Blog - PR Campaign Plan

How do you get your product on the Today Show?  Practice, practice, practice!  Wait sorry, that was how you get to Carnegie Hall.....instead, replace practice with the word pitch, and you should be good to go!

That said, the Today Show fourth hour has become quite a showcase for interesting, unique or must-have products.  Nearly daily, Kathie Lee & Hoda place different products from both indie brands to creations from international corporations on their table, and during their hour long segment they periodically pick one up, show it off, talk about what it is and where to buy it.  This, my friends, is often product placement gold!  The Today Show has a large, loyal audience and getting a plug by either of these two women can bring you instant validation (not to mention a spike in sales). 

So how do you get your product on the Today Show?  As with everything in public relations, because it's not advertising nothing is ever guaranteed.  However, after placing products there, as well as talking (just this past week) to the producer of the 4th hour segment, we have a few tips that will make the road to Today Show fame a little less bumpy...

Find our insider tips from the pros and the producers HERE!

    It's Oprah Time!

Unless you've been living under a rock you are aware that The Oprah, Oprah Winfrey herself, announced that she will be ending her show.  While loyal viewers and fans shed tears and all other talk show hosts around the country began spiffing up their media reels, enterpreneurs everywhere went into a panic.  I know it - I received over 15 emails in about a half an hour asking everything from "what does this mean for my brand" to "you NEED to get me on there".  You'd think this would begin to affect me and that I'd be swept up into the Oprah Mania as well, but truth is, if you're a publicist, you've been hearing these things from nearly every brand you encounter from day one.   Tell someone you know someone at Oprah and you get more best friends than a celebrity with an bottomless bank account. 

The truth is I could tell people that yes, Oprah is a great goal and yes, Oprah can change your life but no, you should not make this the end goal of your company or your vision.  I could tell them that being on the Oprah Winfrey Show means much more than insta-fame and fortune.  It means you have to be ready asap when they call, that you have to be able to support national sales and everything that entails (both online and in your shipping center), that you have to be tv ready in appearance and message and know your goals for that appearance (being on Oprah in itself is NOT a goal)....I could tell them all those things but it doesn't matter because everyone still dreams of Oprah all day long. 

I won't lie, I drink my morning coffee from my Oprah mug and work on manifesting amazing stories about Collective-E and my clients at Red Branch PR on a daily basis....But I only send pitches when they are both Oprah-prepared and Oprah-ready and Oprah-worthy.  And I never depend solely on Ms. Winfrey to bring my brands success - I work on telling my story, our story, and other stories to multiple outlets in multiple ways.  But nevertheless, this turning over of the hourglass and shortening of time for which one can debut on Oprah is finally here.  There is no longer a limitless amount of shows left on the channel - and not every brand will make it.  

That said, it's time to do a few things now:  

Make Your Story Count:  tell it well, make it relevant, make it Oprah and make it TRUE! 

Share Your Story:  Email it to the show, pitch the correct producer (do your research, watch the show, call the show), send a letter, share your story via their Oprah.com website (they do read those), look at what stories are coming up and see how you would fit into those already planned stories.

Grow your buzz outside of Oprah:  When Oprah finds a great story online or in another magazine, or if her producers read about something big and that everyone is buzzing about, that story has a better chance at getting on the air than one that has never been heard before.  So go out and create buzz about yourself and your brand.  Make it exciting, make a producer WANT to tell your story.  Keep doing what you are doing and doing it well, and the press will find you.  Of course keep sharing great things with them, but make yourself so buzzed about that they can't help but hear about you!

Believe!  Imagine Oprah calling your name, share your story with friends and colleagues and what your goal is, connect via your business with others and do it so well, believe in your mission so much, that others will find that belief infectious and want to help tell your story!

Now go forward with hope for Oprah, yes, but moreso with hope for a great pr campaign, a great story, and a great time making your brand the best it can be and affecting others in a good way as you do it!

You may have read already that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has amended its guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials, last changed in 1980, to require bloggers to disclose a financial relationship they have with an advertiser or agency when publishing a review about a product or service. This most likely has to do with bloggers such as those recruited now by Walmart, Lifetime, or other big brands trying to influence the bloggosphere, but nonetheless, the guidelines do not discriminate. In the words of the FTC:

The Wall Street Journal published a piece on this, implying that the FTC wanted to restrict gift giving to bloggers, and followed up with at least two clarifying articles which made it clear that the FTC was targeting advertisers, and not bloggers, to maintain the ethical responsibility to fully disclose when bloggers are paid to positively review a product. In the FTC article mentioned above, tweets from Twitter are not mentioned, but The Wall Street Journal does include them in its analysis, as any experienced online person would as well, since both blogs and personal Twitter feeds aka "micro-blogs" and are being used to endorse products and services, both in a paid-for-services way, and in a strictly editorial way.

