FlackList Blog

PR professionals have nightmares all year long that are much scarier than anything to do with ghosts and goblins. Ours actually pertain to real people – the clients we serve. Forget black cats, this Halloween we are highlighting the most terrifying clients to cross a PR pros path.

The Micro-manager: We’ve all had this one. They give you a deadline for a document on Tuesday and on Monday ask when they will be able to see it.

The DIYer: I’m not talking about a client that wants you to do it all yourself. I’m talking about the client that gives you an order and then does it themselves. For example, they ask you to say contact a reporter and then they reach out themselves. Or, they ask you to change a pitch and then send you a new version just as you are finishing up the re-draft.

The Unforgiving client: Not sure who this client crossed or crossed them in the past but making a mistake with them is not a pretty sight. They may either treat you like a blithering idiot for the remainder of the relationship or ask for you to be transferred off the account. Yikes!

 The Love You/Hate You client: Oh, this one may be the worst. They praise you daily and then two weeks go by without a placement and the horns come out. Suddenly, you’ve produced no results for them and are the worst agency with which they’ve worked.

The Inhumane Client: This client just has no respect for anyone. They throw out new deadlines and assignments on Fridays at 5 for a deadline of Monday at 8 a.m. They only give criticism for a front page placement or any other success.

The Never satisfied Client: This client is insatiable. You have 15 meetings in NY set up? Well, it looks like we have two slots left – why aren’t those filled? Why did this last Facebook post have less likes than the former? “You got us on the TODAY show – great? But our segment was only two minutes.” Sheesh!

The “I Want my Money Back” client: You don’t want to meet this one – trust me. 

The OCD client: Everything has to be in Calibri and 1.75 spaced. You have to spell out every little detail in summaries but keep it to 250 words. Everything – memos, emails, etc. must be in AP style.

The Ad Person in a PR Title Client:  The client who edits your pitches so that she can insert “marketing messages” into the copy and thinks that media will simply pick up whatever you send out and run it verbatim. The client who is only satisfied when the story resulting from an interview reads like an ad, or who keeps pushing you to pitch a business/workplace story to a morning show who only covers fluff.

The “Ellen”/”The View”/TODAY-obsessed Client:  It used to be “Oprah” but now everyone seems to want “Ellen,” “The View” or GMA. And they don’t have a celebrity or a budget to do audience giveaways. Right.

The Talker:  This is the client who can talk the birds out of the trees and eats up your whole budget with calls and face-to-face meetings to discuss minute issues or even her personal life. She seems lonely and needs her agency to make any decision, big or small.

Strategy Seeker:  “They get great media results, but don’t give us any strategy.” Many a client has arrived on our doorstep with this lament about their previous firm and the reality 99% of the time is that they don’t have the budget for strategic discussions or any of the big program ideas we threw into the pitch to get the business. But a month into the account they are screaming for the hits.

The Make Me Look Bad Client:  The client who asks you to pitch top tier media promising juicy data or key interviews and then leaves the reporter … and you … hanging out to dry when they don’t deliver. Nice way to get your agency person blackballed from a reporter she will likely need to pitch for another client long after this client is long gone. This is also the client who begs for media placements and beats down your door to get “results” but who “forgets” to return the calls of a “Today” show producer for 2 days after your release goes out.

By Ronnie Manning/MyntPR

As public relations and marcom professionals, we have all gotten advice from some pretty savvy minds throughout our careers. Whether in school, your first job, or late into your career there is probably one nugget of advice that someone told you that has stuck with you to this day.

I can say that the best piece of advice that I was ever told (and one that I still reference often) was back when I was fresh out of college and working at Edelman in DC.  That piece of advice was “Public Relations is a marathon, not a sprint.”  I still think that this holds true today, but I would say that with the introduction of social media into our daily PR lives, the pace of the marathon has definitely been kicked up a notch, so maybe now we are running a 5K. 

I was curious to know what other bits of advice PR practitioners have received that has helped guide their careers.  I reached out to peers in the industry and asked them what they would consider some of the best public relations advice that they have ever received and if they met a new graduate who is about to do a cannonball into the PR pool, what would they tell them?

