Posted by Amanda Walsh-
An interesting blog from The Publicity Hound was written to give some media relations pitching tips. The author, Carol Klinger, Associate Editor of "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio (NPR), has been working there since 1995. Her experiences have given her the ability to guide PR professionals in the right direction for effective pitching. The main focus of "All Things Considered" is breaking news. This is a departure from other NPR shows that focus on feature stories.
Klinger’s pitching tips are broken down into easy to read bullet points:
Pitches she hates:
* Get-rich-quick products or services.
* Anything diet-related.
* "The next big thing" in the health category.
Pitches she loves:
* Breaking news. “Smart publicists,” she says, “call their authors as soon as they hear about a breaking news event that ties into the client's expertise.” Then they call her and pitch—that day!
* Ones that have "terrific sound." For example, one of her sources who works for a university, pitched a story about how the school was going to drop cars atop a hurricane shelter, as part of an experiment, to see how much strain the shelter could take.
* Pitches from publicists whose clients have JUST had an amazing experience. Call her that day, not three days later.
You can listen to Carol’s tips by visiting the link below for this interview with Eric Schwartzman from On the Record…Online.
NPR has a large collection of archives, so before pitching, be sure to educate yourself on the types of stories that are featured on each show by using the topic search feature on their Web site. This advice is true when pitching your story to any media outlet and a valuable media relations tip. Being familiar with the journalist's past stories will help both of you. They will be happy that you took the time to research their beat, and you won't be wasting your time pitching a story that they do not typically cover.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Gina Rubel Named Philadelphia Business Journal Woman of Distinction
Gina Rubel, Furia Rubel’s President/CEO, has been selected as one of the 2008 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal. She will be recognized at an annual awards reception on December 1, 2008, at the Sheraton City Center.
To register for this event, click here.
To register for this event, click here.
Join the Philadelphia Business Journal and National Association of Women Business Owners in celebrating the 2008 Women of Distinction on December 1, 2008. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, “this year's award recipients are 25 of the region's most dynamic women who are making headlines in their professional field and in their community.”
The event gathers over 700 of the region's newsmakers for excellent networking and an inspiring awards ceremony. Winners will also be profiled in a special section of the Business Journal's November 28 issue.
The 25 winners for 2008 include:
Terri Albertson, Grant Thornton, LLP
Donna Allie, Team Clean, Inc.
Diana Bald, Univision 65
Jean Canfield, PNC Bank
Tracy Carter-Dougherty, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Anne Ewers, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Ellen Fisher, Women's Yellow Pages of Greater Philadelphia
M. Louise Fitzpatrick, Villanova University
Gina F. Rubel, Furia Rubel Communications, Inc.
Susan Jacobson, Tierney Communications
Anne Klein, Grubb & Ellis Company
Susan Lutz, ETSEC, Inc.
Bernadette Mangan, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Suzanne Mayes, Cozen O'Connor
Lizann McGowan, CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
Patricia Owens, Decision Strategies International
Kathleen Shay, Duane Morris, LLP
Charlotte Sibley, Shire Pharmaceuticals
Angie Simmons, QVC
Pernille Spiers-Lopez, IKEA
Rosemary Turner, UPS
Tina Waters, Comcast
Melissa Weiler-Gerber, Women’s Way
Jan Weinstock, Gift of Life Donor Program
Binney Wietlisbach, The Haverford Trust Company
The Women of Distinction program is presented by: Wachovia and Sponsored by: AETNA, Ernst & Young, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University. Premium Seating at Comcast-Spectacor and NAWBO.
Contact Jennifer Wolf at the Philadelphia Business Journal for more information at 215-238-5106.
Word for Executives - 5 Tips for Senior Executives Whose Team Members Use Word
Posted by Amanda Walsh
Microsoft Word is a program that I use for a good portion of every day. Even with my familiarity with Word, I'm always learning new capabilities of the software. This Web site is a great resource for veteran Word users and novices alike, in any industry. It provides great tips for senior executives who may not use Microsoft Word as much as their workers. And, all staff members will benefit from advanced knowledge.
The top five tips from the site are:
1. Learn the lingo
2. Make sure that Word is set up on your machines so it works effectively for your team
3. Learn how Track Changes works
4. Be kind to your staff when editing a document someone else has prepared
5. Accept that most things work most of the time in Word
The most helpful tip to me has been learning Track Changes. I use this feature while posting blogs from abroad. After writing a draft, I forward it to my colleagues at Furia Rubel who are then able to effectively edit and send it back to me. Track Changes makes it easy to review the revisions.
Microsoft Word is a program that I use for a good portion of every day. Even with my familiarity with Word, I'm always learning new capabilities of the software. This Web site is a great resource for veteran Word users and novices alike, in any industry. It provides great tips for senior executives who may not use Microsoft Word as much as their workers. And, all staff members will benefit from advanced knowledge.
