It’s New York Fashion Week. Designers, big and small, push the envelope beyond the runway for industry, online and consumer attention. So what could be wrong with a public relations pitch that newsjacks another high-profile event, resulting in worldwide headlines and hashtags? Plenty! It was a gaffe case studies are made of – one that the renowned house of Valentino should long regret. Last week, the designer, via its public relations personnel, sent journalists pictures of a celebrity wearing their goods at the wake for the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Additionally, as reported by the NY Post, the email that accompanied the photos contained a slew of typographical errors. Reaction was swift, and Internet outrage soon followed. The designer has since issued an apology, which we will leave to others to judge its sincerity.
Newsjacking, the art of using news events or stories for marketing and advertising purposes, is nothing new. It gives companies and brands a popular angle and a social, emotional or practical connection to the target audience. In an era of real-time engagement when word-of-mouth spreads like wildfire, newsjacking is an effective weapon for relevancy, as well as, online search engine optimization. In fact, we’re using the window of opportunity to newsjack the Valentino faux pas for this very blog post. But be forewarned and cautious, in death and disaster, there are few exceptions when newsjacking is acceptable or appropriate to push products or services, or handbags for that matter. And there are no excuses for media coverage requests laced with grammatical or typographical errors.
Small businesses can learn a lot from the Valentino debacle and we hope you’ll explore some of these tips and resources to engage prospects and customers, increase brand awareness and favorably influence the bottom line.
Tip: When reaching out to media contacts, keep it short, sweet and proofed. Most journalists and bloggers prefer emails and have little patience for follow-ups and follow-ups to follow-ups. Remember the pitch should not be about you, but, rather how your product or service meets the interests or needs of the contact’s audience.
Resource: The 8 R’s of the Perfect PR Pitch via Bulldog Reporter
Resource: How to Pitch to the Press: The 8 No-Fail Strategies via Forbes
Resource: 5 DIY Public Relations Tips for Startups via Business News Daily
Resource: Before hitting the send button on your next pitch, consider using one of the following platforms to enhance your writing and to review your written material for errors:
Resource: The Inbound Marketer’s Complete Guide to Newsjacking via Hubspot
Resource: Newsjacking: 6 Tips for Branded Content
Bonus: This video from best-selling author and marketing strategist David Meerman Scott says it all.
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