Strategic Media Pitching Still Effective

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

Notice anything missing? Nowhere in that definition do the words “media,” “news” or “journalist” appear.

While the latest trend of brands creating and curating content directly for their “publics” (mainly their customers, partners and fans) has gained popularity, obtaining coverage in media outlets can still provide a significant boost in exposure. Media coverage can also provide third-party validation and legitimacy.

So, while a recent article on prdaily.com asked “Is the traditional PR pitch dead?,” our answer is an emphatic “no.” The writer eventually reaches that same conclusion, but we can back up our response with these recent success stories:

• We pitched a business reporter a story about the local chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and got prominent coverage on the front page of Sunday’s Business section.

•  On behalf of Netsertive, we reached out to trade media outlets aligned with their vertical markets and helped secure regular guest blog posts on an AV industry website and multiple article commitments from Bicycle Dealer magazine.

•  S&A Cherokee pitched the Scandock post-PC scanner to technology writers and got coverage on such well-known sites as TechCrunch, CNET and Mashable.

• On behalf of Band Together NC, we’ve successfully pitched producers, hosts and news anchors to land numerous on-air interviews.

All of this comes from monitoring the media, developing good relationships, and making the right appeal to them. We don’t waste their time with pitches that don’t apply to their beat, interests or outlet.

We’ve also been flexible in altering or expanding the initial media pitch if necessary. When a local business reporter replied that he wasn’t interested in writing about S&A Cherokee’s 30th anniversary last year, we mentioned how the company has also become a major player in the pre-owned automobile industry through our publications, events and programs. That got his attention.

As long as journalists need story ideas to do their work, strategic media pitches will still play an important role in public relations.

To discover how S&A Cherokee can help with your marketing needs, contact us for a free consultation at (919) 674-6020.