Ongoing professional development is really important to me, personally and on behalf of our staff. It would be all too easy to get stuck doing things the same way, day in and day out. Not only would this put clients at a competitive disadvantage, it would be BORING. I also love getting together informally with peers and comparing war stories, brainstorming, etc. I don’t worry about competition in these instances – but then again, I’m unlikely to participate in that kind of dialog with a competitor I don’t trust.

Sarah Miller – Yes to question one and no to question two.

Gloria Nichols – I have signed up with the Harvard Business School alumni association of Northern California, but I am not very good about taking advantage of the networking events. Probably because EDA is so specialized that it has its own informal network (for example, ex-Cadence employees are everywhere). I am surprised at how well the various PR professionals get along with each other as we work together on joint releases and panels. Re competitiveness, I don’t see PR people targeting each other’s active accounts too often.

Freddy Santamaria – I don’t have competitors; I only have friends or enemies. The only organization I belong is to "The Press Club of France."

Lauren Sarno – We are lucky in the chip-design world. For the most part, our PR folks are extremely collegial. Because potential client conflicts are inevitable in a small industry, we often pass prospects to each other. We organize panels, conferences and roundtables together and sit on the EDAC PR Council together.

Nancy Sheffield – I’m not in an organization because they don’t seem to have too much to offer.

Mike Sottak – Not really involved but not because of time or competitive reasons. Ours is a very specialized industry and there isn’t a ton of value to be gained from general purpose PR groups.

Toni Sottak – I don’t belong to a professional organization at this point in my career but I did belong to PRSA early on and found this to be a useful group for networking and career development.

Heidi Vantulden – I have belonged to these organizations in the past but find they consume too much time. I now depend on a network of communications professionals that I have put together over the years for new ideas and "brainstorming" sessions.

Jean Armstrong – I have not done any more pro bono work since the downturn. I have continued to do the same level of pro bono work with the same clients. Since I do pro bono work for non-profits or industry organizations that generally do not have large budgets, they have always been very happy to have the help. If any of them ever did get a budget, I would be very surprised if they turned their work over to another agency. I am quite certain they would stick with me. What I hope to get from doing pro bono work is a sense of satisfaction and, hopefully, good referrals that might eventually result in new paying clients.

Francine Bacchini – Though I have done a fair amount of pro bono work, it has never been for the purpose of winning a particular account. This is not a business model that I have chosen to support. Instead, I have volunteered to sit on various conference committees and have assisted various industry organizations for purposes of expanding the communications reach and driving the health of an industry. This practice has been of good benefit to my clients and has also spurred repeat and referral business.

Lou Covey – Pro bono generally implies donation of service for the good of the community and we give about 10 per cent of our time and revenues to charitable works. But we don't work for free for potential business.

Rob Gelphman – Budgets are down but I have not had to do work for free, and I won’t. I will accept smaller budgets for reduced workloads and deliverables. And I am always open to stock as part of the compensation package.

Barbara Kalkis – I do pro bono because it interests me and is an opportunity to ‘give back’. I don’t do it for future business potential. In fact, I rarely see a pro bono client hire someone else, and it’s never happened to me, which says a lot in itself. Once service is free, it’s considered a freebie.

Kerry McClenahan – I have never been asked to do pro bono work for a prospective client in order to win the business (aside from all the IP that regularly infuses proposals to prospects).

Sarah Miller – There’s always an initial investment of time and the chance that a prospective client might select a different agency. The pro bono work I do is outside of this industry, for non-profits.

Gloria Nichols – I have done no pro bono work, nor have I been asked to do so.

Freddy Santamaria – NONE, they work with me or they don’t – it's up to them!

Lauren Sarno – Simple: Good times or bad, you do as much pro bono work as necessary to win the account. This can mean giving away countless hours of your highest-level strategic counsel, only to see another agency win the business. That’s the only way it can work. The prospect has to know you’re committed—no passion, no reward.

Courting new business is one of our most creative activities. Researching a company’s business and crafting recommendations that could help them achieve their goals is exhilarating. Now you can call me Pollyanna.

Nancy Sheffield – A lot of time and money goes into a pitch and we have to be careful that our ideas are not taken internal by a potential client. I would say only one of every five pitches pays off in some way.

Mike Sottak – Almost none/never

Toni Sottak – After the crash of 2000 all the rules in high-tech PR were changed. The same sort of projects that would be estimated at $25,000 a month were being bid at $5,000 to $10,000. The market has never fully recovered.

