It's 5 p.m. CMOs, Do You Know What Your PR Team Is Doing?

PR teams, while taking on new larger roles, must never lose sight of the importance of traditional media relations.

This is going to be something of a different kind of post from yours truly. Well, sort of. It's a bit of a rant disguised as a clear and present message to all chief marketing officers. And my title, for those of you under the age of say 35 or even 40 is a paraphrase of something that happened in the late 1960s.

According to Mental Floss, it originated in 1967 in New York City as "It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?" It was to be a public service announcement of sorts to remind parents to check on their kids and keep them off the streets late at night.

Over the years the phrase has been paraphrased ad nauseam, just as I have done here.

PR's Got A Brand New Bag

Before I get to said ranting, in a January 2016 piece in Ad Age entitled "How Public Relations Is Earning Its Place in 2016," the author lays out some great example of how public relations is playing new and expanded roles in our digital-crazed world. One example cited was Coldwell Banker's use of its internal and external PR teams at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas just a week or so before the article ran.

The idea was for the PR folks to "talk about how smart home tech will affect the selling and buying of residential real estate" with Coldwell Banker CMO telling Ad Age that "Our smart home strategy is a result of my challenge to our PR internal department and CooperKatz (their external PR agency) to craft a three-year plan that moves us beyond traditional public relations, and into the digital age and strategic partnerships. There is no better discipline than this in today's transformative and interactive marketing landscape."

The article also referenced the increased use of PR by other brands such as H&R Block, Chobani Yogurt with the former saying they are spending more on PR while the latter stating "the growing importance of PR is not only a Chobani development, he said, but a 'macro-category trend' because of highly curious consumers and the increasing need to reach them with brand information."

This all sounds great and wonderful and on and on.

But stay with me.

Power Beyond Media Relations

One last thing from the Ad Age piece is in reference something the CEO of a digital marketing agency said: "PR agencies are waking up to the power they can yield beyond media relations."

And therein lies the problem; the potential problem - the genesis for my rant. Yes, PR teams and people are increasingly taking on more roles and responsibilities for a given brand - be they internal PR or external or both.

But to move forward one cannot forget the past. Translation: Don't lose sight of the incredible value and importance of traditional PR a.k.a. don't look beyond media relations only. Don't go for the glamour shot of presenting at a conference while forgetting about the tried and true methods i.e. media relations.

And don't, under any circumstances get lazy when it comes to media relations.

Exhibits A And B

Below are parts of two separate emails I received over the past week or so from PR firms. Doesn't matter how big or small they are - they are PR firms nonetheless and as such as they should know what they're doing and more importantly whom they are speaking to/pitching to when it comes to a story.

Read these and you tell me if they don't scream of batch and blast. Then read my response, which I sent to both PR reps. I've removed all incriminating information.

Subject Line: Roethlisberger's Knee Injury – Expert/Knee Specialist Available for Interview

Hi Steve–

I wanted to shoot you a note to see if you are covering Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's knee injury from Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. Roethlisberger is scheduled to undergo surgery today to "trim" a torn meniscus in his left knee.

I represent top NYC orthopedic surgeon and knee specialist, Dr. XXXXXXXX, who is available to comment on Roethlisberger's injury, the recovery process, and more. If interested in setting up an interview, I can arrange ASAP.

[underneath was a lengthy paragraph laying out the good doctor's qualifications.]

Subject Line: Have A Perfect Period With The Products!

Hi Steve,

Ladies, if there is a way to make that time of the month more pleasant, you know you want it! We’ve compiled a list of must have products to make your period just another day in paradise! Please let me know if you are interested in samples for a feature.

[This was followed by product images and descriptions for each with the headline How To Have A Perfect Period]

My Response

Hi XXXXXXX,

This is highly unusual for me to do what I am doing as I am quite frankly normally way too busy, but seeing how it appears you are very new to PR and I am a HUGE believer in paying it forward, please allow me to give you some constructive criticism and truth be told this criticism is probably best delivered to your boss and their boss, too.

This is a link to something I wrote and have updated a few times: "PR Pros: My 8 (up from 7) Rules On How To Pitch A Journalist"

It is my personal list on how to NOT pitch a journalist. BTW your email would correlate to Item #4 on my list :)

My assumption is you and your agency are using a batch and blast type of system whereby you get a list of journalists, batch them up and blast off an email with the hope that one bites on a given story.

It is a very common practice I assure you but one that is fraught with problems most notably alienating journalists who only want to be pitched on stories that tie into their own domains if you will. You can see what I write about via the above link, too.

Think about it this way: What happens if you (or ANY other PR person from ANY other PR firm) does have a story that ties into what I write about? After sending me story after story that does NOT tie into what I write about, I will begin to tune you (and anyone else) out meaning I won't even read your email thinking this is just another waste of my time.

Please accept all this in the spirt in which it is intended and that is to help you do your job better.