The Stinker Pitch involves sending a media release containing no newsworthy content.
Some business people confuse what’s new with what’s news. While teaching a building-a-buzz-for-your-business seminar, I asked participants to list company achievements that could be publicized. Mixed in with news-worthy items such as awards, promotions and additions to staff were new-but-not-news-worthy items such as “Changed our coffee service,” “Upgraded computers” and “We just bought new office furniture.”
For the teachable moment that followed, I grabbed a copy of the local business journal. We identified by type all of the business announcements that appeared in the paper’s back pages. By the end of the exercise, nodding heads and big smiles told me the participants understood the difference between what’s new and what’s news. (I turned the list we generated into a worksheet called “Mom! Guess What?” that I use in my public relations seminars. If you’d like a copy, email me at pauline@paulinebartel.com.)
Blogger Bio: Pauline Bartel, M.A., is President and Chief Creative Officer of
Bartel Communications, Inc., an award-winning corporate communications firm,
specializing in marketing, public relations and business anniversary consulting
services. The firm created “The Bartel Years™” and “The Bartel Years 200™,” rosters of business anniversary symbols to inspire two centuries of business anniversary
“sell”-abrations. Download free copies of “The Bartel Years™” and the special
report “The Top 10 Business Anniversary Ideas for SELL-abrating Your Business
Anniversary” at this link: http://www.paulinebartel.com/services/corporate-services/business-anniversary-consulting