By Lindsay Hull
Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, have been all the rage this year. In fact, ChatGPT is on track to surpass 100 million monthly active users, according to data. For PR professionals, generative AI tools hold tremendous opportunities. In this blog post, we will explore a few ways that PR pros can utilize generative AI to enhance and improve productivity.
1. Idea and Brainstorming Partner
Generative AI tools provide a unique opportunity for PR professionals, who can use AI as a virtual brainstorming partner. By inputting a topic or challenge, these tools can generate ideas and suggest fresh angles and concepts that could potentially fuel creative thinking during brainstorming sessions. Plus, as AI is constantly improving, the quality of its output is ever-increasing – meaning that in the future it will be able to offer even more original suggestions.
2. Making Content Generation More Efficient
Generative AI tools can be used to create compelling content for blog posts, social media posts, and more. Through using these tools, PR professionals can provide prompts and generate drafts, headlines, or creative ideas that can then be refined and polished. The use of generative AI allows for a more efficient process when creating content for multiple platforms and various audiences.
3. Easily Craft Key Messages
Generative AI tools can be used by PR pros to quickly create talking points and key messages. By providing the necessary data and context, these tools can generate starting points that can then be adjusted and customized. This allows PR professionals to quickly produce content that is creative, unique, and tailored to the specific needs of their clients; all without needing to spend time creating copy from scratch.
Important Note
It is essential to remember that generative AI tools are not foolproof, and any content generated must be edited carefully to best suit the requirements of your client, as well as reworked to ensure you are not rehashing someone else’s content. An MIT Technology Review article recently quoted an expert saying “they (ChatGPT) are predictive systems that are generating the most likely words, given your question and everything they’ve been trained on.” It is important to take the time to go over the output thoroughly, ensuring that it meets expectations and accurately conveys a client’s message. Additionally, it is critical to remember that automated content generation should never replace manual effort; a human touch and careful review is required to ensure the best output. PR professionals should be providing the strategy. We should not be using AI content at face value, but rather as a starting point for our own creativity.
Leveraging the Latest Tools to Stay Ahead of the Curve
Generative AI tools have opened up a world of possibilities for PR professionals. From utilizing them as idea generation partners to making content generation more efficient, Generative AI tools are arguably some of the most powerful tools available to assist with strategic PR efforts. We should all be looking for ways we can use this type of technology to stay ahead of the curve.
What are some other implementations of AI in your daily work that you are finding useful?
By Maggie Markert
While journalists and clients go on vacation throughout the summer and there are a number of big holidays that fall throughout, it doesn’t mean the news cycle ends. And, that means public relations programs should continue full steam ahead.
This summer, the Zer0 to 5ive team has remained steadfast. We have carried on our normal activities – from pitching thought leadership pieces to securing top-tier interviews for clients – and will continue to do so throughout the summer.
Take a look at some of the team’s placements from June.
The Wall Street Journal for CENTEGIX
Journalists in the education space often use summer as a time to reflect and write about important, broader topics that impact the industry as a whole.
An article from The Wall Street Journal, which includes our client CENTEGIX, showcases that. The Zer0 to 5ive PR team worked directly with the author of this piece to set up a conversation with CENTEGIX CEO Brent Cobb, who shared more detail about how the company’s technology is used to help protect school staff during crisis incidents. Read the article here.
IEEE Spectrum for Sony AI
Lead times for coverage can vary from just a couple of hours, to a few weeks, and sometimes even a year. This all depends on the media outlet’s processes and editorial focus, and other factors in the news cycle. For a recent piece of coverage on behalf of Sony AI, the Zer0 to 5ive PR team worked with IEEE Spectrum for a year – from July 2022 to June 2023. The piece evolved from a contributed article to a compelling photo essay by Peter Stone, Sony AI America’s Executive Director, that was featured in both print and online. Read the article here.
District Administration for IMSE
The summer months offer a great backdrop for contributed thought leadership pieces like op-eds, bylines, or guest blog posts. Editorial teams often have folks on vacation, attending conferences, or just looking for new and interesting points of view.
