Earlier this month, DMA Solutions had the opportunity to attend a PR Boot Camp in New York with keynote speakers from consumer publications such as O Magazine, Parents, Good Housekeeping, Buzzfeed and Wall Street Journal (just to name a few). Each editor shared insights on how their days are structured and how we, as PR professionals, can be a resource to them. We learned first-hand how these editors want to be pitched new products and stories, what they can’t help but write about, and how the public relations landscape is evolving based on how media is being consumed today.
Overall, the key takeaway that our team took back to the DMA office was how the PR world is more personal than ever. In order to get placements in consumer publications, it takes intentionality and a significant amount of time to invest in relationships with these editors and stay up-to-date with their writing about. Long gone are the days of sending a mass email blast to multiple journalists in hopes of one picking up your story and running with it. Here are a few more takeaways we learned from the comprehensive 2-day media training boot camp.
Demonstrate that you know the media brand and what the editor writes about.
This seems like a given, but this was a hot topic that multiple journalists touched on. It is imperative that a PR professional does their research on the publication and understands what they stand for as a brand – what they cover, what they don’t cover, etc. Also, it helps to know what the editor your pitching enjoys writing about. Showing that you’ve taken the time to do some research on the publication and the editor can go a long way in the PR world!
Be a real person.
Surprisingly enough, editors get hundreds of pitches every day from PR folks who call them by the wrong names, wrong publications, and have zero conversational tone to their pitch. Just like you and I want to connect with real people who care about what we do as an industry, so do editors. In fact, we heard that they actually REALLY appreciate hearing from the right kinds of PR professionals who offer helpful story angles, product ideas, and access to experts. Some even mentioned loving the occasional funny GIF or reference to what they posted on social media as a way to connect!
Find a bigger story than just a new product launch.
We think this is the sweet spot that fresh produce brands can really take advantage of. While innovation runs deep in this industry, we also strive to learn more about the people purchasing our products. Sure, editors want to be able to cover the latest and greatest, but they also value brands who go the extra mile to understand what people want and adapt when possible.
Digital media is changing the game.
While the ultimate goal is to end up in print publications, digital media avenues can also provide just as much exposure – if not more! All the editors agreed that if they get a pitch that doesn’t make sense for the print publications or missed the deadline, they would consider it for their digital platforms. Both avenues provide evergreen content for the brand, but digital media has the potential to go viral and be seen by the masses since people have the option to like and share with their friends online.
To summarize, pitching to consumer publications isn’t rocket science, but it does take hard work and dedication. Investing the time to research and stay current on what is happening with these outlets is imperative to the success of your long-lead media outreach.
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