I totally hear you and agree with you and yes as a PR person it is our job to educate our clients -- but truth be told, not every client wants to be educated. They listen and then still make an edict for how they want it to go. Unfortunately we do not have ultimate decision-making power and our hands are tied in many instances. And this is not to say that their policies don't backfire on them -- when a confirmed assignment never results in a story because an editor left a publication or a publication folded. And I can first-hand attest to the fact that you are still writing about one of my clients long after you stayed there! But writers just need to know that as PR people, we can't always control our clients no matter how much we would love to and do indeed try. This is particularly true when you are talking a client in another country as, quite often, the policies of their local journalists are different -- I am talking about not just guaranteeing coverage, but down to specifics with number of pages and photos! When they are used to this, they don't get why the whole world doesn't work like this. It's insane.
I think the transactional mindset is part of it. I also think we need to educate clients about playing the long game in PR. Not everything is going to result in immediate coverage. Much like someone's decision to buy a product (or anything really) it sometimes takes multiple "touches" or experiences before you decide to plunk down the cash. Or, in this case, write about something. Glad you sparked a timely conversation!
Transactional is a great way to describe it. It's in our (the journos') best interest to place stories about our trips because we spend unpaid time on them and need to earn a living. You either trust the journalist will do their job or you don't. If you want guaranteed coverage in a certain pub, advertorials exist. Also, as a reader who also knows how the sausage is made, I feel like I sometimes have a hunch when a writer is pursuing a story they're passionate about versus one they're doing for a PR.
I totally hear you and agree with you and yes as a PR person it is our job to educate our clients -- but truth be told, not every client wants to be educated. They listen and then still make an edict for how they want it to go. Unfortunately we do not have ultimate decision-making power and our hands are tied in many instances. And this is not to say that their policies don't backfire on them -- when a confirmed assignment never results in a story because an editor left a publication or a publication folded. And I can first-hand attest to the fact that you are still writing about one of my clients long after you stayed there! But writers just need to know that as PR people, we can't always control our clients no matter how much we would love to and do indeed try. This is particularly true when you are talking a client in another country as, quite often, the policies of their local journalists are different -- I am talking about not just guaranteeing coverage, but down to specifics with number of pages and photos! When they are used to this, they don't get why the whole world doesn't work like this. It's insane.
I think the transactional mindset is part of it. I also think we need to educate clients about playing the long game in PR. Not everything is going to result in immediate coverage. Much like someone's decision to buy a product (or anything really) it sometimes takes multiple "touches" or experiences before you decide to plunk down the cash. Or, in this case, write about something. Glad you sparked a timely conversation!
Transactional is a great way to describe it. It's in our (the journos') best interest to place stories about our trips because we spend unpaid time on them and need to earn a living. You either trust the journalist will do their job or you don't. If you want guaranteed coverage in a certain pub, advertorials exist. Also, as a reader who also knows how the sausage is made, I feel like I sometimes have a hunch when a writer is pursuing a story they're passionate about versus one they're doing for a PR.
Also, say hi to Harry for me!!!!!!!
Hey! What type of information are you looking for an expert on beach resorts to provide? I might have a relevant source but want to make sure!
Wow! I totally agree. I bet that client is no fun for that PR person to work with. Eeeks
When you're talking about sustainability, are you talking about environmentally, financially...?