Climbing to the Top of the PR Ladder
Climbing to the Top of the PR Ladder
Recently, a journalist emailed us to share that among all the outstanding public relations teams he knows, ours rises to the top.
Of course, we were thrilled and appreciative. We love our work and want to do it well. Public relations is a combination of art, science and instinct. In this journalist’s eyes, we’ve mastered all of it.
Understanding Journalists’ High Bar
Why does public relations—and especially the practice of earning media placements—require a high level of mastery? Reporters and editors are very selective about what and who they cover. They want accurate, objective, in-depth and timely information. They’re under pressure to meet stringent deadlines or quickly produce multiple stories. Public relations teams who can consistently meet their standards are immensely helpful to them.
Reinforcing Client Differentiators
There is an art to filling journalists’ informational needs while promoting our clients. We, like reporters and editors, are committed to providing media-worthy information. However, we also want to differentiate the programs or organizations we promote—showing why they’re at the top of their industry. Before we begin any PR initiative, we immerse ourselves in our clients’ business, and pinpoint the areas where they truly stand out. That enables us to weave in those differentiators in non-salesy ways—with every pitch, press release, interview or ghostwritten article.
Surfacing Clients’ Hidden News Value
There is also a science to making news, and doing it in ways that have editors requesting more. A privately held client may not think they have anything current to share, but perhaps they could feature their recent growth in a “milestone release”, or commission a survey that helps them establish (and promote) authoritative benchmarks for their industry.
Timing is Everything
Then there’s instinct—knowing just the right time that journalists will be seeking commentary on local or national trends. If that requires 7:15 am calls to broadcast news desks to reach journalists before their story meetings, we’re on it.
All this leads to results that are immensely gratifying to us—whether we’re differentiating Abe Student Loans, amplifying Deephaven Mortgage’s non-QM and home equity mortgage leadership, advancing Powerhouse Dynamics’ IoT innovations for restaurants and retailers, or promoting Rocktop Technologies’ AI-driven approach to improving mortgage market yields. To learn how public relations might enhance your communications initiatives, please contact Dawn Ringel at [email protected], 617-285-0652 or LinkedIn.