In Defense of Public Relations

This is not a joke so there’s no punchline although Pitch Letter and Golf Swing did go to a bar and made fun of tyrannical bosses, demanding clients, snotty reporters and Charles Barkley’s golf swing.

No one else in the world would take on the task of comparing pitch letter writing with the golf swing except your friendly neighborhood, prdude. It may appear as though I’ve been on the green smoking the grass around me, but you’ll see there are similarities to writing a solid pitch letter and developing a sound golf swing (once you inhale all that smoke). So here’s my attempt at breaking them down as simply as possible (keeping posts to under 655 words since many of you suffer from undiagnosed ADD):

The Address — In golf, that would be how a golfer sets up as he prepares to hit the golf ball. A solid foundation is needed to get the most of out of the swing. The set-up dictates the rest of the golf swing.  In writing a pitch letter, a solid set-up is also critical as this will dictate the flow of the entire pitch.  We all know that addressing the pitch letter to the correct reporter is practically half the battle.

The Backswing — In golf, you better make sure you take the club back smoothly and in a consistent line. This helps eliminate mis-hits (hyphen added to avoid any mispronunciations by non-golfers) when striking the ball on the downswing.  Hitting your target will be dependent on it. In a pitch letter, this would be the lead/opening paragraph, which better be smooth and consistent, to ensure no misperceptions is derived by the reporter.

The Downswing — In golf, this is the part where experience takes over since the downswing action almost becomes second-nature to the skilled golfer. Once you reach the top of your backswing, gravity pretty much takes care of the downswing, so controlling it to ensure consistency takes a lot of practice. In a pitch letter, this would be the essence of your pitch. Experienced PR pros have an easier time spotting the newsworthy nuggets they want to convey on their pitch. It’s a skill that is developed through practice although, just like in golf, there are some inexperienced individuals who seem to have been born with this ability.

The Follow-Through — Once the golf club strikes the ball, you might think it’s pretty much over, but that’s not the case.  The sequence of events immediately after contact is extremely important. The better players will keep the same line after hitting the ball and maintain their follow-through eyeing their golf ball as it flies toward its intended target. In a pitch letter, this would be maintaining contact with your target even after you hit that “Send” button. If you maintain your follow-through with a well-crafted pitch, you have a higher percentage of making a solid impact with your intended media target.

The Punchline — So I lied. Here’s the punchline: there is no perfect swing and there is no perfect pitch letter.  Even Tiger Woods, whose golf swing is near flawless, has ended up out of bounds, in the rough, even beaned a lucky spectator on the head. As with the so-called perfect pitch letter, it may seem flawless, but it could still end up in the trash. One thing to remember is to keep the pitch letter and the golf swing as simple and consistent as possible.

And all we can do, as PR pros (and golfers), is to keep on practicing to lessen the stray shots. The only thing I guarantee is if this post doesn’t help your pitching skills, it will surely help your golf swing. Golf and PR may be frustrating, but when you hit that perfect shot, and it does happen folks, it makes everything worthwhile.

A discussion about the pitch letter, golf swing, or whether you think I’ve smoked too much golf course weed, is encouraged.

Dashing (possibly). Debonair (maybe). Delicious (I wouldn’t want to know).

There were two things I learned when selecting the dudes that appear (using ‘grace’ just wouldn’t be appropriate) on the list below. First, for a brief yet fleeting moment, I understood how reporters feel when they get pitched.  It feels GOOD.  Now I get it, no wonder they  (reporters) seem to wield so much power over PR people. Receiving pitches can make one drunk with power.  For the record, I didn’t receive any pitches that would’ve landed in the Bad Pitch Blog, and even if I did, I would’ve just simply deleted it from my inbox and not make a big stink about it like some of my fellow media (coff) colleagues.

Second, I realized the true meaning of Star Trek’s famous opening line, “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” No, I’m not talking about venturing into outer space.  In this case, it’s getting in touch with my feminine side to select these PR dudes with the smoothest moves (on Twitter).  It is an exercise I never want to repeat. Torture comes to mind. Seriously, evaluating men is just not my expertise. Like any list published though, you can’t let it die after one, so I expect to have another one written in the future (the 22nd century perhaps).

Please note that there were only two rules I followed in developing this list–1) The dude’s gotta be on Twitter and 2) he must be in PR –the rest are based on my dark side, oops, I mean feminine side’s personal opinion (dudes, we all have one whether you admit it or not).  So please take this as my #followfriday for today.  If you’re a prdude, and you didn’t make the list, blame it on my lack of expertise, or better yet, W.  List not in any order.

@joeprguy — Joe Cockrell is a cancer survivor whose latest venture is to help ordinary folks who have extraordinary stories be in the news.  While going through treatment, he helped raise funds for the family of a cancer-stricken six year old boy whose medical bills were piling up by applying his super PR powers.  His story has been covered in the Phoenix Business Journal. Hmmm…I wonder who pitched that story.  Besides his PR prowess, if you’ve been following him (and the ladies on Twitter surely noticed), the dude’s got great guns.  Sorry girls, he pulled off his old pic recently.  Needless to say, Joe’s the above average Joe.