Discussion on this topic can go in several directions, including the direction of federal government involvement in general and whether or not it's a good idea. Let's refrain from that conversation, and instead focus on why the FTC was compelled to amend these guidelines in the first place. Usually government springs into action based on a relevant current issue. The issue here is clear: the bloggosphere has been growing and growing. The Twittersphere has been growing even faster because creating content for a "micro-blog" is a lot easier than publishing a proper and effective blog post. That said, some bloggers and tweeters are taking liberties with their public voices which may not be in the best interest of maintaining truth and trust when endorsing a product or service, and can actually pollute so called "word-of-mouth" marketing. Let's explore:

BLOGGING: BACK TO BASICS
Bloggers started blogging, in my opinion at least, to have a voice. As a voice, they had to say something worthwhile to maintain an audience. Some were talented enough to just write about their lives. Others had to have themes and be top trendspotters. Like magazines, they searched the world for good product or service to recommend. Early PR firms or boutique firms actually had their finger on the pulse of this word-of-mouth movement that at the time, was extremely genuine because bloggers had devoted followings - small or large - each had some kind of influence over purchasing decisions. As a blogger myself, my first direct pitch was from then first time author Jennifer Solow. She reached out to me to review her then new book, The Booster. Her directive: if you like it, please blog about it. If you don't like it, please don't. Well I did review it, but *gasp* I didn't mention that she sent me the book to read. Ethics would indicate that maybe I should have disclosed that I got a free book, but you know what? If the book was bad, A. I'm not going to finish it, and B. I'm not going to recommend it to anyone because my reputation would not be trusted when others went out and bought it and were bored stiff. But I could have added a little sentance at the bottom of the post. It would not have hurt my blog post in any way.

True blogging, in my opinion, is just genuine. If you really need a sample in order to give a proper review, fine. For the nomie baby car seat cover, sending a sample to a mom blogger makes sense because it needs to be mom-tested-and-approved. But for a designer like SpoonFedArt, whose publicist first emailed me long ago, little tips about cool stuff can go a long way. When I opened the email from the publicist to tell me about something wonderful that just happened for the then new company SpoonFedArt, I read it, liked the product, and blogged about it, saying how fun my inbox was those days.

TWEETING: THE $1 TWEET
Or is that the McDonalds dollar menu?

Collective-E tweets for our members who pay for membership. Our tweets spread naturally b/c the links are just so good. Tweeting information about our members is clearly stated in our membership benefits (we refer to it as Promotyping, a term we made up), but it's also a no-brainer for us, and we couldn't not do it if we tried (that's why we made it a benefit). This is a most creative and effective use of a Twitter feed for potential profit (because yes, people do understand that part of their Collective-E membership includes endorsements from us via social networking). We didn't sell our Twitter souls for our 140 character real estate for $1 to tweet about a random product from some random guy hocking his wares. That would dilute our Twitter strength, and thus hurt our actual recommendations. If you are considering selling your Twitter stream for $1 a tweet regardless of what the product is and if you like it or not, think again if you want quality followers.

ETHICS: WHO'S JOB IS IT TO BE ETHICAL or JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY
Bloggers who are in this for the free stuff should re-think the impact of their voices, and consider going back to basics, where their voice is key, and trust is their golden egg. You don't need to review a piece of art or a limited edition product to know you you like the look of it. If you're so concerned about integrity, put on a disclaimer that you've never actually touched the fabric or the spoon, and to buy at your own risk. But come on people.

The Wall Street Journal points out that "...newspapers generally prohibit reporters from accepting gifts from a company they write about to protect their credibility with readers." Note that reason: to protect their credibility with readers. Bloggers do not have an editorial department or publisher to please. They just press "publish" and up it goes for the world to see. This is great, but requires self-monitoring to make sure you are fairly representing an industry of words.

RELATED ARTICLES
Thanks @kelcott for passing along this article from Gally Cat: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/web_tech/how_big_is_the_ftcs_new_fo...

Listen to me:  you are an entrepreneur, a risk taker, and you're fearless!  How do I know this?  Because if you're reading this you either run a company, are launching a company or have entertained the idea of being your own boss.

This means you've had to do some scary things that require you to step outside of your comfort zone.  Nevertheless, day in and day out I hear people talking about how afraid they are to pitch when running their pr campaigns.

Here's a secret....sometimes I am too.  There's nothing more intimidating on some mornings than cold calling an editor or producer at Forbes, the Today Show, Tyra Banks, Glamour....Heck even when I'm calling my regular contacts at those outlets I can get nervous because I know that I'm probably interrupting them, I'm taking a risk putting myself or client out there, and I may trip up over my words and mess up the pitch. 

So there, I admit it, those thoughts run through my mind too.  The difference is, I really can't let them hang out and lounge in my brain, I have to keep 'em moving because the fact of the matter is, if those pitches don't get phoned or emailed in, they are doing no good sitting in my brain or my computer's hard drive.  It's my JOB!  And the it's your job too.  As hard as it is to get up the nerve to pitch, or to understand how to do it the right way and who to contact, if you want to have a successful pr campaign it will have to become less difficult for you. 