As part of building IMSE’s thought leadership and voice around the importance of evidence-based reading approaches anchored in the Science of Reading, the Zer0 to 5ive team offered District Administration an op-ed from Jeanne Jeup, Founder and CEO of the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). This piece made a strong call for schools and districts to train their teachers in methods that work for all students to help them learn how to read, piquing the interest for the outlet’s editorial team. Read the article here.
The Redefining Society Podcast with Marco Ciappelli for Qmulos
As mentioned earlier in this blog post, the news cycle does not stop just because it’s summer. There are always current events that enable a client’s bench of subject matter experts to provide thoughtful commentary.
Leveraging the SEC’s recent news on the largest ever whistleblower award, the Zer0 to 5ive team secured an interview with Marco Ciappelli for Igor Volovich, VP of Compliance Strategy at Qmulos. Igor spoke with Marco for the Redefining Society Podcast, discussing this recent news, as well as what it means for the future of cyber compliance. Listen to the episode here.
Education Talk Radio for Territorium
Another example of how the news cycle and current events don’t stop during the seemingly slower summer months is Territorium’s recent episode on Education Talk Radio.
Dr. Keith Look, VP of Education Solutions at Territorium, participated in a conversation with host Larry Jacobs to discuss a recent report that revealed Americans are beginning to shift their priorities for K-12 education – prioritizing the development of practical skills over college preparedness. He also shared details on the company’s work with the Young People’s Project to support academic and social development. Listen to the episode here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive can help drive visibility and industry leadership for your company drop us a line.
By Sydney Peterson
According to research by PRovoke Media, the PR industry grew by nearly 11% in 2021. Public relations can be powerful for your organization if you use PR to its full advantage. A strong and well-implemented PR strategy can help increase visibility and awareness and build trust and credibility with your key audiences.
Whether you want to improve your business’s PR efforts or hope to get started, one of your first steps in moving forward will be drafting a PR plan. To prepare a PR plan to set your organization up for success, it is essential to consider these four elements.
1. Know Your Brand
Deeply knowing your brand is the first important step in your PR plan. Your brand must be consistent through your website, social media, marketing, and any other external messaging. Your brand is everything about the business: who you are, what you do, how you look, and who you appeal to. If your brand’s image doesn’t match the mission you want your organization to represent, now is the time to change it. It is never too late to give your brand a refresh. If you are already content with your brand, then your PR plan can focus on other areas. In this case, ensure your newly drafted plan aligns with your current brand.
2. Know Your Target Audience
Now, who do you want to appeal to? Who is your existing audience? When evaluating your target audience, you should first ask these questions. If you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for with your business, reassess whose attention you’re grabbing. For example, you should consider which media outlets your target audience would follow and strategically target those outlets to reach your audience. After cross-referencing your current audience and your target audience, make a list of who you’re missing. Then, you are ready to draft a strategic PR plan to reach your target audience.
3. Know Your Goals
When outlining your objectives and strategy, remember to keep the big picture in mind. When defining your goals, it can be beneficial to include input from different people at the organization. Employees from different departments, positions, and backgrounds can offer unique perspectives that can help inform your strategy and make it stronger.
4. Know How You Will Measure and Track Results
As we all know, there is always room for improvement in both business and personal life. There is no time like the present to assess performance benchmarks and identify critical metrics for your organization. Measurement is vital for understanding where to focus going forward. It helps to be selective when choosing targets for improvement to ensure a high achievement rate in these areas.
Once the plan has been developed with input from across the organization, you will be set up for success to begin implementing your strategy and, using PR to improve your brand’s standing in the marketplace. This will allow you to utilize the power offered by a strong PR strategy.
By Maggie Markert
Public relations is all about awareness. That’s a no-brainer.
As public relations professionals, we are continuously working to generate awareness and visibility for our clients. But, any good professional knows that this job requires having complete awareness of not only clients’ public relations goals but having a complete understanding of their internal marketing and sales initiatives, industries, competitors, as well as happenings in the world overall.
