For years, in my previous life as a journalist and then an Editor, I was on the receiving end of PR pitches. And I could tell – often within seconds – whether the “pitcher” had ever taken the time to read my publications, to consider my demographics, or to find out what was important to me. I could also tell – within seconds – if they were interested in starting a mutually-beneficial relationship or just in telling me how wonderful their client or their company was.
Our industry is no different, sometimes, than the rest of the world. Instant gratification sometimes seems to be the name of the game (I was once asked by a new client – after only two weeks – why I hadn’t gotten him in the Wall Street Journal yet.). It’s been proven – over and over again – that short-term “throwing-mud-against-the-wall-and-seeing-how-much-of-it-sticks” tactics don’t generate lasting results.
This isn’t rocket science. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We already know what works, and what doesn’t. “Public relations” is about an organization’s various publics, and that doesn’t mean relations only with clients. The best PR practitioners I know work cooperatively with the media. That way, the client is happier. The PR organization is happier. And the media is happier.
It’s a win/win/win thing, and often an organically-growing thing for these three entities. I know, from being on both sides of the PR/media divide, that the best way to establish lasting relationships is by giving as well as getting.
And for us in the Public Relations world, what better way to “give” and get back than by helping a journalist do his/her job better?