Jean Armstrong – Don't know. Wish there was. It would be nice to have a place to collapse sometimes.

Francine Bacchini – PR agents exist to strategically support and advise their clients on how to effectively communicate with the press. The end goal is to propagate a client’s key messages to drive product adoption and proliferation. While we do our homework and aid our clients in the successful delivery of effective marketing communications, it is the members of the press who have the broad industry reach and influence heavily sought by our clients. And so it only makes good sense to afford the press this special treatment and consideration.

Lou Covey – Because PR people are scum of the earth?

Rob Gelphman – Because a good PR person can get into the Press Room and gets invited to the parties with the good food. Besides, "privacy" is rarely possible at a conference or tradeshow as you are always "on", unless and until (and not even then) you retire to your hotel room.

Barbara Kalkis – This is a strange question. By even asking it, it sounds like you don’t appreciate the value of the press. (No offense.) The press are...1) the intellectual property and value proposition of their publishing companies; 2) the Fourth Estate; 3) the final objective perspective that everyone needs to say what’s really going on the world. The press can say what companies, and their marketing/pr folks cannot say; i.e., "This product won’t do anybody any good."

Georgia Marszalek – Good idea. I would hope the editors and analysts could be with us PR folks too,

Kerry McClenahan – She/he who has the power gets the perks.

Sarah Miller – We’re probably too busy to use it!

Gloria Nichols – We are all paid for our time in meetings at conferences, and I see no need for additional special treatment. We are working at the shows, just like the EDA vendors are.

Freddy Santamaria – They make too much money to have free food.

Lauren Sarno – Ah, Peggy! Press are on the buy side, PR folks are on the sell side. You always wine and dine the buyer.

Nancy Sheffield – Because the PR profession "get no respect."

Mike Sottak – Good question. I used to be sportswriter and the press are treated like kings (and queens). We used to judge a team by the quality of its food in the Press Room. In our business, there is no reason conferences and shows shouldn’t be more accommodating, especially with the space available at most venues and the technology available to make lives easier and work more efficient.

Toni Sottak – At a minimum there should be a section in the Press Room for PR people….

Heidi Vantulden – Hmmm…good idea

Anon – Should be interesting to see what your responses to this one look like!

Jean Armstrong – Definitely. In fact, I did not attend the first event at DAC precisely because the name put me off. Not sure how the name was chosen, but I would hope it is tongue in cheek.

Francine Bacchini – While a "Flack" is simply slang for a press agent or publicist, if we examine some of the dictionary definitions of a "Hack", then we see that the term is actually not derogatory, but instead, rather fitting for what it is that we actually do for our clients, which is to breakdown very complicated technology into its essential value and communicate that value to the broader industry.

Hack: to break up the surface of; to gain access; to cope with successfully / manage.

Jen Bernier – Only if you’re missing a sense of humor.

Lynne Cavanaugh – I would think so. Although I can understand the term, being a publicist is a significant, bonafide job and something someone spends their days doing. Most have built careers around the profession and take pride in the results they get on behalf of the client. Also, many have established trusted, good relations with journalists and are a valuable source of information and provide efficient service in helping them meeting deadlines. So, to have our role reduced to hacks and flacks is somewhat off- putting.

Lou Covey – Yep, but one worn with pride by journalists and PR people, just like police officers adopted the term "pig" in the 60s. You gotta have a sense of humor.

Rob Gelphman – Not to me.

Judy Kahn – Yes, unless we use it humorously among ourselves.

Barbara Kalkis – It should be but it’s an old jargon term that is never heard any longer. Rather like an inside joke to the older generation.

Georgia Marszalek – It doesn't seem that way to me.

Kerry McClenahan – Yes. But if that’s the worst thing I ever get called, I’ll count myself lucky! Seriously though, the term flack is demeaning, belittling, demoralizing – like any slur. And isn’t that the point of it?

Sarah Miller – I don’t perceive it that way.

Gloria Nichols – Not at all, it is all in good fun. It is important not to take such things seriously.

Freddy Santamaria – Is a term used in U.S., not in Europe.

Nancy Sheffield – Yes, if we let it be J

Mike Sottak – Nah, can’t take it personally. Better than Spin Meister.

Toni Sottak – It depends on who it is aimed at – some PR people epitomize the term while others are its antithesis.

Heidi Vantulden – No.

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Anon – The technical trade editors on the whole are very pleasant and responsive to work with. The IT and computer press are hard to work with. They are too busy to respond to e-mails and hardly ever pick up the phone.