This requires a lot of work behind the scenes – from connecting with clients regularly on topics much broader than public relations, to reading Twitter and LinkedIn, to catching up on news in dozens of newsletters or on TV each morning. While this work takes time, it is 100 percent worth it.
Take a look at some of the Zer0 to 5ive team’s recent placements in May that stem from this work.
U.S. News & World Report for YouScience
Being in sync with your client’s marketing team and activities can play a crucial role in public relations work. By understanding clients’ event and trade show schedules and, staying up to date on who recently downloaded their research and reports, public relations professionals can learn from and leverage a lot.
A great example of this is the Zer0 to 5ive team’s work with YouScience. The YouScience team had shared a notable download they had seen on a piece of research they conducted and placed on their website. It just so happened that this download came from a reporter with U.S. News & World Report, a key target for the company’s work. Armed with this information, the Zer0 to 5ive team was able to reach out directly to the reporter with a tailored and relevant pitch to secure an interview for YouScience’s CEO Edson Barton. Read the article here.
Forbes for Nauto
There are thousands of journalists out there, and they each have a specific beat. Being able to take what you know about a client and translate it into a storyline that fits a specific journalist’s beat is critical.
A recent piece of coverage for Nauto demonstrates this. The Zer0 to 5ive team identified a media target at Forbes and was able to develop a particular pitch that was tailored to this target’s beat that specifically focused on CEOs. That pitch combined the deep knowledge and experience of Stefan Heck, CEO of Nauto, and the company’s unique value proposition to garner interest from the journalist. Read the article here.
Federal News Network’s Federal Drive Podcast for Qmulos
Understanding the media landscape doesn’t just include knowing which journalists are with certain outlets, but it also extends to the research some outlets may conduct. This research is important as it has the potential to be relevant to a client’s story and other media outlets.
Working with Qmulos, the Zer0 to 5ive team was able to leverage industry cybersecurity research from Insider to craft a tailored pitch to Federal News Network’s Federal Drive podcast. This pitch offered Igor Volovich, VP of Compliance Strategy for Qmulos, to discuss the risks of non-disclosure of a breach, and the need for continuous compliance and compliance automation. Listen to the podcast here.
ITPro Today for Onymos
Another aspect of the media landscape also includes understanding what kind of content and story ideas each outlet accepts. It is key to know who accepts original research, contributed articles, product news, and more.
A recent piece of coverage for Onymos exemplifies this. In advance of the company’s release of new research in the application development space, Zer0 to 5ive identified top target outlets and contacts that would be a fit for the findings. This background research resulted in an interview for Onymos CEO Shiva Nathan and a feature on the research findings. Read the article here.
The Main Course Podcast for Chatmeter
Similarly to some of the examples mentioned above, there is no better way to get a client coverage than by knowing exactly what it will take to get into a certain outlet or build a relationship with a particular journalist. Showcasing this knowledge in pitches is paramount to gaining the trust of a journalist and ultimately interest in the client you are reaching out about.
The Zer0 to 5ive team employed this tactic to secure a podcast interview opportunity for Chatmeter. A strategic, tailored pitch was developed for the podcast around how online restaurants can maximize customer experience by leveraging data and learnings taken from online reviews. It resulted in an interview for Cynthia Sener, Chatmeter GTM President. Listen to the podcast here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive’s public relations team can help your company, visit our PR page or drop us a line.
By Maggie Markert
In our blog series, Media Moments, the Zer0 to 5ive public relations team highlights a variety of media coverage secured by the team on behalf of our clients every month. Check back each month to get a glimpse at the team’s ongoing work.
Public relations is a delicate art. While it may not initially seem that way from the outside looking in, it requires agility, creativity, deep knowledge of the landscape and journalists, and strategy. And, that’s exactly what we have at Zer0 to 5ive.
Day in and day out, our public relations team works diligently to build strong relationships with journalists and garner our clients placements that showcase their industry leadership, as well as their innovative products and solutions.