 Below are 35 great pieces of advice - some I’ve heard, many I haven’t, most I’ll repeat - so, chew these little nuggets up and digest. 

1. The best advice I ever got was from one of my college professors and I’ve carried it with me into my career: KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid - Elyse Petroni

2. Unless you have a weekend event, or want to purposely bury a story - never pitch the press or send out a press release on a Friday - Kathleen G. Berzon 

3. Best piece of advice I ever received came from a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who told me that ‘Information is Currency’ -  Jane Evans-Ryan

4. Court Attention at All Costs: Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses. - Ryan Holiday 

5. There isn’t one right way of achieving results (placements, mentions, social media following, etc.). You have to figure out what works for you and always be creative” Janice Yu

6. Never let your ego get in the way - especially if you are just out of college. It’s easy to think that a certain task is “beneath” you, doing these things shows that you are a team player and can take on whatever is thrown at you. - Stephanie Yonus

7. Media/PR world is a small world, so don’t burn any bridges. - Daniel K. Lobring 

8. When you walk into a meeting with a client, say one smart thing and ask one smart question. - Michele Moore

9. During my very first PR internship, my boss emphasized the importance of being courteous toward clients and the media, especially when on the phone. - April Harter

10. The best piece of advice I’ve ever received was from a professor who told his students to “take ownership of our work.” - Beth Parker 

11. The best piece of advice I had received from a PR trainer when I first started was: “We’re tellers, not sellers. As soon as a journalist smells a whiff of sales, your press release is going in the bin.” - Vickie Chiu 

12. Don’t rely on other people tell the world how great you are. You are and will always be your own best cheerleader. - Erica J. Sandberg 

13. Especially during these tough economic times, having the ability to help bring in new business can make you a huge asset for a company. - Hana Bieliauskas 

14. The best PR advice I ever got was from a former manager and she often told me “It’s PR, not the ER.” - Nivene Judeh 

15. The best advice I’ve received regarding PR is actually twofold: 1) tailor your message to the right audience (ie:don’t just blindly send out press releases to any media contact with an email address) and 2) always say thank you when something gets picked up. - Meghan Ely 

16. Whenever something happens, the first two questions you need to ask yourself are: who do I need to tell? And who do I need to thank? - Laura Kane 

17. The best advice I received was from my first internship and it was to “Write tight.”- Rachel Esterline 

18. Always, always, always have someone proofread your work. Let me repeat this for the folks in the cheap seats, always, always, always have someone proofread work. Do not rely on spell check because it won’t catch pubic and dead when you meant public and deaf. - Shannon Mouton 

19. Listen before you speak. And when the other person is done talking, ask if he or she has anything else to say. - Susan Matthews

20. The best advice I ever received was to tell “the story behind the story.” - Shel Horowitz 

21. The best PR advice I received was from my Advanced Public Relations professor, “Tell YOUR Story and Tell it FAST!” - Jill Morris 

22. Relationships matter above all, and that you build relationships by making yourself useful, not annoying. The PR practitioner should focus on providing helpful service to the journalist whenever possible. Help them source good story ideas, provide sources with intelligent contributions to make, thank them for their time and attention. - Laura Fitton 

23. When you pitch your company, pitch it as if you are writing the article for the publication. - Erik Huberman 

24. Read, read and read some more. The best way to be a strategic counselor to your clients is if you build time into your day—every day—to read about what is going on in the world. Schedule time on your calendar if you need to, but make reading a daily habit. - Lisa Tilt 

25. Don’t get into a pissing match with someone who buys ink by the ton. - Mark LoCastro 

26. PR is not about spin. It’s about telling the truth well. - Mark Grimm

27. The best advice I have ever been given is to “toot your own horn because no one else is going to do it.” - Catherine Fiehn 

28. The best PR advice I ever received is also the most fundamental rule, “Always know who you are pitching beforehand” - Walter Ocner 

