
visit www.splashllc.com.
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