Here is a round-up of some of our team’s most strategic media hits during the month of April.
IGN for Sony AI
One of the primary jobs of a public relations team is to build the foundation that sets up a company and their subject matter experts as leaders in their industry. Over time, this can be done through proactive thought leadership pitching, contributed article placements, and company or product news.
The Zer0 to 5ive team has been working alongside the Sony AI team to generate awareness for the organization’s expertise in AI for gaming as well as its breakthrough autonomous AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy (GT Sophy), to build that foundation through these steps. As a result, IGN secured inclusion of commentary from Sony AI’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Spranger in a roundtable article featuring other gaming visionaries. Read the article here.
Forbes for YouScience
There are tens of thousands of journalists in the U.S. alone, and each individual covers a different beat for the respective media outlets. It is paramount that public relations professionals understand the exact topics each member of the press focuses on as well as any intricacies of those topics. To gain an understanding of this, PR professionals must not only read articles from the individual, but also build a relationship with reporters that allows them to check in to see if their beat has changed over time due to external factors or current events.
A recent piece of coverage for YouScience with Forbes is a great example of this. For more than a year, the Zer0 to 5ive team has been nurturing a relationship with this specific journalist and his key focus area. With this understanding, the team was able to craft a story angle associated with the recent launch of YouScience® Brightpath – a first-of-its-kind technology that elevates educational relevance and engagement by helping educators and students plan individualized pathways – to secure coverage. Read the article here.
CIO Dive for Onymos
As we’ve previously shared in our last Media Moments post, most journalists find a story more shareable when it is connected to a trending topic. This hook could be a top awareness day or month, or a current event that has gained traction in the news cycle.
For Onymos, the Zer0 to 5ive team leveraged the highly popular and well-covered awareness day of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. The tie to these awareness holidays along with compelling commentary from Bhavani Vangala, Vice President of Engineering at Onymos, secured the company coverage with CIO Dive. Read the article here.
FierceBiotech for Greenphire
The ability to highlight innovation in any area of technology can be an exciting moment for all companies. From a media perspective, it can be a major generator of coverage as well as overall visibility and brand awareness.
Recently, Greenphire launched a new app called GreenSpace, which is a patient-facing digital platform that provides access to trial-related information and activities, including financial and travel itinerary details, surveys and insights. The Zer0 to 5ive team leveraged this innovation-related news to secure coverage from FierceBiotech. Read the article here.
Franchising.com for Chatmeter
Contributed articles (also known as bylines) hold a lot of power for companies looking to expand their thought leadership in a particular area. These articles, which are almost always vendor-neutral, enable companies to share the deep knowledge and expertise of their subject matter experts and business.
A recent piece of coverage for Chatmeter is a great example of this. The Zer0 to 5ive team pitched the background and expertise of Chatmeter’s President, Go-to-Market, Cynthia Sener, and garnered a placement with Franchising.com on her thoughts surrounding the impact of local brand intelligence on the success of franchises. Read the article here.
The Associated Press for CENTEGIX
Press releases are a tried and true method for disseminating information on a company, their products and services, research, and more. When distributed through a wire service, relevant, compelling press releases can have a wide reach and are helpful in driving awareness and visibility, generating SEO, and communicating important company news.
This AP article for our client CENTEGIX demonstrates the power of a press release. By sharing a press release on company sales momentum in the school safety market, Zer0 to 5ive secured an opportunity with AP for a timely story on the need for – and increased adoption of – school safety technology solutions. The interview and resulting article were picked up nationally by 550 publications, such as ABC News, Yahoo News, and U.S. News & World Report. Read the article here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive’s public relations team can help your company, visit our PR page or drop us a line.
By Annmarie Ely
When you think of the interviews you have genuinely enjoyed listening to, what kinds of communicators come to mind? They probably captured your attention early on, got to the point, included interesting anecdotes or stories, and spoke with confidence. Are some people just great communicators, while others are destined to lose their audiences? According to Bill McGowan, being an engaging communicator is something we can all learn.