29. Public relations is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Before new practitioners commit to an organization or even to an industry, they need to understand what that organization/industry places under the public relations umbrella. - Alana J. Mauger 

30. Best advice I got and give is “Just because someone asks you a question doesn’t mean you have to answer it.” - Darlene Tenes 

31. Things are going to go wrong, and we’re probably going to be blamed. We just have to accept it, apologize for it, and turn it into a good thing later on. - Meghan Williams 

32. The main ingredient is HUSTLE. No, seriously, it’s the ability and desire to passionately pitch your product to the media any time (it’s 6:53PM on Friday and here I am) with the right angle, the right message and the right attitude. - Adrian Salamunovic

33. Tell the Truth Faster - Dave Phillipson

34. Don’t say anything (on/off the record) you’d regret seeing in print. - Marc Holloran

35. “Never let them see you sweat” is some of the best advice I have gotten with regard to both the PR business and clients. - Janet A. Fallon

And if you have any advice that isn’t listed, please feel free to add in the comments!

Ronnie Manning is the Principal for Mynt Public Relations, a technology and consumer electronics boutique agency located in San Diego.

I’m not sure if I cringe or chuckle more when I see a college student or college graduate comment how glamorous public relations is or that they would be good at it because they like to talk to people, host events, etc.

Reality check: PR is NOT glamorous. If that is in your top five reasons for entering the industry, it's best to change directions now.

The truth is most people don’t understand public relations, even those entering the field. As a PR pro, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing because if we want to get down to it, most of the time it is a thankless job with a lot of blood, sweat, stress and tears.

Every day is a new day full of opportunities to make an impact for the company or brands you represent but there is never enough time and luck isn’t always on your side. Yes, I’m saying it. Luck does play a part in PR. Call it whatever you want – timing, circumstance – if you’re in PR, you’ve experienced it and usually when you really, really needed it. There is a God!

BUT, you should never count on luck to be on your side. Every successful outcome starts with a solid strategy with various plans of attack. By “attack”, I don’t mean duping reporters, spinning the truth or forcing a story down anyone’s throat.

Smart PR pros focus on the brand and the consumers. What is their love line? What is it that brings them together? They start there and build programs, platforms, pitches – whatever to emphasize the strengths of the brand. I get so sick of people assuming everything in PR is a lie. Yes, there have been serious cover ups and flops under the PR flag but that isn’t the premise of PR. We helps brands tell their stories – true stories. We compliment other marketing programs like advertising to give life to a brand, a personality/reputation that you respect.

So to the next generation of PR pros coming in, here are five things to prepare yourself for:

• Be prepared to work your butt off with little pay
• Be prepared not to receive much praise but be given quite a bit of responsibility (every part of a PR team is important)
• Be prepared to be given little respect by journalists and some clients until you’ve earned it
• Be prepared to listen/soak in all information when told the first time
• Be prepared to continue making mistakes/learning throughout your career
• Be prepared to feel immense pride when you see the positive impact you’ve help make for a company

I’m not trying to scare away new recruits but I want the ones joining the ranks to be as tough as nails and ready to dive in head first, not expect to flounce around at parties in cute clothes, mingling with celebrities.

There’s incredible, incredible power in PR that can give the foundation for a career in any industry. You just have to have the hunger to learn. Well, that and exceptional writing skills, a lack of fear for public speaking, creative thinking and the list goes on.

Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with those joining the PR ranks?

NOTE: Scroll all the way down the page to leave a comment.

This Sunday we celebrate dad. PR pros can feel even more thankful to their “big guy” for preparing them for the crazy world of public relations with his wise adages. Here’s a list of my personal favorites and how they apply to PR:

• A little dirt never hurt anyone, just wipe it off… i.e. yes, crisis happen but there are ways to recover. You’ve just got to get up and do it.

• Whoever said life was supposed to be fair i.e. so your team lead took credit for a placement you scored? Suck it up. You can’t say, “No, wait I secured that. No one likes a whiner, tattle tale or attention hog.