Francine Bacchini – It’s likely that those editors who are disrespectful or dismissive of people in PR/MarCom, have been poorly treated by one of us at some point in their career. As a result of that unpleasant experience, they may still carry a resentment that displays itself in a negative fashion to any who work in the field of communications. And then there are those people who are naturally nasty or arrogant, but that’s not a factor of their press job – it’s simply their natural disposition.

While there are those few who are disrespectful and/or dismissive, for the most part editors are people who respond according to how you treat them. Since I aim to treat everyone as I would like to be treated - with respect and kind consideration - I find that I am treated quite well and can enjoy a very good relationship with a vast majority of editors all around the world.

Jen Bernier – I think this is an industry-specific thing. In EDA, editors don’t act this way. In some larger industries or in the mainstream business press, editors are so overwhelmed that they can’t help but be dismissive unless they have a relationship with you. PR people can help our cause though by contacting editors only when we have a real piece of news (versus fluff), by understanding how an editor likes to work, and by acting as a resource and a facilitator for the editors as opposed to being a gatekeeper. We also need to really understand what we are pitching to editors. You can’t expect an editor to take you seriously if you have no clue about the technology you’re pitching.

Lynne Cavanaugh – I think if a journalist does not know you personally, he/she can come across as dismissive at first. PR is about building relationships and a PR person can not be discouraged by brief conversations, blunt feedback and/or unresponsiveness from a reporter. It is part of the routine and usually a direct result of the reporter’s busy schedule and/or tight deadline. We don’t take it personally. I have always been taught whenever reading something or listening to someone always consider the source – where is this person coming from?

In Boston, the sports teams have come to dub the press that covers them as "The Fellowship of the Miserable" – always looking for the worst and expecting it. (Hopefully after the successful years we’ve had recently the tide will begin to turn). I can see that attitude in other press as well. I guess many have been burnt. And, with everything reporters have on the line – daily discrimination of what they write, who they used as sources, answering to demanding editors, meeting deadlines – I can understand their pressure. But there is a way to work in that situation. It takes two.

What you need to do as a PR person is engage with the reporter effectively – when you call, ask if he/she is busy; during the discussion, find out what form of communication they like and when they like to be contacted. It’s all about respect and demonstrating an understanding of the reporter – it’s not all about your client or scheduling a briefing. If you demonstrate you respect the reporter, the reporter most likely will come to respect you and your role as a PR practitioner.

Lou Covey – Some are. And when they are, it has been mutual. I've been where they are and respect is something to be earned. And when it has been earned, a flack has a right to demand it be shown. Everyone has to pay some dues.

Rob Gelphman – Editors are disrespectful and dismissive of those who deserve it. Occasionally the miss a story from a small company in favor of a large company that has more cache, and can be off putting or less than pursuant of the story.

True, some editors are crusty and curmudgeonly, but they probably have seen their fair share of bad PR. They tend to put everyone in the same category (read: hindrance) even if they have not met the PR person before. Thus they miss a story they should have paid attention to.

Judy Kahn – I don’t think this can be generalized, especially since my personal experience is, by and large, the opposite. There are editors who see PR people as unnecessary gatekeepers and would bypass them if they could; others understand the value proposition: at their best, PR people are honest brokers who serve their clients to the best of their ability and also help editors do their jobs.

Personally, I’m fond of the art of thoughtful conversation on a wide variety of subjects and throughout my career this has been something in which I’ve engaged with editors, publishers and assorted others, often while closing down bars at tradeshows. (I hasten to add, my role was one more of conversing than imbibing, since I’m a lightweight drinker who can nurse a single beer for hours.) I consider many of these people my friends and vice versa; after all, we’re not different species.

The point is, an editorial relationship, like any relationship, isn’t easy. It develops over time and takes work. PR is a process, not a point event. Trust both ways is hard-earned and can be easily lost with a single mis-step. Delivery on promises is critical: say what you’ll do; do what you say; be accountable. Be as well informed as possible: like the refrain in the Music Man, "you gotta know the territory."

At the beginning of my career, publications typically had an East Coast main office and regional field offices with (duh) field editors. Los Angeles had an abundance of field editors. In my first months in PR, I took those field editors to lunch one by one. This was scary and stressful: I was very shy and some of the editors were reputed to be gruff, tough or intimidating. All were strangers to me. I had already been made aware that some of my new clients or prospective clients had lousy relationships with these editors that I would have to overcome and repair. Also, I had tons to learn about my clients’ industry, company, technologies, products, etc. and the jargon specific to each industry was still foreign.