McGowan is a former journalist turned media trainer and communications coach who helps clients deliver their messages with “enthusiasm, conviction, and confidence.” His clients have included executives from well-known companies as well as professional athletes. He co-authored the book, “Pitch Perfect,” with Alisa Bowman to share lessons he has learned from helping clients improve their communication skills. These lessons, which are distilled into seven principles, can be applied to public speaking, interviews, or any important conversation.
Of the seven principles in the book, below are three that are especially relevant for PR and media interviews.
- Scorsese Principle – This principle, which McGowan named for director Martin Scorsese, is about approaching your communication like a film in the mind of the listener. McGowan suggests that speakers use anecdotes, visuals, and analogies to entice the listener to follow along. A great example of this principle is an analogy used by Lora Bartlett, an associate professor of education at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In an interview with The Hechinger Report, instead of simply saying teaching remotely while teaching in person is challenging for teachers, she used a compelling comparison. Bartlett compared the teachers’ experiences to having to drive a car while playing a driving video game at the same time. This memorable visual is a much more engaging way to share information. Consider how you can incorporate visual comparisons to help an audience understand or connect with your message.
- Pasta Sauce Principle – This principle is about “boiling it down.” McGowan recommends considering what is truly necessary to communicate your most important points. Could you cut a third? Could you cut half? Boiling down your message to the most important information ensures you’re getting across what you need to while still making the interview engaging.
- Conviction Principle – This principle is about believing in your message and conveying confidence. You can convey confidence by practicing avoiding phrases like “kind of,” “sort of,” and “like.” McGowan also recommends that speakers skip using industry jargon. If your topic is highly technical, make sure you’re communicating in a way that is accessible. Replacing industry jargon with clear, easy-to-understand language will allow you to reach more people and make the conversation appealing to a wider audience.
McGowan recommends practicing the seven principles and focusing on gradual improvement. He suggests watching interviews and speeches and trying to determine which principles are being used. When applying the principles, he recommends focusing on improving one at a time instead of all seven at once. McGowan suggests recording and watching or listening to yourself speak, when possible, to track progress and areas where you could continue to improve.
To read all seven principles and to learn more, you can find the book here.
By Maggie Markert
In a new blog series, Media Moments, the Zer0 to 5ive public relations team will highlight a variety of media coverage secured by the team on behalf of our amazing clients every month. Check back each month to get a glimpse at the team’s ongoing work.
Any public relations pro knows there is so much more to garnering great media coverage for a client than just pitching a story. It requires great skill, knowledge, tenacity and – most importantly – a strong story, point of view, or news hook.
Here is a round-up of some of our team’s most strategic media hits during the month of March.
The Grand Rapids Herald-Review for IMSE
Reporters and editors love data and strong local stories. According to MuckRack’s State of Journalism 2023 report, journalists said that (54%) exclusive and/or surprising data or (47%) its ability to be easily localized was key to making stories more shareable.
This piece of coverage for the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) demonstrates how a strong customer anecdote or case study, coupled with data, can result in a great story not only for a client but their customers. For this opportunity, the Zer0 to 5ive team leveraged the story of Grand Rapids Independent School District (ISD) 318, its educators, and their results to pitch and secure a story with Grand Rapids Herald-Review writer Jonathan Ryan. Read the article here.
Bloomberg Technology for Sony AI
Securing national broadcast coverage can be a herculean task for companies and public relations pros. In order to be successful, you have to make the story timely and compelling as well as have strong video content that can be leveraged by producers as b-roll to help illustrate the story. As reported in the MuckRack State of Journalism 2023 report, nearly 70% of journalists said connecting the subject to a trending story is key to making it more shareable while another 24% said it must contain video.
This broadcast appearance for Sony AI is a shining example of this. The Zer0 to 5ive team combined the news of Sony AI’s commercialization of its breakthrough autonomous AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy (GT Sophy), the media’s current focus on artificial intelligence, and a variety of video assets to pitch and secure a segment with Bloomberg Technology. Watch the full segment here.
