Guerrilla PR 2.0

by Michael Levine

  A:

  “I understand why some people may get that impression, but it’s more important that people understand how our budget process works. I have for you a complete financial audit conducted by an independent accounting firm, which shows how prudently our funds were used. We’re seeking new funding now because the current economy has made it tough to keep existing programs going.”

  Steering the conversation hinges on telling reporters what you want them to hear, not what they hope to hear. To do this, never lose sight of your objective. Of course you should respond to skeptical or tangential questions, but your challenge is to return to your main points without coming off like a snake oil salesman.

  In essence, the interview is like a game of tennis, of give and take. What you give depends on what the interviewer serves you, and the same goes for him or her. Anticipating the interviewer’s questions, rehearsing (but not memorizing) your answers, and amassing a collection of transition lines (“What you said reminded me of…” or “I should also mention that…”).

  Another tip: Unlike TV news, print media find detailed statistics useful. Provide as many as serve your case. But avoid appearing to blow a smokescreen made of numbers. Reporters are trained to question everything, so be sure your case is airtight and your statistics relevant.

  If the reporter interviews you at your place of work (assuming your workplace is the location of your project), be open. Show him or her around; offer as much information and access as possible. Reporters will draw their own conclusions no matter what you do, so you may as well expose them to everything germane.

  The process doesn’t end once the interview is over. If later you think of other points you failed to mention, call the writer immediately. Make sure you get the correct phone number before you part company. Don’t pester writers too much as to when the story may run. Most reporters have little control over this, and frequent calls will only alienate the writer.

  After a story does run, if it’s positive (or even if it’s constructively critical), you may wish to call or write the reporter with your thanks. But here again, reporters’ pride comes into play. They usually don’t feel they did you any favor by running a piece about you, whether positive or negative. Reporters believe in their own objectivity: they think they are writing news, neither positive nor negative, just true. It was a simple matter of news to them; so sometimes thank-yous can be insulting. Use your own judgment.

  Remember, there’s no scientific definition of news. It’s whatever people are talking about. You want to become news, so get them talking!

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  Guerrilla P.R. Exercise

  In a mock interview, have a friend ask you a few general questions, and see if you can navigate the conversation entirely in your own direction.

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  Tips & Traps

  Although it’s common practice, avoid doing interviews in restaurants. They’re noisy and distracting, and it’s hard to make a good impression with a piece of steak stuck between your teeth. Meet in an office or another work setting.

  To whatever extent possible, see that the reporter tapes your interview to ensure accuracy. I don’t need to tell you about the pitfalls of being misquoted.

  Yes, an interview is business, but it’s also human conversation, not an interrogation. I find it effective to lock into the other person’s humanity. Liveliness, friendliness, openness, all have an impact, no matter what the reporter says about keeping his or her journalistic distance.

  Pause often; reflect on your words. You’re on the record now (unless you tell the reporter otherwise, and before the comments are made), and you want your words to reflect your truest and best sense of yourself.

  Don’t forget to ask the reporter to send you a clip. For one reason or another, you may not always have the opportunity to obtain one.

  * * *

  FROM THE GUERRILLA P.R. FILE

  Kraco Enterprises, one of the nation’s largest auto-detailing and accessory companies, together with publicist Alex Litrov, cooked up a scheme in 1988 to find America’s long-distance commuter champ. Word of the contest spread throughout the media, and finally they found their winner: Rod Conklin of Darien, Connecticut, who commuted a total of 408 miles each day from his home to Boston and back. The story was picked up by CNN, USA Today, and UPI as well as by many local newspapers and TV stations. Kraco was mentioned several times, and the whole campaign was a raging success.

  Now if only someone would help poor Mr. Conklin find a job closer to home.

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  Dealing with Wire Services

  At every press conference held by every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, the privilege of asking the first question goes to the reporter from the Associated Press, America’s most important wire service. The reason is simple. AP is picked up by every newspaper in the country and most of the world as well. The wires provide eyes and ears to papers too small to cover the world. In fact, despite what ABC says, more people get their news from the wires than from anywhere else.

  There are other wire services besides AP. UPI, Reuters, Gannett, and syndicates like King Features, the New York Times Syndicate, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate are a few of the largest; although some, like the New York Times and the L.A. Times syndicates, send out only those stories that have appeared in their newspapers. The twenty-four-hour cable news networks also syndicate some of their stories to newspapers, as does USA Today (through Gannett). But all wires furnish members and subscribers with reams of stories covering everything from the White House to the local five-and-dime. Like other news media, wires hunger for stories and scoops, and they could play a significant role in your Guerrilla P.R. campaign.