Here's the next secret/anecdote:  Yesterday I was pitching the Tyra Banks Show and I was nervous!  And I pitch them monthly at least!  But I knew that the producer's time was important and that when she is pitched she wants segments that scream "Tyra" and "FIERCE" (no lie).   She has said that before.   I wanted to be sure that I pitched her something that was on point, that would excite her, and that she would not delete it or hang up on me.  So I did my research, wrote up my script, and then decided to email it to her.  Within 5 minutes she wrote called me and wanted me to pitch it on the phone.  EEEK!  I've done this so many times I pitch in my sleep but when Tyra's producer calls you up you want to work it!  Instead of getting flustered I referred to my script, listened to what she wanted, and slowly and calmly told her what we could do for her, making sure it was on point with their audience and the style of the show.  SHAZAMM!  it worked!  All I thought afterwards was, thank goodness I stepped up to the plate and mastered my fear and didn't waste time on pitching that contact.  The more time you let yourself put it off, or focus on your fear, the more pitching time you're LOSING!  You could be booking segments!  And if they don't like it - that's okay!  Here's some more Tyra news for you - I pitch her all the time, do I get every segment on?  No!  Does she return all my calls and emails?  No!  Does she call me when she wants something?  Yes!  Do I keep pitching?  Yes!  Do I get nervous?  Sometimes!  Does that stop me?  Heck no!

Looking back, some of the best placements I myself have received have been places I had nerves reaching out to, but I knew were necessary.  Once I began the pitch I was fine, and even times when I messed up?  Well that's life, and that's what follow up emails are for!  (and why having a pre-written pitch script is a necessity.)  Just think, I would tell myself, what if you hadn't pitched that outlet out of fear or not thinking you could get in there?  You could have missed that amazing opportunity!  And the more I learned to conquer that fear the better my results were!

So now back to our thougths of fear of pitching and how to overcome those.  It's time to face our pitching fears and, as Tyra Banks would say, GET FIERCE!  In order to help you do that, I've created a list that will help you - in some ways quickly, and in some ways in the long term.  Some are little suggestions, others require time and effort, but I think and hope all will pay off!

GET FIERCE (at pitching) LIST:

Have a special space and time devoted to pitching.  You have to be in a good place mentally, you have to be focused, and feel at ease before you start reaching out.

• SCRIPT IT OUT: Whether you are pitching via phone or email, have a script that you can follow, or a pre-written pitch you can adjust for the outlets you are pitching and email, OR have the specific pitches for different outlets prepared before you pitch.  Basically don't just sit down and start to cold call people or email without a plan, and a plan you have checked over!

• KNOW who you are reaching out to first.  This could mean know which newsdesk you are calling and what style of news the program covers (as well as what part of the show you are pitching), or it could mean knowing the specific editor you will be emailing, and understanding their beat before you reach out.  In pitching, knowledge is power, and you want to be as aware of who you're addressing as possible.

• PRACTICE your pitch.  I still run things by my business partner at Red Branch PR, and Beth & Katie, when talking about pitches.  I practice over the phone with my mom sometimes when I have a new idea.  I never send out a pitch without it being checked over carefully (well almost never but when I don't I regret it).  The more you are used to and "feeling" your pitch the better it will sound.

• DON'T take things to personally!  The most successful publicists and entrepreneurs I know getting press are not too worried about sounding silly or being shot down.  If you don't try you'll never know, and if they say no, it could always be a yes another time.  And if it is a no, for good, remember there are scores of other (media) fish in the sea.

• DO be polite.  Introduce yourself before launching into your pitch, speak clearly and slowly, make it fast and to the point.  Follow up immediately if necessary in a short, concise email.

• Nurture and grow your relationships with the press!  These things take time.  These editors and producers are real people who need to be respected, they like to get great and useful information first, they enjoy being referred to people they may need for stories other than yours...Be a great resource!  Read what they write, get to know them, follow their work, communciate about it with them.  Grow that professional relaionship and be patient with it.

• BE PATIENT !  PR is a marathon not a sprint!  Take your time and realize even 2 great pitches a day turns into ten great pitches a week.  Twenty mediocre or bad pitches a week yield nothing.
•  

Now one last thing....I'm clearly on a Tyra kick today, and I have to say, say what you want about Tyra Banks, but as a business woman and public personality she is fearless, fierce, and I bet she pitches herself really well with no shame in meetings!  The result of this behavior?  More shows, licensing deals, and projects than I can shake a stick at!

I urge you to go forward and work hard to push yourself, take risks, and remember that the worst thing that could happen is a no (or maybe a hang up if they are not polite) but that's just a sign to move on for now!  Don't let it get you frustrated!  The next pitch could be THE ONE!