The difference between a good pitch and a bad pitch is all in the execution.
The pitches that are used are the ones that are newsworthy, media-friendly and arrive at opportune times. All three working together gives a PR person the best chance of media coverage and publicity.
Other tips for creating a good pitch and avoiding bad pitches include:
* Forming lasting relationships with the media can be more effective than sending a non-targeted email pitch to an editor or reporter who has never heard of you. These emails are often treated as spam and discarded by the media. It’s not enough …read more

Worth reading:
How to Succeed in PR Campaigns – Public relations professor Karen Russell gives pointers to students about the practical portion of their studies – a campaign.
 My Five Worst Professional Mistakes – Geoff Livingston bravely offers up his biggest blunders, most resulting from his temper.
The Madness of Planning – Suw Charman-Anderson points to a local municipal planning decision that follows policy, but not common sense.
Everything Is Dead – Alice Marshall sums up the only dead-certain way to get your message into the media, and shares The Cardinal Rule of Rumor-debunking.
 The Iran Photo Manipulation Corrections – Craig Silvermans Regret …read more

No, I’m not quitting this public relations blog.
But after three years of public relations blogging, I need help keeping up with events, trends, innovations and ideas.
  If you (or someone you know) have a passion for business communications and the ability to communicate ideas and strong opinions with brevity and zest, get in touch with me.
I’m looking for a co-blogger who can be responsible for five posts a week, covering a range of topics.
I tend to write longer think pieces and short business tips. It would be nice to have someone who has a slightly different perspective on the world …read more

There can never be too many … PR blogs. Or maybe there can be.
But as Tom Foremski notes, it’s a good thing when public relations firms adopt social media. They are called upon to recommend PR tactics, including those involving blogs and other consumer-generated content, so they might as well dip their feet in the ‘Sphere and find out what all the fuss is about.
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide’s Tech PR Nibbles could probably have been better named (at least it’s not PR Dribbles), but it’s definitely worth checking out, as is the more established Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence Blog.
…read more

What PR agency wouldn’t benefit from having an in-house creative shop to call upon?
Edward Boches launched the Relentless PR blog by suggesting that an ad agency may be the best place to be doing PR these days. Boches is chief creative officer for Mullen, a Wehham, Massachusetts ad agency that has evolved into more of a full-service agency with offices in North Carolina, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
He describes the growth of Mullen’s PR group to 60 people, and credits “a competitive advantage in the form of a creative department able to deliver posters, viral campaigns, and PSA TV commercials to …read more

Anyone who thinks the world needs yet another social networking site must have rocks in their head.
Cue the music. I guess Robert French, a public relations instructor at Auburn University has rocks in his head, because he’s set up a new meeting place for his students, other students, instructors, and public relations professionals.
It’s PR Open Mike, and there are 150 members so far. No MyRagan.com, but that’s not the intent.
It’s not that I need yet another social network to belong to, with another UserID and password. But it’s good to seen something organized around students.
I’ll be signing up and …read more

Big agencies are good at systematizing strategy development, media buying and media contact management.
But can you automate creativity?
How do you keep from turning into a factory for homogenous advertising or public relations?

These question were asked 60 years ago by Bill Bernbach, as his agency began to grow. His response was a manifesto that calls for the nurturing of true creativity:
“…  [The] danger is a preoccupation with technical skill or the mistaking of technical skill for creative ability.
“The danger lies in the temptation to buy routinized men who have a formula for advertising.  The danger lies in the natural tendency to go …read more

Google has automated what would previously have been a call to the library’s reference department, or a visit to Lexus-Nexus’ database of media stories. But that doesn’t mean we should leave everything to algorithms, search spiders and widgets.
As Twitter reminds me every day (and Flickr, and instant messaging, and discussion forums and bulletin boards), the power of reaching out to an individual still counts.
This morning I checked to see if anyone had pinged me on Twitter overnight, and sure enough there was a short message from Mich Sineath, letting me know he’d posted a link to something I wrote on …read more

It’s possible to attract people to a communications program without a video, but given the nature of the work, why wouldn’t you use video to get your message out?
Easier said than done. A few videos on YouTube show the pros and cons of attraction by video.
Toronto’s Centennial College Centre for Creative Communications has a number of vids out there. Let’s look at a six-minute video promoting all aspects of the school – art, design, journalism, PR/advertising, new media, game design and development, and related courses.
It’s not a bad little promo, quickly sequencing through images that get across the diversity …read more

Worth reading:
Lysee Webb of Heatherette: Style Scoop looks at how a fairly recent grad worked her way into a job as in-house PR for a hot New York design house (via PR Couture).
What I Wish My New Employee Knew – Todd Defren talks about the culture at Shift Communications, for new and prospective hires. Oh, and working excessive overtime is frowned upon.
DirecTV’s Appalling Customer Service – Andy Lark and his wife blast their long-time satellite TV supplier with a Texas-style slap down.
Non-profits should Avoid Astroturf Too – Jennifer Berk on recent sock puppetry by GiveWell.org’s former executive director. Link via …read more