  Wires differ most markedly from newspapers in that they produce nothing printed. They service subscribers electronically (in the old days it came over a teletype “wire,” hence the name). Though the large wires have bureaus in most major cities, their inherent anonymity may make them a little harder to find. However, you generally need look no further than your nearby metropolitan white pages or Google.

  Once you locate them, proceed with caution. Unlike your local paper, which serves and is beholden to the community, the wires serve a much larger constituency and can be much less inclined to jump on your story than the daily down the street. The local bureau, however, is usually looking for something it can “sell” to the syndicate overall, and therefore might be open to your pitch if you deliver it well.

  Whereas daily papers often assign beats to reporters, such as city desk, entertainment, or sports, most wire service writers are general reporters covering everything under the sun. As busy as newspaper journalists are, wire reporters are unbelievably overworked, usually juggling four or more stories at a time. Everything I said about sensitivity to the journalist’s workload goes double for wire reporters.

  Ironically, though, unless they’re covering major national stories, most wire reporters are not subject to the crushing deadlines of the dailies. They have more time to labor over detail and give their stories a little more scrutiny. So, pitch them solely on the merits of your story. Wire stories tend to reflect a more universal nature so that they can run in any paper anywhere. A proposal with too local an angle is likely to be turned down. Pitch accordingly. Think broader.

  It’s the opposite of pitching to the local paper or station: a national (or international) wire service by definition is not interested in something that will have only local appeal. It doesn’t send its stories to papers only in one area—the very function of a wire service is to send news from places other than the local area. Local papers, after all, can afford to send their reporters to nearby stories—it’s the far-away ones they need to have covered by the syndicate. So keep that in mind. Give your story a universal spin, something that will appeal not only to your area but to people around the country and around the world.

  Our fictional Youth Center, for example, would have to abandon any mention of its upcoming carnival or appearance
s by local officials; the newspaper in Helena, Montana, probably won’t care about that. But if the story were to be suggested as a larger one—something involving the effect of budget cuts on beneficial programs, for example—it might interest a wire service. The Youth Center might become only one component of a larger article that quotes numerous sources, but its plight would reach readers from coast to coast.

  And while I’m on the subject of wires, don’t forget to consider America’s syndicated columnists. I’m sure you read a few of them regularly. Although it’s a long shot that Dave Barry or Liz Smith will do a story on your project, they shouldn’t be ruled out, and they are by no means the only fish in the sea. There are dozens and dozens of important columnists in this country, writing on everything from gardening to politics to child rearing. If you write a well-composed letter to one of them, either in care of the paper you read or directly to the syndicate, you just may have a shot.

  The key is knowing the writer’s work and style. Many tend to use parables and personal illustrations to make their points. That’s where you might fit in. In your letter, suggest a column idea or theme to which your project may apply. With a good angle to dangle, there’s a chance you’ll hear from the columnist.

  Tips & Traps

  Never blanket a bureau, i.e., pitch to other reporters in the same office if the first one has already said “no.” Word will get out (believe it or not, reporters do talk to each other), and your name will be permanent mud.

  Your story will be best served by the nearest bureau. Though it might seem like you’re closer to the nerve center if you contact the New York or L.A. office of AP, stay close to home. If you live in Pittsburgh, call the Pittsburgh bureau.

  Wire reporters tend to work closely with member and subscribing papers. They read them carefully and know what’s going on in the communities. They pick up stories from the papers, just as the papers pick up stories from the wires.

  If you have had some success with your local paper, even if it’s not a member of the syndicate, be sure to mention that to the reporter. News services love to pick up stories that have already been covered locally. It lends an air of legitimacy.

  You should be careful with columnists with respect to time. You may not hear from them or their staffs for quite a long while (imagine the volume of mail they must receive), and you shouldn’t put too many eggs in this one basket.

  Media Facts

  There are 1,456 daily newspapers in America.

  There are 917 newspapers that have Sunday editions.

  There are approximately 7,000 weekly papers in America.

  There are over 5,000 trade publications in the United States.

  There are 156.3 million U.S. adults who read one or more magazines each month.

  The circulation of U.S. dailies is 52.3 million.

  The Hartford Courant in Hartford, Connecticut, is the oldest daily in America, founded in 1764.2

  The top ten newspapers in America and their circulation3 are as follows: USA Today (2.52 million)

  Wall Street Journal (2.05 million)

  New York Times (1.68 million)

  L.A. Times (1.23 million)

  Washington Post (960,000)

  Chicago Tribune (957,000)

  New York Daily News (795,000)

  Philadelphia Inquirer (705,000)

  Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News (704,000)

  Houston Chronicle (692,000)

  The Reader’s Digest reaches over 80 million people each month.