@keithobrien — He left his editor-in-chief post at PRWeek for a gig to be a flack at Attention! PR. A loss for the editorial side is a gain for the PR industry. A smooth move if I should say so myself especially since he’s likely to be making much more money as a PR pro. I’m sure it’s not about the money.  You can find his excuse for leaving PRWeek here.  If the PR thing doesn’t work out, he can always hit the celebrity look-a-like circuit as Seth Rogen.

@worob — The maverick of the group (no, not the Sen. McCain kind, but this one) as Andrew Worob likes to refer to himself. Also known as the Kid (no, not this one, but the one from Young Guns), he came out guns a-blazing when he started in PR as a new grad from West Virginia. He piled on hit after hit intimidating other publicists around him who were happy to fly under the radar.  Taking over the agency was his master plan, but realized he had a better chance of taking over the Mountaineers’ basketball and football programs.

@prblog and @laermer — The co-founders of the Bad Pitch Blog are smart and savvy, not only with their approach to PR, but to their management of staff as well.  The only dynamic duo to appear on this list, Kevin Dugan and Richard Laermer probably know this, but every PR pro hates that BPB exists.  No self-respecting PR pro (and there are a few left) would ever want to see his/her pitch on their blog.  Policing pitches is a service to the PR industry and I say we need it (as long as none of my pitches get featured there).

@PRCog — The only anonymous twitterer to make the list.  P-Cog is deep inside the PR machine and a keen observer of everything PR. His extaordinary ability to turn his observations into the funniest yet genuine tweets about the industry makes him a target by Danko.  Unfortunately for P-Cog, his ID and mine gets mixed up at times on Twitter. Many have asked if we’re twins or the same person. That’s for you guys to find out at #masquertweet in July so RSVP today.

@Aerocles — A Greek mythology buff (judging by his Twitter handle) and a certified expert of the ABC TV series Lost, David Teicher’s insights were recently included in EW’s Doc Jensen’s weekly dissection of the show.  He is also 1/3 of the designated hosts for  #masquertweet in July.  Formerly, a semi-anonymous twitterer, David is known to tweet even in his sleep. He is a lean mean tweeting machine.

@arikhanson — His bio says he’s a savvy communications professional, and I beg to differ. Arik Hanson is more than that.  If you follow him already, then you know he’s quite the PR analyst. And guess what? He’s not based in NYC though he’s got the pulse of the NY PR and media scenes. Check out his blog, Communications Conversations, if you don’t believe me.  He also makes the list because he’s an avid golfer and writes occasionally for golf publications. How he got that sideline work living in Minneapolis is a mystery I’d like to uncover.

@kevinmercuri — One of two Kevins to be included in this list, Kevin Mercuri lives up to his last name.  He’s as hot as Mercuri.  Forget the fact that he’s the president and founder of Propheta Communications, and that he has extensive experience in all areas of PR, his Twitter pic alone gets him on this list.  How can I not select a man in a tux? Heard through the celebrity gossip pages that while walking the streets of Miami, Kevin was mistaken for Marc Anthony.

@CTMichaels — By virtue of the fact that he was my first follower on Twitter, CTMicheals (his first name is not on his profile) makes it as one of the ten PR Dudes with the Smoothest Moves (on Twitter).  If I were to guess, he does PR for Slim-Fast, Wrigley’s and the tobacco industry, based on his tweets.  The dude is also literally smooth. I hear he shaves all of his body hair.

So there ya go…if you agree/disagree, please feel free to send in your comments.  Please note that I am no longer accepting pitches.

In recent months, Twitter has been getting so much attention and it’s not just because of its cute little blue bird logo that you see below. Actually, that blue bird can be annoying, but it will grow on you if you stare at it for a couple of hours. And that’s exactly how Twitter is.

tweet tweet

Like many, I was completely baffled why anyone would want to share their thoughts, activities, diet, religion, cars they own, work experiences, personal hygiene, sexual preference, pretty much their entire lives (save for trips to the toilet–c’mon tweeps we gotta draw the line somewhere!) to just anyone and everyone in under 140 characters. It’s hard enough to share our lives each day with friends and family, and now to share them with the universe (twitterverse as I eventually found out) is just plain stupid.

Since I’d try anything once, I decided to give Twitter a chance a few months ago even before Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) discovered it.  I signed up anonymously as prdude and just tweeted away mainly about my life at the PR agency (which shall remain nameless) I work at. It took me less than a day to realize that Twitter does provide a unique service.  It is not stupid after all.

Since that twateful day, when I signed up for my anonymous twitter handle, I’ve tried to define Twitter in my own way.  Here’s what I came up with, and yes, it’s an acronym for Twitter. Corny or creative? You tell me. Honest comments are always welcomed here.

