Guerrilla PR 2.0
Page 31
ML: What about TV?
AC: The networks have been steadily losing audience share, and one network may be close to abandoning the news function almost entirely, which would be a tragedy. You see news playing a lesser role on the networks, because they’ve taken a beating from one of the most extraordinary enterprises to come along in years, Cable News Network. We’re seeing the news function reformulated on the networks in shows like Anderson Cooper 360, Dateline, and, of course, the old standby 60 Minutes. We also get a lot of news from the talk shows, which desperately try to fill an hour every day. Much of what starts out as chatter on talk shows ends up as major news stories, and vice versa.
ML: Have you observed serious blunders on the part of neophyte public relations practitioners?
AC: Many people don’t understand that you have to think in advance. Whom among the media will I approach? What kind of package of information should I give them? Most media professionals don’t have a lot of time. A one-page fact sheet may be more effective than a fat press kit. Most media people don’t enjoy being called directly. In fact, the thing they hate the most is the call asking, “Did you get my news release?” You circumvent that by making sure the news release you do send is so well constructed in terms of headline and presentation that it is absolutely irresistible. I see the most god-awful P.R. press releases every day.
ML: What makes them awful?
AC: They’re dull. They’re boring. The headline, if one exists, does not interest me in the contents in the slightest bit. The first paragraph doesn’t say anything about why I should bother reading any further. P.R. is a craft. It requires a lot of know-how to understand the mind-set on the receiving end of your news release or story. In a typical media organization, you have a limited staff of people working very hard to meet deadlines. These people are under tremendous pressure. That’s why I say don’t waste their time, don’t insult their intelligence, and be sure you’re giving them something they can use.
ML: What kinds of materials are useful in a P.R. campaign?
AC: While it may be applicable in some cases, the big heavy-duty press kit is more a burden than a help. It’s useful usually if you represent a client with a major research study, and you have to provide a lot of documentation. In most cases, you don’t need anything more than a one-page news release. There isn’t that much media space available to begin with, and if you deliver your story in the first two paragraphs, you’re well ahead of the game. A good press kit has three elements: a fact sheet on the company and/or product, a bio of the key individual involved, and a ready-to-use canned feature story. These are essential starting points for any client. They set up the story.
ML: What about follow-up?
AC: There’s no point to follow-up if you’ve done it right. The follow-up will come from the media to you. It’s a fallacy that you must follow up. Ninety percent of the time you’re going to piss someone off, anyway. Get the package right the first time.
ML: What’s your conclusion about the nature of mass media and its effect on the public?
AC: Most people don’t understand that news moves like wildfire. You have to get on the back of the tiger very quickly. You’ve got to ride it until the tiger gets tired and wants somebody else for dinner. Most stories have a shelf life of less than two weeks. We go from kidnapped children to some new environmental hazard to the latest skin rash in a month’s time. The attention span of the public is very brief, so it’s better to create news and be the trendsetter than try to catch up.
ML: What about the people who constitute the media?
AC: People have higher expectations of media professionals than they should. They’re working stiffs like you and me, and must live with the internal politics of wherever they work. I’ve known thousands of them, and most are damn nice people who should be approached with the best possible story; then you should get out of their way in terms of whether they go for it or not.
ML: What do you mean?
AC: People don’t understand that in the P.R. process, much of the time the answer is “no.” It’s like prayer. To some degree, P.R.—even in the best professional’s hands—is a crapshoot. The story you’ve worked on for weeks can go right down the toilet because there’s been a plane crash, a volcano has erupted, or the president fell on his tush playing golf. Any number of things can wash your story away, whether you’ve invested $2 in it or whether you’ve got $200,000 on the line. The job can be done beautifully but get nothing and nowhere because the world is turning and events overtake it.
Acknowledgments
So much gratitude, so little space.
I find myself in endless debt to many people for their inspiration and encouragement on this book.
Jeff Cohen, a tremendous support in creating this revised work. Jeff helped immeasurably and assists me in continuing to create the concepts that you are reading.
My office staff: Liam Collopy, Donna Dillard, Ali Duncan, David Goodman, Eric Heppding, Dawn Miller, Patricia Mora, Andrea Nicastro, and Monique Regalado, and the LCO Interns: Julie Brock and Janet Muradian, both of whom work hard and long with me, day-to-day, hour-to-hour, in running LCO in Los Angeles.
Blessed associates and friends, who assist, support, and encourage me when it is not always easy to do so: Peter Bart, Marilyn Beck, Adam Christing, Julie Craig, Richard Imprescia, Rob Jupille, Karen Karsian, Phil Kass, Arthur O. Levine, Patty Levine, John McKillop, Nancy Mager, Cable Neuhaus, Marissa Nicolaescu, Alyse Reynolds, Steve Shapiro, David Slon, David Weiss, and Lisa Yukelson.
Interns interested in working in Mr. Levine’s Los Angeles office can contact his office at MLAsst@LCOonline.com.
Searchable Terms
Note: Entries in this index, carried over verbatim from the print edition of this title, are unlikely to correspond to the pagination of any given e-book reader. However, entries in this index, and other terms, may be easily located by using the search feature of your e-book reader.
