Re: UKNM: PR continued - some pitch experiences

[Fiona Campbell-Howes]

Lois wrote:


>>Anyone else out there like to comment on communication difficulties across

the pond?<<


God, let's not even start on that.  My pet hate is the stupid, meaningless,

space-wasting tagline that US clients insist you put in the first line of

every press release.  I was thinking of setting a "spot the company"

competition using taglines.  You can be my guinea pigs.  A tenner for anyone

who manages to guess more than two of these accurately and without cheating:


X,  a leading provider of eBusiness infrastructure software for customer

interaction.


X, the world's leading supplier of eBusiness application software.


X, a leading provider of intelligent eService solutions.


X, a leading provider of personalized e-business applications.


X, a leading provider of integrated e-business solutions.


X, the largest provider of software for e-business.


X, a global eBusiness solutions company.


X, a leader in business to consumer relationship marketing.



Arrrrgh. IBM have a lot to answer for for inventing the term "e-business".


Fiona


(available for writing PR materials in plain English, ho ho)


----- Original Message -----

From: Lois Grayson <

loisgdialstart [dot] net

>

To: <

uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com

>

Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2000 1:04 AM

Subject: UKNM: PR continued - some pitch experiences



> Some good points coming out. I've been in the odd position of

'representing'

> an American client and 'managing' their UK PR relationships. As a result

of

> running a repitch round up of the usual suspects I concluded:

>

> 1. That a PR agency might be great overall but your experience will rely

> solely on the people on your team; it's worth extracting a promise that

the

> glitzy, articulate individuals you meet at the pitch are the people you'll

> get to work with. I get hacked off when the Director with the market

> knowledge I'm buying into only ever rematerialises for the palm pressing

> stuff when the bigwigs are around

>

> 2.That checking out references is sensible but all glowing reports taste

> better with a big pinch of salt - you're obviously going to be directed to

> the journos and clients who are at least happy. I took a step further and

> rang the important journos the favoured agency  hadn't suggested and got a

> more rounded picture

>

> 3. That only recent case studies are of any use; staff turnover tends to

be

> q rapid in such a fast expanding market so the people who ran their best

> campaign may be long gone (staff t.o. is a good indicator for account

> stability too)

>

> I also have to add that IMHO if a client puts in the groundwork

(education,

> key messages,contacts, processes) and for once just once actually attempts

> to brief the PR consultancy then the team will have a much better chance

of

> getting the required results. Just sending a product brochure and

expecting

> miracles seems to be the limit of some companies' PR expertise.

>

> Oh and any Americans out there - the language might SOUND the same but it

> really isn't; UK journos like to hear English not jargon with the

> occassional verb thrown in. My client so confused the Telegraph that they

> suggested two development partners who hated each other were in bed on a

big

> project. Result? One of the biggest publishing operations in the world

> nearly left the stable and a panicky apology had to be printed. Anyone

else

> out there like to comment on communication difficulties across the pond?

>

> Lois

> (Available for freelance PR management plug plug)



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