District Administration for Centegix and SchoolStatus
In today’s journalism landscape, media outlets are always open to receiving contributed content. These pieces, in most cases, are meant to be informative and thought leadership oriented, with the subject matter expert (SME) offering a unique perspective on a topic or non-promotional recommendations. Publication of this content can occur by first offering a detailed – yet concise – outline of what a piece could look like or by sharing a complete article draft.
For both Centegix and SchoolStatus, the Zero to 5ive team was able to take advantage of the deep expertise of each client’s SME to secure the publication of two articles with District Administration through a complete draft and a strong and detailed pitch outline. Read the Centegix piece here, and the SchoolStatus piece here.
GettingSmart for Territorium
The ability to build relationships with the media is the most critical part of a PR pro’s job as it helps you build a rapport and credibility for them and the client. These relationships are built as a result of an acute understanding of exactly what each reporter, editor or producer looks for in stories as well as hard work over time.
Over the last few months, the Zer0 to 5ive team has been cultivating a relationship with GettingSmart writers and editors on behalf of Territorium. It first started with a demo and then continued with a number of conversions. This resulted in an in-depth feature on the company’s LifeJourney platform. Read the feature here.
FierceBiotech for PreciseDx
Relationship building is a beautiful thing in public relations. As I mentioned earlier, it is a result of hard work over time (sometimes months or even years!) and knowing what resonates.
For the Zero to 5ive team, this is especially true with PreciseDx. The team has cultivated tremendous credibility and name recognition for the company over the course of the last year after having secured a number of interviews and coverage across Questex publications such as FiercePharma, FierceHealthcare, and FierceBiotech. As a result of this recognition among the “Fierce” community, PreciseDx was chosen as one of FierceMedtech’s 2022 Fierce 15 list – which profiles the most exciting startups in medtech. See the list here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive’s public relations team can help your company, visit our PR page or drop us a line.
By Chelsea Lindner
Many experts believe public relations is a dying profession because of the way it has transformed in recent years. While the industry is changing to keep up with accelerated technology and shrinking newsrooms, it is at no risk of extinction.
The Emergence of Social Media
Social media has become one of the fastest-growing strategies for brands to create awareness, tell stories, and give themselves a “personality.”
Look at the social media accounts. Twitter especially – of some of the biggest brands, you will see an abundance of creative graphics, snubs at their competitors, and overall more engaging content.
A more recent trend, for example, is some of the world’s biggest fast-food chains battling back and forth on the platform about who has the best burgers. This content tends to be lighthearted and entertaining for consumers.
This speaks to the way companies are trying to position themselves amongst their competitors and give their brands more character. However, these companies still need to tread lightly and be aware of their audiences, as one minor mistake could lead to a controversy that the brand then has to respond to. These catastrophes can be avoided with the help of an internal or external team of PR professionals.
With social media, brands have more channels to express themselves but also an increased risk of getting into hot water, which means it’s critical to have experts that can help prevent these situations and be able to repair them if they do occur.
Enhanced Skillset and Lower Costs
Along with the expansion of PR strategies afforded to companies, there is an added factor in the skillset a PR specialist must possess. We have begun to see that experts must be well-rounded, and essentially, those who work in the industry are becoming writers, reporters, editors, and much more. They must be skilled and quick with language communication through all types of mediums.
In addition, more companies want to see the ROI of their PR efforts, meaning professionals now have to work harder and be able to prove their strategies are effective.
While this seems like a lot, it’s actually a win-win for both businesses and the professionals themselves. Companies are saving money by having an all-in-one team comprised of individuals that are creative, can produce good content, and can measure success. Professionals are gaining a wide range of skills that can be useful in taking their careers to the next level or even when considering pursuing a career in a different industry.
PR and Marketing Will Remain Separate (While Working Together)
Many seasoned PR and marketing professionals believe that in the revolution we’re undergoing, marketing/advertising and PR will begin to merge into one industry.
