Frankie Flack: How did I get this terrible pitch?

A few weeks ago I used this column to complain about how marketing fundamentals were invading the public relations field and eroding media relations basics.  New tools for a new era of engagement has had a sweeping impact on the public relations field.

While I firmly believe that this new way of thinking has been largely detrimental to media relations, there has been some interesting new ways to use media relations for a marketing effect.

The idea came to me when I was looking at Twitter and saw that a notable technology editor at a national business publication had blasted out a tweet about a bad PR pitch she had received.  Apparently, some PR agency had sent her a pitch about a limited time deal at everyone’s favorite doughnut shop.

At first glance, this made absolutely zero sense.  Why would a tech editor care about donuts?

Reporters, especially business reporters who tend to focus on specific, often times esoteric topics like the mechanics of a leveraged buyout, are flooded with poorly targeted emails.  In fact, it happens so often most reporters I know are completely unfazed by these wandering bits of mail.

However, after a closer look I am a believer that the wayward doughnut pitch was not in fact poorly targeted, but perhaps a clever new way of utilizing media relations.  (Full disclaimer, I was not involved in this pitch, so my theory below is only rooted in an understanding of current practices that may or may not have been applied to this email.)

The impact of the internet and social media on news media has been talked about ad nauseum, so without diving into a broad examination of this changing field there is one important evolution reporters should understand.  Journalists are no longer simply the arbiters of information for their specific beat but are now influencers of the general population (especially those that engage on social media).  For public relations in the modern era, influencers are fundamental tools to deliver a message.

Consider that this tech editor maintains an active Twitter account with thousands of followers.  The information she shares with her community of followers is not confined to technology news, but is filled with updates about her day, opinions about the tech industry and general musings on life.

In this light, one can certainly argue that the doughnut pitch was not a common PR misfire, but perhaps a targeted approach to a highly influential consumer.

What if she had tweeted in the past about her love for this brand?  Would a PR person then be off-base to assume she wouldn’t be interested in what’s happening with this brand?  Either way, when she took to twitter to alert her followers about the pitch, and the marketing promotion it highlighted, a PR objective was achieved.

Is this the best way to practice media relations?  Absolutely not.

I can’t imagine there is a reporter out there who would condone increasing the number of bad pitches they get.

To be clear, I am not condoning sending business reporters consumer PR pitches just because they have an active twitter account.  Targeting and thoughtfulness in any approach to media are still the most important considerations, but in a new media era carefully targeted pitches don’t necessarily have to address a reporter’s beat.