When in doubt, I tend to over-compensate and fall back on strengths, e.g., research and analytic ability. That meant before each lunch I de-constructed the editor’s publication, read several of his recent articles, learned the publication’s unique name for the article types and looked at the editorial calendar. I also called the client beforehand and did a little brainstorming. Needless to say, the lunches were a successful technique-- the editors were happy to tell me what floated their boat and how to work with them. What’s more, they talked me up to other editors and this helped smooth the way for my first press tour to the East Coast.

Barbara Kalkis – Yes, some journalists simply dislike PR people and they work around them because they see PR folks as the middleman or stumbling block to them getting a story. What the press don’t realize is that the PR agent has been inserted…yes, inserted…into the process for a reason. If the PR person balks or delays in an answer, guess what, it’s because the company is delaying in their response. Why? Because there is pertinent news on the horizon, there’s a financial situation, there’s a deal in play, or the company is just plain busy and the editor’s request is on page 3 of an action list.

Linda Marchant – A small percentage, but most realize we have a symbiotic relationship.

Kerry McClenahan – Generally speaking, I find editors to be respectful. Pressed for time, yes. But never dismissive

Sarah Miller – I’ve not found this to be true.

Gloria Nichols – To the contrary, I think the editors see us enough that eventually we get under each other’s skin and get pretty comfortable with each other.

Freddy Santamaria – Sincerely not, it depends of the relations you have with them, but in Europe, editors prefer to contact direct the company executives, not the PR person. In a Press Release, it is better to sign-off by a company person then a PR, so your role is to facilitate that contact, and never to be in the middle to control – only to help.

Lauren Sarno – In the early days of computing, we had an acronym: GIGO—garbage in, garbage out. If you give editors ideas they can use, they’re respectful. You pitch them junk, you’re wasting their time and they’ll act accordingly.

In the semiconductor industry, we’re lucky, because a lot of the editors are former engineers who find the technology almost as interesting as our clients do. Chip editors and analysts will educate you if you ask their opinion; some of my strongest ideas for panels or articles came from shooting the breeze. If you think the client’s new technology might be hot, but you’re afraid you might be drinking the company Kool-Aid, don’t mindlessly pitch the story, call an editor and ask for an opinion. They’ll respect you for it.

Mike Sottak – The good ones typically aren’t – maybe a little grumpy or impatient when on deadline but that’s understandable. There are a lot of bad PR people out there so I can understand why they would be dismissive if the Pr people aren’t truly helping them do their jobs

Toni Sottak – Sometimes this happens but I don’t think it is a common experience.

Anon – No. Clients think a good story deserves attention. And, everything they do is a "good story," so the press should cover it. Also, they simply do not understand the correlation between advertising and editorial page count. If there is not enough advertising, editorial space is affected—less pages, less opportunity for us to place coverage.

Anon – A lot of companies don’t seem to get this, especially when it comes to the business press. Maybe it would help them to think about the PR pitching process like a sales call. You wouldn’t walk into a prospect’s office without knowing anything about him or his company or his pain points. "Hey Cisco guy, I’ve got this great new technology and it’s only $500,000. You want five of them without knowing any more about it, right?" In the same way, we’re not going to walk into an editor’s office and say, "hey, write about my client. He’s not public and you’ve never heard of him, but I assure you that he’s got great technology!"

Each article pitch should be a targeted engagement backed up by research of the publication itself and of past coverage in the area you are talking about, deep knowledge of what you are pitching, and so on. Once you have all of this information, then you develop the story and its cast of characters and then you need to sell it (figuratively) to the editor. After that, you often need to work closely with the editor to set up interviews with the entire cast of characters in your story (the client, analysts, pundits, etc.), create and find graphics, provide and sometimes review content, etc. I guess this could be analogous to the AE going onsite and working with a customer to get the product integrated into their infrastructure.

This is why big companies get in the Wall Street Journal. It’s not just that they have cooler products, it’s that they have upwards of $25,000 a month PR budgets that support this kind of in-depth PR (some have more than $100,000 a month budgeted for PR).

This stuff is time consuming if you’re doing it right. The clients need to recognize this and support it in their budgets. I know not everyone has $50,000 a month to spend on PR, but expectations should be kept in line with what they actually do have to spend. How can companies really expect to get into Fortune if their PR person only has an hour’s worth of budget to spend on getting them in there?