While these lines may begin to blur, it’s safe to say that for the foreseeable future they will remain separate. These industries are vastly different and therefore require two different skill sets. The most common difference is that media relations are “earned media,” and marketing is “paid media.”
Although the two are very targeted approaches, what works in a digital marketing campaign may either 1) not be able to be implemented into a PR strategy and 2), if it can be, may not be as successful.
Additionally, the tactics aspects of storytelling are very different when you look at marketing and advertising, and media relations. When speaking with professionals from these different industries, you may find some similarities. Still, the mindset as a whole will likely be different, providing proof that while both of these are critical, they will remain separate.
A Google search will show hundreds of results from experts on how and why they believe the PR is at risk and “a dying breed.” While these experts may have valid opinions, none of us know what the future holds. It’s essential to look at this revolution in how it’s positively impacting the industry and brands and the exciting things to come instead of undermining the importance and effectiveness of this profession.
By Sydney Stressman
Sending mass pitches gets some flack from reporters – and rightfully so. If not done correctly, sending mass pitches can come across as though the PR person behind the pitch didn’t do their research. As a PR professional, I find that when done the right way, mass pitching can be highly valuable. We should always send our pitches to a strategic list of reporters and publications who would find the information helpful and potentially write about the news or topic. For instance, if your edtech client is releasing new research, make sure you’re sending the pitch to education reporters, specifically those who cover research and data.
Personalized pitching has grown to become the preferred method by journalists. Still, everyone in PR knows there is a time and place for this pitching, especially since it can be very time-consuming. But, the effort tends to result in significant, in-depth coverage for the client and new or deeper relationships between reporters and PR pros.
Personalized Pitching: The Preferred Method by Reporters
Personalized pitching is when a pitch is created with a specific reporter in mind. It can be highly valuable as the reporter often prefers this method, considering the PR pro took time to research what the reporter often writes about. This tactic typically results in more responses because the reporters can tell the PR rep put time and effort into the pitch.
This type of pitching is typically used for embargoed or exclusive opportunities. An embargo is when one or more (but usually less than 10) reporters are given a heads up on an upcoming announcement and early access to deliverables, such as a press release, infographic, research report, etc. before it’s available to the public. Reporters are often fond of this type of outreach, considering they can ‘break the news’ before anyone else.
It is essential to spend some time learning about the reporter. Find out if they have any similar hobbies that can help jumpstart the conversation. For example: “Hi Stephanie, I saw your recent tweet that you are a Taylor Swift fan! Have you had any luck getting tickets to her upcoming tour? Fingers crossed! Anyway, I wanted to see if you’re interested in learning more about my client’s recent research on…” While this may seem like a casual start to the conversation, it humanizes you to reporters and lets them know that you know about them and have things in common.
Personalized pitching can also be an excellent tactic for relationship-building with key reporters. Another example: “Hi Mike, I wanted to check in with you as you have expressed interest in my client’s previous product announcement. Would you be interested in a 15-minute call with our Head of Product to show you the new features that will launch this summer? It would be an exclusive opportunity just for you.” This shows that you pay attention and keep tabs on prior conversations but value them and want to provide exclusive information to them.
Ultimately, personalized pitching results in quality coverage in your top publications and great connections with reporters. A win-win for you and your client!
Strategy is Key When It Comes To Mass Pitching
Mass pitching is often scrutinized as this method can be poorly executed and cause frustration from reporters. When it comes to mass pitching – there are two types: careless mass pitching and strategic mass pitching. Careless mass pitching is when a pitch is sent to a broad list of reporters without researching what the reporters write about or if they’re still at the publication. Usually, this frustrates reporters because it is clear that the PR rep didn’t give much thought to the pitch and its recipients. Once in a while, this type of pitching can result in coverage, but I wouldn’t count on it.