• This hurts me a lot more than it hurts you.i.e. your client really did feel awful throwing that press announcement and messaging prep over to you an hour before they were due on a call with the CEO. Right…

• Always say "please" and "thank you". You’ll get more. i.e. media love polite PR pros. Well, can anyone really resist one?

• I'll tell you why. Because I said so. That's why. i.e. yes, you’re up at midnight doing timesheets, brainstorming ideas for a ridiculously boring launch that’s due tomorrow. Get over it. This is PR.

• Keep your eye on the ball. i.e. make your plans and follow them, but most importantly, stay focused on the end goal. If your plan ever starts to stray from that, don’t be stubborn. Change it and get back on track.

• I'm not just talking to hear my own voice! i.e. don’t babble on media calls!

Any you’d care to add? And to all the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! 

I have a love/hate relationship with my job and it’s pretty much been that way my entire career. Other PR pros can attest that the highs in our occupation are pretty incredible but the lows can be devastating. Yet I keep on trucking. Why? Well, that I don’t have the answer for. I guess deep down I really do enjoy what I do.

Here are the top 10 things I love/hate about PR:

1. I love the intensity of helping media connect with others and info for stories but hate the fact that if someone can’t come through on an interview, it’s my reputation on the line
2. I love the sense of accomplishment when I  see a feature story on the front page of a top media target that I made happen but hate when a client acts like it’s just an everyday story placement
3. I love the sense of completion when all interviews are done and info is sent to the reporter but hate the lack of control that I have over the final product
4. I love helping a client score coverage in their top target but hate when they say it didn’t have the impact they expected
5. I love helping a company clean up and simplify messaging but hate when they don’t listen
6. I love having a plan but hate when a company doesn’t understand the value until crisis hits
7. I love the fast-paced, never-the-same-day vibe of PR but also hate it
8. I love being paid but hate doing time sheets
9. I love landing coverage for a company that puts them on the grid but hate that in PR, you are only as good as your next placement or next result
10. I love telling people I work in PR but hate the fact that no one outside of the industry understands what I do

 What do you love/hate about your job or the industry?

PR pros are not easily scared, but these horrifying acts are sure to raise the hair on the neck of even the toughest PR cookie. (Cue scary music from the shower scene in "Psycho.") We wouldn’t wish these PR nightmares on our worst enemy.

• You mail merge a pitch to the wrong media list
• Your big placement is canned due to huge breaking news 
• A press release is issued with the CEO’s name misspelled and all the URLs are dead
• You wake to find a cover story featuring all your competitors
• Crisis, crisis, crisis and no prepared plan of attack
• No media show up for your press conference or media event
• You accidentally share a personal tweet on the corporate account
• You lose cell/Internet service; what is a PR pro without access
• An expensive PR stunt results in zero coverage
• You have the wrong addresses listed on a media tour and your spokesperson is extremely late to every interview

What's your biggest PR nightmare?

You don’t want to live your job, but it is true that some of the best ideas happen outside of the office. And, let’s face it, sometimes we feel like our brilliant idea wells have run dry. When you’re stuck in a rut or, heck, just need more time in your day to “think”, here are five places outside to the office to get your creative juices flowing.

Breaking a Sweat. Exercise gets your heart pumping, blood flowing and is an awesome time to just let your mind go where it wants. Take those endorphins and put them to good use.

Stuck in Traffic. Avoid road rage and the possibility of rear-ending someone when checking your mobile email and instead focus on ideas for that proposal that you’ve been avoiding.

Commercial Breaks. Ok, we’ve all got DVR, but why not give it a break and use those three minutes to do a speed round of brainstorming for upcoming pitch angles. You’ll be on a tight deadline and know it will be over soon.

Over your Morning Joe. Get up early and read the paper over a cup of coffee. Current events and other news will be sure to trigger a few ideas.

Taking out the Trash. Housework needs to get done but use that mindless time to come up with some ideas that don’t stink. (Pun intended).

Where do you do your best brainstorming?