ABC, 233, 236, 286
Abel, Alan, 317–18
abortion, 43, 269
Ackerman, Will, 324–26
actors, 290, 312–14
ACT-UP, 173
advertising, 31, 42–43, 222, 294
trade publications and, 222, 224
AdWeek, 221
Ailes, Roger, 89, 90, 93
airline industry, 25–26
American Express, 29
Andrews, Bart, 334–36
Angelyne, 230–31
anger, 185
animal rights, 257–58
Apple, 186–88
Argentina, 33–34
Aronson, Elliot, Age of Propaganda, 17, 27
assessment of Guerrilla P.R. campaign, 298–310
goals, 307–309
grades, 300–301
trading up, 302–305
Associated Press, 216, 217
AT&T Wireless, 188
Atlantic Monthly, 25
attention deficit disorder, 196
audience, 34–35, 59–63
active, 59–60, 61, 63
passive, 60–61, 63
target, 59–63, 92, 135, 202, 209, 283, 308
Australia, 83–84
auto industry, 41, 309, 316–17
backgrounder, 167
Bacon, Kevin, 84
bad press, 29–30, 286–89
Baker, Jean-Claude, 23–25, 172
banking, 38
Bardwick, Dr. Judith, 27
BBS (bulletin board service), 256–57
Beatles, 175
Berger, Claire, 319–20
Bernays, Edward, 32–33
Bernstein, Carl, 64
Bernstein, Jay, 29
Better Business Bureau, 85
Billboard, 2, 67, 221
biography, 151, 152–58
writing, 153
BlackBerry, 8, 68
Blair Witch Project, The, 9, 104–105
blogs, 17, 72, 106–111, 116–17, 222
errors, 291
etique
tte, 110–111
newspaper, 208
pitch, 107–108
publicizing, 110–111
starting your own, 108–110
Blogspot.com, 109
Bluetooth technology, 8, 182
body language, 190–91
Bon Appetit, 67
boredom, 48, 70, 247
Boston, 199, 200, 265
Boston Globe, 265
“Broken Windows” (study), 25
Brooks, Mel, 171, 175
Brothers, Dr. Joyce, 263–64
Buck, Jill, 202–206, 305
Burr, Don, 25–26
Burson-Marsteller, 33
Bush, George H. W., 264–65
business cards, 96
Business Week, 283
cable television, 66, 67, 210, 232, 234, 238, 242, 251
calendar of events, 212
Calkins, Bill, 41
canned feature, 160–64
career, 306–307
Carnegie, Dale, 93
How to Win Friends and Influence People, 86–87
Cartoon Network, 198–99
Caruba, Alan, 336–42
CASH (Committee to Abolish Sports Hunting), 257–58
CBS, 233, 236, 241, 245
CBS Evening News, 236, 245–46, 305
cell phone, 8, 20, 111, 168, 182–88, 294
iPhone, 186–88
Chamber of Commerce, 85, 277
charity events, 274–75
Chez Josephine, New York City, 23–25, 172
Chicago, 319
Chicago Tribune, 221
China, 20
Christian Science Monitor, 66
churches and synagogues, 85, 277
newsletters, 228
cigarettes, 26–27, 33
clips, 159–60, 176, 216
CNN, 232, 234, 236, 256
coaching, media, 248–49
Coca-Cola, 27–28, 199–201
college, 3, 85
newspaper, 228
Collins, Phil, 175
Columbe, Bob, 96–98, 171
column item, 212
comedy, 10, 39, 41, 42, 319–20
commitment, 90–91
communication, 55–59
exercise, 58–59
oral, 275–78
pitch, 70–77
toxic personality styles, 57–58
community ethnic newspapers, 228
computerization, 255–57. See also Internet
conventions, 272–73
cosmetics, 38
costs, 291–94
Couric, Katie, 245–46
creativity, 44, 196
Crescent, Peter, 96–98
Current Affair, 235
curveball pitch, 75–76
Dartnell Public Relations Handbook, 4, 328
data smog, 194–206
P.R. disasters, 197–202
tips and traps, 201–202
deadlines, 210–11
Decker, Bert, You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard, 58
DeGeneres, Ellen, 66, 100, 234
Des Moines Register, 209
digital photography, 148–50, 159, 293
disasters, P.R., 197–202, 281–97, 301
bad press, 286–89
inaccurate press, 290–91
money troubles, 291–94
no press, 282–85
distinction, 50
Domino’s Pizza, 125
Dommer, Luke, 257–58
dreams, 14–15
dress, 190, 202, 249
editorial replies, 270–72
electronic media, 232–51
online, 255–57
radio, 251–55
television, 232–51
Ellerbee, Linda, 101
e-mail, 8, 72, 99, 101–103, 107, 115–16, 119, 293
for blog, 110
e-lerts, 115–16
letter, 123–24
newsletters, 102–103, 116
photos, 148, 293
for podcast, 112–14
press release, 127, 136
print media and, 208–209, 226
television and, 241
tips and traps, 116–18