  Dealing with Trade Publications

  Whatever line of work you’re in, there are trade publications covering it. In my business, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter fit the bill. In the music industry, it’s Billboard; in the fashion world, Women’s Wear Daily; and for Madison Avenue, AdWeek. Trades can be micro-specific. Out there right now you can find avid readers of Footwear News, Banking Software Review, Travel Agent Magazine, and Water Waste Digest. We all enjoy reading about our own business. It makes us feel connected to our own special industry or service.

  A study conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation found that 40 percent of business customers rated trade publications as their chief source of information about their particular product or service. That’s a significant number. Even though a favorable trade story may seem like preaching to the choir, once your peers think you’re hot, soon the public will too.

  Trades can be dailies, weeklies, or monthlies, and many of them run special annual or bi-annual editions. They all require different lead times, so be cognizant and act accordingly. Trades function much like consumer publications. They like scoops, exclusives, and breaking stories. But you’ll discover right away that trade reporters are true experts in their fields. They possess refined knowledge in order to communicate to a rarefied audience. When you pitch them, address them as absolute equals in terms of comprehension of subject matter.

  Keep in mind, too, that trade publications have their own Web sites, they have bloggers on the industry, and, in some cases, they will report news of the industry long before the mainstream press gets to it. Keep all aspects of a trade publication in mind when you’re pitching your story idea.

  As with some consumer publications, trades are advertiser sensitive. Many times I’ve seen businesses “buy” stories in the trades by purchasing ad space. This is unethical, and I hope you never find yourself in such a position. If you’re ever told bluntly that you must buy an ad to get a feature, walk away. Your dignity isn’t for sale. Worse than that, you can assume that people in the industry know which trade publications will sell you editorial space, and your credibility will be damaged along with that of the magazine you pay. It’s not a good Guerrilla P.R. move to pay for editorial, anyway.

  Some may call this a naive attitude, but I’ve become successful without having to resort to such a stratagem. You don’t have to either. If a trade publication decides to do a story on you, make sure the reporter has all the facts. Send her as much additional written material on your project as possible, including information that has nothing directly to do with your Guerrilla P.R. campaign. If a personal interview and/or tour is in order, roll out the red carpet. Remember, this is a person who ostensibly knows as much about your business as you do, so don’t even think about trying to embellish the facts. The trade journalist is one reporter who will definitely see through it.

  In addition to pitching trades for stories on you and your project, you may offer to submit your own article or guest editorial, just as we discussed for the consumer press. I would say the trades are much more likely to run your piece than a daily paper because you’re coming from an insider’s position of strength. And there will be an added boost of insider credibility because you’re not talking to the general public—now your message is reaching people with an existing knowledge of your industry. Make sure you speak with an editor before you set pen to paper, though. You could set yourself up for disappointment if you go to the trouble of writing a piece and then get no response from the trade publication. Or, they might already have a competitor’s piece in type. With anything you write, observe the following guidelines:

  Don’t offer the same written work for publication by more than one trade. That violates the honor code of exclusivity.

  Try to keep your piece on the shorter rather than the longer side. You’ll make a greater impact and keep the attention of your audience.

  Seize on one or two (at most) simple themes. Marketing expert Bob Serling, in a short article he wrote for a leading marketing journal, made his points using the term “leverage” as a hook. Every paragraph heading used this term to make its points.

  Remember what I said about writing in the previous two chapters. Good writing is good writing, no matter where it ends up, and everything you write should come off as polished and well thought out. Get people you trust to read your article before you send it off in an e-mail. Make sure you’ve checked (and not just spell-checked) for typos, mistakes, and poor grammar. Be sure that what y
ou’re sending will represent you well.

  Because they’re supported almost entirely by advertising from within the industry they represent, trades are industry’s cheerleaders. Unlike their counterparts in the newspaper world, trade reporters generally aren’t out to get anyone. They prefer to be viewed as boosters. Thus, if your angle is upbeat and positive, you stand a good chance of making it in the trades. Trade stories make excellent clips and can really get a Guerrilla P.R. campaign off and running. So give the trades your best shot.

  Dealing with Magazines

  I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time throwing away magazines. Whereas the daily paper is hurled on the recycle stack at the end of every day, year-old copies of Time, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone keep popping up in different corners around the house.

  There’s something permanent about a magazine. If it’s inscribed in the pages of Time, it lives forever. In my experience, magazine editors are more selective in what they choose to print. Perhaps because most magazines are monthlies, editors’ jobs are on the line with every issue. Each story is make or break. Magazines and legitimate tabloids like the L.A. Weekly or the Village Voice have longer lead times than newspapers, up to five months, and more if you’re new to them. There’s less space in magazines than in newspapers, so every word counts more. For the news-oriented weeklies, like Time, summary and analysis are the watchwords. Their editors assume a high level of astuteness on the part of readers.