The problem with the PR industry isn’t with the true pros behind it. It’s with all the folks who think it’s so simple they can do it themselves without any training, or the PR folks who try to take the easy route. It's painful to have to watch others continue to tear apart the foundation that hardworking PR professionals have sweated blood and tears to build up. Here are five mistakes that are killing the industry. 

• My company is a story in itself. Think again. Do you know how many folks launch a company annually? A heck of a lot more than there are reporters. In order to be an asset to a reporter and score press for your company, you’ve got to have an understanding of what makes a good story. That takes research, time, reporter and industry insight, and much more. Too many folks are out their pitching themselves with no knowledge of best practices. Reporters view us all the same whether we work an agency or run our own business so all of these ill-targeted and flat pitches are adding up to more clutter/frustration for media.
  

• Just hit send. Mail merges have been around for quite some time but in my opinion they were just another nail in the PR industry’s coffin. They remove any form of “personal” from the media/PR professional’s relationship, starting with a generic media list made from a database, a pitch written for everyone supposedly covering a specific beat and a program to send it to everyone. That’s real personal. Makes a reporter feel all warm and fuzzy inside. What's even better is when it messes up and ends up sending notes with an intro titled, “Dear XX” or the wrong name altogether.
  

• I want Arrington. Arrington has moved on but his legacy continues.  Some PR reps are probably breathing sighs of relief…not only for his occasional rants on the industry but also because CEOs often have the mindset that their story is only valuable if written by the head honcho at a news outlet. By singling out the top guy, they are not only limiting your chances because that certain reporter has to sift through an unfathomable number of emails,  but also because they aren’t targeting the reporter that focuses on their niche. Sending pitches to reporters because of their status rather than their interests is one reason why reporters get annoyed.
  

• Let’s put out a press release.  Maybe I’m in the minority, but I still see value in news/press releases; they can be very helpful to reporters, providing background info such as the parties involved, details of the news, etc. The problem with releases is that every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks they need to push one out for any type of announcement. Too much of something can ruin anything.
  

• Figure it out for yourself. The daily grind in the PR industry is no piece of cake. Sometimes it can feel like you only just stepped off the elevator when the clock chimes five. Not that you are headed home anytime soon but it just reminds you that you need more time. One of the first “to dos” to go from the list is mentoring and professional development, but it needs to be a made a priority. Otherwise, all those lessons you learned the hard way won’t be shared, and your staff and peers won’t be as strong as they could be. PR practices need to be taught – respect the industry and help out its next generation.

What other mistakes are killing the industry?

Perhaps this is a dumb question. And if it is, I’ll be glad to get finally get a sound answer to clear up any confusion. Though old as dirt, press releases are still an important part of relaying key facts about company news to journalists. I get that. I typically include the release under a tailored pitch to my top targets. For those media, I know they’ve received my release and hopefully read it. My question isn’t about my pitching; it’s about the wire.

We pay big bucks to put a release over the wire. After all, it isn’t official until it has been made searchable, right? So who is searching for our news? Who received the release? Read it, clicked through or whatever the measurements are for wire services? I know wire services have partnerships with outlets to feature new releases on their sites. Only these are usually only found through searching google. Good luck trying to actually find it on their site. I doubt anyone could. And, it only lasts for a limited period of time.

So, what are we paying these big bucks for? Journalists, how do you receive your wire news? RSS feeds? What happens if you’re out sick the day my release crosses the wire? Am I just sh*t out of luck?  

PR folks, please weigh in here too if you have insight. I’m very interested in finding some answers so I can make sound recommendations to my clients.

If you’re a PR pro, you most likely do not like to be referred to as a Flack. If you’re a journalist, you love dubbing a PR rep as one since you have that love-hate relationship going on. Many of you might be surprised to know that being called a Flack is actually a compliment not an insult.

There is a big discrepancy between the two terms Flak and Flack. According to Dictionary.com, the term Flak refers to “anti-aircraft fire or artillery.” Most specifically, the term is derived from German short form ofFliegerabwehrkanone, meaning anti-aircraft gun, which was popularized during WWII. One might say a PR pro is constantly at war firing multiple guns at once to combat negative publicity, or perhaps is the big puff of smoke from the artillery explosions.