The top five tips from the site are:
1. Learn the lingo
2. Make sure that Word is set up on your machines so it works effectively for your team
3. Learn how Track Changes works
4. Be kind to your staff when editing a document someone else has prepared
5. Accept that most things work most of the time in Word
The most helpful tip to me has been learning Track Changes. I use this feature while posting blogs from abroad. After writing a draft, I forward it to my colleagues at Furia Rubel who are then able to effectively edit and send it back to me. Track Changes makes it easy to review the revisions.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Bailout Snafu Shows Government Could Use a Lesson in PR
From Katie Noonan - An interesting article by Michael Bush in AdAge.com this week should be read not just by those in public relations industry, but inside the Beltway, too.
According to the article, and many in the public relations field, much of the reason the Bailout Plan has been so unpopular with the public has largely to do with simple PR miscalculations.
What’s in a Name?
The article highlights what both political pundits and public relations experts have been saying since the bill’s inception. The decision by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the Bush Administration to call it a “bailout plan” was a critical mistake. The term “bailout” connotes providing emergency assistance to keep Wall Street afloat, which leads the American public to ask why?- when a significant portion of the blame can be placed squarely on the shoulders of mortgage companies that made poor investments on high-risk individuals.
In the article, Andrew Benett, CEO of Euro RSCG New York, is quoted as saying that “rescue” would have been a much better term for the plan. According to Benett, "there is nothing redemptive about a bailout. What if this had been called a 'rescue' from the beginning? Or the 'Save Our Homes Act'? Supporting a 'rescue' is a bear of an entirely different species. It is not only a redemptive act, restoring things to their rightful order -- it is heroic." Perhaps a simple change in terminology would have resonated with the American people and garnered more support for the plan early on.
$700 Billion to do…what…exactly?
Another reason the AdAge article highlights for the bill’s unpopularity has to do with the Administration’s failure to effectively communicate to the public why the bill was needed, and why we should shell out another $700 billion, when the federal government is already running a trillion dollar deficit, spending millions each day on the war in Iraq, and many Americans are paying over four dollars at the pump and find themselves struggling to make ends meet in the midst of economic recession.
That’s not to say that a bailout, or ‘rescue’ isn’t necessary, but rather to show that the Bush Administration could have done a better job of communicating why it is necessary, and where our $700 billion would be going in light of so many Americans’ concerns. It’s safe to say that we’d all benefit from a return to economic normalcy, but an American public, always critical of Washington and Wall Street alike doesn’t want to feel as though they’re writing a blank check to Uncle Sam or paying for generous severance packages for CEO’s of failing mortgage companies.
A Cautionary Tale
The bailout controversy shows that an effective public relations campaign that communicates a clear message to the public is crucial whether you’re in the public or the private sector. In this case, it could have meant desperately needed help to our ailing economy sooner rather than later.
According to the article, and many in the public relations field, much of the reason the Bailout Plan has been so unpopular with the public has largely to do with simple PR miscalculations.
What’s in a Name?
The article highlights what both political pundits and public relations experts have been saying since the bill’s inception. The decision by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the Bush Administration to call it a “bailout plan” was a critical mistake. The term “bailout” connotes providing emergency assistance to keep Wall Street afloat, which leads the American public to ask why?- when a significant portion of the blame can be placed squarely on the shoulders of mortgage companies that made poor investments on high-risk individuals.
In the article, Andrew Benett, CEO of Euro RSCG New York, is quoted as saying that “rescue” would have been a much better term for the plan. According to Benett, "there is nothing redemptive about a bailout. What if this had been called a 'rescue' from the beginning? Or the 'Save Our Homes Act'? Supporting a 'rescue' is a bear of an entirely different species. It is not only a redemptive act, restoring things to their rightful order -- it is heroic." Perhaps a simple change in terminology would have resonated with the American people and garnered more support for the plan early on.
$700 Billion to do…what…exactly?
Another reason the AdAge article highlights for the bill’s unpopularity has to do with the Administration’s failure to effectively communicate to the public why the bill was needed, and why we should shell out another $700 billion, when the federal government is already running a trillion dollar deficit, spending millions each day on the war in Iraq, and many Americans are paying over four dollars at the pump and find themselves struggling to make ends meet in the midst of economic recession.
That’s not to say that a bailout, or ‘rescue’ isn’t necessary, but rather to show that the Bush Administration could have done a better job of communicating why it is necessary, and where our $700 billion would be going in light of so many Americans’ concerns. It’s safe to say that we’d all benefit from a return to economic normalcy, but an American public, always critical of Washington and Wall Street alike doesn’t want to feel as though they’re writing a blank check to Uncle Sam or paying for generous severance packages for CEO’s of failing mortgage companies.
A Cautionary Tale
The bailout controversy shows that an effective public relations campaign that communicates a clear message to the public is crucial whether you’re in the public or the private sector. In this case, it could have meant desperately needed help to our ailing economy sooner rather than later.
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