On the other hand, strategic mass pitching can be extremely useful as it allows PR pros to effectively send important, timely information to reporters. When done correctly, the PR rep will have selected a list of reporters who they are confident will find this information helpful and potentially want to interview the client. Reporters will still receive information relevant to their beat and likely appreciate being included on the email list.
Most importantly, strategic mass pitches need to be concise. While correspondence to a reporter should be to the point, this is especially true for strategic mass pitching. As PR pros, we are often told that reporters prefer the info they need upfront. Think about: Why is this important? Why should the reporter care? These emails usually aren’t the time or place to try and make a personal connection with the reporter. It is likely that you already have a relationship with the reporter, and they are expecting upcoming news on your client from you.
Ultimately, it is important to consider the pros and cons of personalized and mass pitching. Both have a time and place and, when used appropriately, can have great success.
Pursuing FDA approval for your medical device can be an exciting time for any company in the healthcare space. Whether you are taking the path of the FDA’s premarket approval (PMA) process or the 510(k), the regulatory milestones along the way create multiple opportunities for a company to begin generating visibility and awareness for the product.
These key milestones include:
- Clinical Trials
- PMA/510(K) Submission
- Advisory Committee Meeting
- FDA Approval
- Launch
A PR strategy that beings at the start of clinical trials and keep key stakeholders informed along the way will enable you to be prepared for each step, maximizing visibility throughout the process, and hit the ground running once your product receives FDA approval.
Clinical Trials – Announcing the commencement of clinical trials (first patient enrolled) and the achievement of key milestones can be announced through press releases and promoted to the media. At this stage, it is important to identify your top media contacts and influencers so that you can keep them informed throughout the process. Phase I and II clinical trials will generate the most interest among trade publications, while Phase III trials will be of interest to a wider array of media, potentially including mainstream media.
Once the clinical trials end and the submission is being prepared, it can be a good time to launch an issues campaign that supports the need for your device in the industry, educates stakeholders and helps build awareness. This type of campaign can help lay the groundwork for the filing and advisory board meetings.
PMA/510(K) Submission – Prior to the company submitting its application for FDA approval, it’s important that all the pieces of the communications strategy are in place to support the company through the advisory meetings and begin the push toward launch. This includes finalizing key messages and supporting points, identifying and preparing KOLs, and conducting any non-clinical research that will help support the launch of the product, such as market research or surveys. The PMA submission should be announced through a press release and interviews with key reporters should be scheduled with company executives.
Advisory Committee Meetings – Advisory Committee meetings leading up to approvals are a key milestone for awareness and visibility. It is important to issue a press release in advance of each meeting – to announce the scheduled meeting date and to inform media of this important milestone – and also to announce the outcome immediately upon the close of each meeting, preferably the same day. Industry media are likely to attend these meetings, particularly if your device is high profile. You can contact the FDA communications team assigned to your device category for additional insight into which media have registered to attend the meeting or might be there. Therefore, company spokespeople should be prepared with media talking points and a QA in advance of the meeting for on-site interviews. Key media contacts not in attendance should be briefed via phone as soon as possible following a successful meeting.
FDA Approval – Assuming that all goes well, the FDA will alert the company that the product is “approvable” and a date will be set by which time your company will receive official word of approval. While it is sometimes hard to know the specific date that the approval will be received, you should be prepared with all materials and communications plans in place so that you can push out the press release immediately upon notice. All key reporters should be pre-briefed on milestones to date and the outcome of the advisory board meeting. Key KOLs, clinical trial sites that you are using for media, and others who will serve as media references should be media trained and provided with key message points. Photos, videos and other multimedia assets should be prepared, captioned and made available on your website for download (this page can be hidden until the approval is official.) Once the FDA approval is formalized, an aggressive PR campaign in support of the product can begin.
Launch
Likely there will be some time between FDA approval and the actual commercial launch of the product to target market. At this point, you should have a strong foundation of visibility and awareness for your product, which will help you build momentum towards the commercial launch. But that, my PR friends, is a topic for another blog!
Any tips to share for maximizing visibility through the FDA process? Let us know.
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