Well, breathe a sigh of relief PR pros because that term isn’t meant for you. The term Flack is and came about from the first well-known public relations man, Gene Flack, according to a number of well-known sources including The New York Times, PRWeek, Word-Detective.com and so on.

To quote Word-Detective, “a magazine called ‘Better English’ reported in June 1939 that the show-business newspaper Variety was, at that time, “trying to coin the word ‘flack’ as a synonym for publicity agent,” adding that “the word is said to be derived from Gene Flack, a movie publicity agent.” 

Gene Flack was known for doing an amazing job working with the press and helped create legacies for a number of stars that have well outlasted their lifetimes. What’s so bad about that?

So, are you a Flack or not?

As PR pros, we cringe at the thought of Michael Arrington or another reporter calling us out for a bad PR move – but can it also be considered a new age PR tactic?

I mean, surely the flack behind this pitch of a vaginal moisturizer for mom this Mother’s Day knew she/he was scraping the barrel? Or, perhaps they thought, maybe this is just SO out there that a reporter will blog or tweet about the ludicrosity of it and score some ink for a hard product to promote.

Perhaps the good PR practitioners don’t sit around saying, “Let’s make a viral video.” But rather say, “hey, let’s really go out on a limb and make ourselves look like asses – maybe that’s what it takes?”

Media/PR pros, what do you think? Do we play it too safe too often? Should PR pros act like idiots more often?

How many blogs or advice columns have you read on improving your pitching skills or PR tactics? Probably a lot – and how often do you take the advice. This year, let’s make media and the public (we are in the business of relations with the public after all) happy by actually acting on our own advice. 

Here are some PR resolutions worth making happen in 2011:

• Cut the crap. Seriously. Your press release or pitch does not the need the fluff. If the product or company is amazing – media will get the gist. Put your mind to work and find another way to prove it.
  

• Do your homework. Take some extra time and research your targets. Yes, you won’t have the time to pitch the world, but the world most likely isn’t a fit anyway. Narrow your list to five to ten journalists who would be a fit and tailor each pitch for their outlet and style of news.
  

• Delete 10 words. After writing a pitch, go back and trim it by cutting at least 10 words. I’m sure you’ll find that they weren’t necessary and you’ll save media a little time.
  

• Increase your Twitter activity. Don’t just use your feed as a bullhorn for client news. Create a personality for yourself and build relationships with media on the platform. They appreciate the character limit and the speediness of the interactions, not to mention the fact that you’re paying attention to them outside of a press release or pitch.
  

• Get organized. Finally capture all the contact info for reporter friends in one place rather than excel spreadsheet that gets dated the minute you start the document. (Hint: FlackList – shameless plug.)

What are your PR resolutions? Media, what resolutions would you like to see PR folks execute?

That’s what I gather from Cision’s latest media relations survey that identifies more than 50 percent of media say communications pros have only “some understanding” of their jobs, editorial focus and outlet. 

Well, I’m here to tell you that PR folks are far from being lazy. In fact, their days are just as hectic as media's. As a PR professional myself, I always do what I can to read up on a journalist’s latest stories as well as know who to target for a specific beat or section. I know this is an important part of doing my job well. However, I also know that this takes a lot of time if I’m trying to represent five clients and make sure their stories are being heard by the right people. 

That’s why FlackList can be such a valuable tool for both parties. Media can receive pitches more relevant to their beats and interests by sharing additional insight on their profile. Only cover public companies that have seen substantial growth in the past year? Mention that. Do you handle gift guides for a men’s magazine but also feature gifts for girlfriends and moms? Let folks know. Do you write for the front-of-the-book section of the magazine that features products or write a Q&A expert profile featuring c-level executives?  Include it in your bio. 

FlackList can help PR pros know exactly what you are interested in – saving you headache and them time. 

It’s time for technology to help us better communicate and respect one another. FlackList can help.