T:   THERAPY. I work pretty much work for an agency that could be classifed as an insane asylum.  It’s not bad at first, but after awhile (in my case, years), you’ll realize you’re becoming crazy.  Twitter has been my therapy to help me through the insanity. And of course the weekly counseling and prescription meds help as well.
W:  WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Could also be Whazzup? Twitter’s become a place for me to share with people who care about what I say, do and think.  Seriously, there are many of them that do and they don’t work or belong in the insane asylum.
I:    IMPERSONAL. No matter how many times I exchange tweets with those I follow and those who follow me, the way Twitter is set up doesn’t promote real life friendships that’s why tweet-ups like Masquertweet are gaining popularity. It may also be because I am anonymous.
T:   TIME. It takes a lot of time to make Twitter worthwhile, but it’s definitely worth the investment. Not recommended for those who just don’t get it (that would include firmprez who insists that other firmprezes on Twitter have hired guns to tweet for them).
T: TEXT. It takes a lot of practice to deliver a message in under 140 characters.  I avoid the “continued” tweet, which is tweeting the same idea/topic in the next tweet just because of you run out of characters.  No penalty for violating though, it’s simply a personal choice.
E:   ENTERTAINMENT or EDUCATION. No matter what the tweet is, someone in Twitterverse will find it entertaining or educational.
R:  RETWEET. Tweet and Retweet were on a boat. Tweet jumped off, who was left? RETWEET.  This and #followfriday may very well be the most powerful tools on Twitter.  This is how news, ideas, products, etc. can go viral spread fast.  So please RETWEET this post.

So the PRWeek/PR Newswire Media survey came out yesterday to practically no fanfare. Maybe I was blind or plain crazed yesterday that I didn’t see any PR pro tweet about the findings save for Shel Holtz who challenged technology blogger/editor Robert Scoble to respond to his open query.  Apparently, Shel takes issue with some of Scoble’s attitude towards PR pitches and PR people in general.

Shel got his answer. Scoble ain’t backing down and posted this in response.

My take.  Both have valid points, but as a PR pro, I’ll have to side with Holtz on this one. Yes, there are crappy pitches out there, and it’s in your inbox, so simply click delete. It’s nothing personal. If reporters only knew the kind of pressure PR people are under and the amount of time we have in a day to service clients.  We try to be as smart and strategic as possible, I hope, but do we really have the time to research every reporter’s and/or blogger’s past articles to ensure pitches are targeted? In front of clients, we say YES, but in reality, who’s got the time?

If I had to research every reporter/blogger and figure out whether they’re an appropriate target, I’d be 7/11, that means working 24/7.  No one wants that even in this sad economy.  To put it mildly, be happy we’re pitching you, and the fact that you work in the media means you’re a target.  Just think of yourselves as celebrities, but not as pretty, and PR pros as the paparazzi, but not as sleazy.

Taking a page from People magazine’s annual list of sexy men, I decided to create a list of the hottest PR chicks based on their pics on Twitter.

This list is based solely on my honest opinion/personal taste, a totally unscientific formula. I hope you understand that this is all in good natured fun so DON’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!  If you feel there are others who should be on this list,  all you have to do is submit her twitter handle in the comments section.  The only requirement is that she must work in PR.

To the lovely ladies on this list, please DM or email me if you’d like to be removed, and I promise I will.  I am not a douche bag though I’ve been called that at least once in the past.  For the record, I have the highest respect for the women on this list. They have been carefully chosen for both their sizzle level and PR accomplishments.

This is my #followfriday for today so feel free to follow the ladies whose names grace this list (unless you’re a stalker).  List not in any order:

@rachelakay — Rachel Kay is aka as the queen of PR. I gave her this title when she showed @prcog and I her power over her twitter subjects (okay followers) when she honored us with a #followfriday.  Her majesty’s majestic looks makes men bow.

@amandasena — Don’t mess with Amanda Sena, she’s an Army vet who can kick a$$. Don’t say anything bad about the Mizzou Tigers.

@nataliekeiko — A loyal subject of her majesty, Rachel Kay, Natalie is a woman of many hobbies (just check her profile). Makes me wonder if there is an attractiveness requirement at RKPR.

@jessisjuicy — The youngest of the bunch. Jess showed her creative genius when she suggested the 1st masked tweetup in NYC #masquertweet.

@prsarahevans — Sarah has the largest number of Twitter followers among this group.  She single-handedly put Elgin Community College on the map.

@afashionista — A golfer and fan of Big East basketball, need I say more? Oh yes, Alexis is a West Virgina Mountaineer fan.

@luxuryprgal — Her twitter handle definitely captures her personality. Christine does luxury PR and does it well. And the fact that she does PR for the Club at PGA West has nothing to do with her being named on this list. (Still angling for that comp. round)

@stephaniewebb — Don’t know much about Stephanie except that her toe must be aching. Her sideview profile was enough to get her on this list.

@melissapr — She’s created a demand for ZooLoo.com even if no one knows what it is except for her. Melissa said I was wrong when I asked if ZooLoo was what the Brits call the bathrooms at their zoos.

@PR_Couture — The only one on the list who is not a person, but if you visit their site, you’ll know why it belongs on this list. Founded by fashion hottie Crosby Noricks.

Next week, it’ll be a list of the PR dudes with the smoothest moves (on Twitter). I will not be on the list due to conflict of interest. If you’re a PR dude and think you should be on the list, pitch me at prdude@indefenseofpr.com.  Stay tuned.