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 87, 88
Emmy Awards, 232
empathy, 87, 94–95
Entertainment Tonight, 39, 66, 235
Entertainment Weekly, 225
entrepreneurs, 322–24
environment, 202–206, 310
Epcar, Richard, 312–14
Essence, 20
ethics, 327–30
ethnic newspapers, 228
excellence, 330–31
expediency, 48, 73, 99–100
Face the Nation, 233
family, 86
fastball pitch, 74–75
fax, 20
Fay, Dale, 314–16
feature article, 211
Federal Express, 38
Fiffer, Steve, So You’ve Got a Great Idea, 43–44
film, 9, 34, 43, 104–105, 171, 175
florists, 9
food, 23, 41–42, 67, 289, 320–22
Food Network, 105
Ford Motor Company, 33
Fox, 232, 233, 236
Fox News, 89, 100, 234, 236
Freud, Sigmund, 32
friendliness, 73
Frumkin, Si, 191–93
Gannett, 217
Gates, Bill, 188
Gibson, Mel, 106
Glamour, 92
Glass, Dr. Lillian, 77
Say It Right, 56–57
goals, 307–309
Go Green Initiative Association (GGI), 202–206
Good Morning America, 235, 240, 296
good works, 274–75
Google, 107, 159, 195, 217
Gorbachev, Mikhail, 35
Gourmet, 67
GQ, 91
Guerrilla P.R., 7–15
assessment, 298–310
basic principles of, 36–82
data smog, 194–206
disasters, 197–202, 281–97
electronic media, 232–51
first maneuvers, 83–98
need for, 11–12
online, 99–118
press conferences, parties, and more, 259–80
print media, 207–231
professional P.R. vs., 3–7, 88
theme and variations, 311–26
tools, 119–93
Gulf War, 20
H&K, 7
Hands Across America, 176
Hard Copy, 235
Hart, Mary, 39
Hartford Courant, 220
HBO, 232
Heston, Charlton, 7, 36–37
Hill, Ivy, 33
Hilton, Paris, 208
hoaxsters, 317–18
Hollywood Reporter, 221, 313
homelessness, 165–66
homework, 190
honesty, 128, 285
Honeymooners, The, 96–98, 171
humor, 27, 41–42, 76, 278
hype, 129–30, 208
image, 37, 42–43, 245–46
consulting, 248–49
Immaculate Mary, 9–10
Improvisation Comedy Club, 10
inaccurate press, 290–91
Internet, 4, 20, 67–68, 72, 99–118, 181, 195, 255–57, 293
blogs and podcasts, 106–115, 116–17
e-mail, 101–103, 115–16
Guerrilla P.R., 99–118
inaccuracies, 291
mailing list, 67–68
print media and, 195, 208–209
tips and traps, 116–18
Web sites, 103–105, 108, 115, 116
Inverted Pyramid, 129
interview, 264, 333–42
newspaper, 211–16
Q&A, 211–16
radio, 251–55
television, 243–44, 246–50
invitations, 261, 262
iPhone, 186–88
iPod, 111, 186, 187–88
Iraq War, 21
iTunes, 17, 175
> Japan, 93
Jobs, Steve, 188
journalists and journalism, 4–5, 19, 56, 63–65, 122, 128, 161, 164, 183, 262, 284
arrogance, 211
Inverted Pyramid, 129
newspaper, 207–216, 217
print, 207–231
television, 232–51
writing letters to, 121–24
juxtaposition, 37, 39–41
King Features, 217
Kraco Enterprises, 216
Larry King Live, 175
Lauder, Estée, 38
law enforcement, 269–70
Lee, Jason Scott, 153–56
Lennon, John, 174–75
letters, 119–25
appearance of, 120–21
tips and traps, 124–25
Levine Breaking News (LBN) e-lert, 108, 115
Levine Communications Office (LCO), 115–16, 130–32, 137–39, 142–44
LexisNexis, 68
Life magazine, 20
Lightner, Candy, 9, 43, 80–82, 305
Limbaugh, Rush, 252
Lincoln, Abraham, 32
link, 110–11
Lipkis, Andy and Katie, 309–310
list article, 180
listening, 87, 183, 191
listservs, 256–57
literature, 91
location, 135
“Lonelygirl 15,” 9
looking vs. seeing, 45–48
Los Angeles, 1, 10, 165, 170, 228, 230–31, 312, 319
Los Angeles Times, 65, 209, 221
Los Angeles Times Syndicate, 217
Lowe, Rob, 287
Lyles, A. C., 33
Madonna, 305
magazines, 224–27
contacting, 226
See also print media; specific magazines
magnet events, 170–74
tips and traps, 174
mailing, 23–24, 96, 292, 293–94, 303
mailing list, 65–69, 102, 116
online, 67–68
marketing, 31, 199, 223, 299
Guerrilla P.R. plan outline, 62
P.R. vs., 30–32
McCartney, Paul, 40, 175
McClure, Jessica, 18
McLuhan, Marshall, 16
media, 3, 4, 16–21, 32
contraction and expansion, 19–21
data smog, 194–206
nature of, 16–18
target, 63–65
ten commandments for dealing with, 70