PRNewser Gets New Digs!
December 6, 2007
That’s right folks, “mama bistro” as our sister blog AgencySpy likes to call her, has decided to move us on over to the main site. Starting today, catch us at www.prnewser.com. Let us know what you think of the new feel.
Ben Affleck, John Mayer, Non-profits and the Media Hit the Sunshine and Sachs Holiday Bash
December 5, 2007
Top shelf booze and tuna tartar flowed freely last night at the annual movable media feast that is the Ken Sunshine holiday party, or, the Ken Sunshine & Shawn Sachs party as this is the first year Ken is hosting with a partner.
With a last-minute change (jokingly pawned off as a smokescreen to keep Rudy Giuliani from crashing) the party landed at Meatpacking hotspot One Little West 12th.
I spoke to the gregarious Sachs about the ‘plan’ for a party that put Ben Affleck, Pat O’Brien, John Mayer, media elite including Page6’s Paula Froelich & Bill Hoffman, the News’ George Rush, and GMA’s Monica Escobedo in the same mix as clients 1199SEIU, America’s Second Harvest, New York Organ Donor Network, Do Something and the Transit Workers Union.
(Hoffman, incidentally was overheard talking about the great items publicists could be pitching from books and such but don’t, and that “a lot of flacks should be sent to flack school.”)
According to Sachs, “It’s simple really, we let the staff invite whoever they want from the different parts of the business. Some agency holiday parties are staff only, we open it up to everyone, including other PR people we know. Other agencies have staff-only parties. Who needs to spend more time with people from the office?”
The other benefit beyond plying the media with posh nightclub surroundings is putting like-minded clients together, Sachs continued. “The Second Harvest people talked to Do Something about the current food shortage. They’re meeting today to see how they can raise awareness together.”
Others confirmed on the scene were Access Hollywood producer Jennifer Zweben, Pete Shapiro, former owner of the Wetlands, and new owner of Brooklyn Bowl, GMA’s publicist Bridgette Maney, and of course our boss, mediabistro.com founder Laurel Touby.
PRNewser Interview: Jon Friedman, Marketwatch.com
December 5, 2007
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Continuing in our weekly series interviewing the movers and shakers in PR and media, PRNewser this week spoke with Marketwatch.com senior media columnist Jon Friedman. In his most recent column, “R.I.P., the American magazine, 1923-20__” Jon wrote, “this industry seems intent on choking itself to death.” We talk to him a bit more about that, working with “flacks” and his local sports affiliations.
What time did you wake up this morning?
5:45 a.m. (to get ready to go to a 6:30 a.m. spinning class at a nearby New York Sports Club).
Best part about covering the media beat?
Chiding and needling pompous people.
Worst part about covering the media beat?
Seeing how incredibly thin-skinned and image-conscious media people at all levels can be – they are much worse about protecting their reps than CEOs.
Vlogging and the New DIY PR
December 4, 2007
(image: Andy Plesser shooting footage for The New York Times corporate site)
I’ve been talking to people in the industry about the fight for marketing dollars recently between interactive agencies, PR firms, and other consultants. Where PR people succeed and fail–and this was the main theme of the Critical Issues Forum–is in their ability to tell compelling stories. My theory is the overall nut of marketing dollars will remain the same, while PR firms fight to keep what they have, or learn new methods and take a bigger chunk. Creating new media, specifically producing video for the web is going to be the nut the industry fights for.
Pitch the Media To Your Clients
December 4, 2007
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But shouldn’t it be the other way around, you say? Not necessarily. Bulldog Reporter’s Sally Falkow recently spoke with marketing guru Seth Godin, who said:
The main challenge for PR is that the Internet has made the model of pitching the media redundant. The best PR people are those who are counsellors to their clients, not publicity hounds. The way to win now is to represent the new media to your clients, not the other way round.
It’s true that when you really know a certain publication/writer that you can speak to your client with confidence about what will work best for both parties. In essence, you are pitching the media outlet to your client. Try that on for size!
Do You Get Paid Per Hit?
December 4, 2007
We just came across this question on LinkedIn:
My business, <name removed> has been working with a small PR firm for the past 2 years on a ‘fee per placement’ agreement. I have a line of new products and they would like to change this structure to a monthly retainer. Does moving to a monthly retainer make sense and how do I know what is reasonable to pay on a monthly basis?
Ok, so asking how much a monthly retainer one should pay, based on scope of work needed, is a totally reasonable question. But, we always cringe when we hear of firms who offer a “pay per hit” arrangement. What would you say when put in this situation? Tell the potential client to skee-daddle, sign ’em up, or somewhere in between?
The Missing CEO | Another Rupe Aquisition? | Talking Tech in 2008 | Ad It Up | Gawker Story Continues
December 4, 2007
Robert Scoble: Where the hell is Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook?
PR Week: Sources not so reliable on News Corp./LinkedIn takeover talks
Catching Flack: Windfall of 2008 Tech Media Forecasts
Strategic Public Relations: In Your Face: Ad Placements of Tomorrow
Romenesko: Here’s the n+1 piece that convinced Gawker editors to quit
Looking for a Spokesperson? Retired Athletes Less Risky
December 4, 2007
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AARP today announced that tennis star Martina Navratilova as its new “Health & Fitness Ambassador.” A WSJ article on the deal explains why retired athletes are getting more popular:
While many of the richest endorsement deals still go to young phenoms like LeBron James, who has a seven-year, $90 million deal with Nike, former players are getting far more attention than they used to.
It is in part a reaction to the wave of recent scandals in sports, in which players have been caught up in everything from steroid abuse to a gambling ring that bets on dog fights.
Companies “don’t want to get into a situation where [they] want to get out of a contract,” says Jim Andrews, senior vice president of Chicago-based sponsorship-research firm IEG, a unit of WPP. “That is far less likely to happen with a proven entity.”
So, while it’s easier for AARP to pick a retired athlete who can relate to their older demographic, all the younger skewing brands are going to have to keep taking risks.