Francine Bacchini – The "difficulty" of any editor interaction is highly relative, but when companies are focused on their core competency (the delivery of a great product), they (wisely) opt to place their trust in professional communications experts to help them develop good editor relations.

Based on the great client and editor relationships that we have developed at ThinkBold, I believe that all of our clients clearly understand the value of PR and of nurturing respectful and considerate relationships with the press.

My clients routinely ask for, and value, my editor insights and experiences to help them make strategic marketing communications decisions. Since they place their trust in my advice, I always strive to be very exacting in terms of setting proper expectations and in knowing, to the best of my ability, what any editor may need or want. All of the press briefing preparation and essential media training revolve around this base of knowledge and experience to ensure the best possible outcome for my clients.

While each editor has his or her own unique style or special interests, every editor lives with the pressures of deadlines and developing interesting story angles for their readership. My job is twofold: 1) to help my client time, craft and deliver the right messages about their products and technologies, and 2) to help the editor gather newsworthy and industry relevant story content for his or her readers.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Yes, most clients do understand how hard it is to interact with editors, follow-up and stay in correspondence with them – that’s why they’ve outsourced the job!

Lou Covey – Most don't have a clue. One recently, however, actually referred to editorial relations as black magic, so he gets it, I guess.

Rob Gelphman – For the most part, no. There is a level of understanding regarding how the media works among the good directors and VPs of marketing. They understand there is a process and that it takes time. That there is give and take and that it is more than a news release and a phone call. We call these the successful companies.

Those who do not understand tend to think they can write a news release just because they read Wall Street Journal or EE Times. Those same executives think they can write ad copy just because they watched one on TV. In all cases, what comes out of their keyboard and directive is usually not very useful.

Engineers think that all is needed is an understanding of the technology. But reporters want a credibility, viability, marketing strategy and executive pedigree before they are ready to write an article. There is more to it than speeds and feeds. Some get it, most do not.

Judy Kahn – By and large, yes.

Barbara Kalkis – No. Not all, but many companies and individuals inside those companies believe that setting an appointment with a journalist is like having their secretary or wife book dinner at a restaurant. They believe that the journalist is sitting around waiting to be called and that a journalist can write a story as soon as the interview is over and get it published the same day…in print.

While companies treasure their client relationships, they don’t understand that the press are also their customers.

Linda Marchant – Only if it's about their third+ start-up.

Kerry McClenahan – I genuinely don’t find it difficult to interact with editors, so I doubt I’ve ever given a client reason to think it is. That said, it is sometimes challenging to set expectations around the outcome of interaction with editors (i.e., reasonable coverage goals).

Sarah Miller – I don’t think they grasp the level of detail and follow-up that’s required.

Gloria Nichols – I don’t see it so much as understanding the ‘difficulty’. I see it more as their understanding that from a business aspect, editors are like their customers: we need to meet their needs by providing newsworthy information, rather than them being an advertising vehicle where the EDA vendor controls the content. And yes, my clients get this completely.

Freddy Santamaria – Yes they do, especially with U.S. editors & Japanese.

Mike Sottak – Some do, some don’t. It’s not the interaction per se, once it happens. It’s trying to tell a client that they may not be the greatest thing since sliced bread and that journalists are meant to be filters for a ton of company’s announcements, just like yours.

Toni Sottak – Generally, no, I don’t think clients understand the nuances involved with media relations. And, this is OK as long as they don’t discount the skill. Clients should not have to know and understand the delicate art of interacting with the media – that is what they hire PR people for. However, if a PR person does a great job – this looks even easier and therefore tends to become misunderstood.

Anon – Clients still believe they can use the "advertising trump card" in dire circumstances.

Francine Bacchini – Clients don’t always understand the concept of separation of church and state that's at the heart of traditional editorial ethics. While clients notice that heavy advertisers sometimes receive extra or preferential press coverage, I try to help my clients understand that with the ethical press there are no favors or purchase guarantees, only good stories and timely coverage.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Yes, absolutely.

Lou Covey – They may understand it, but they don't believe it exists. But the fact is that companies that advertise regularly do get editorial attention for the same reason customers pay attention to companies that advertise. The product of advertising and public relations is name recognition. One reinforces the other. The less you do, the less you are known.

Rob Gelphman – Most do but not all. Many do not care. Others fail to notice that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If you pay for your communications, then others are, too. They who can you believe as it undermines the credibility of the entire media process.

I try and point out that it is the First Amendment to which we owe our economic system called capitalism.

Judy Kahn – In the narrow context of traditional "pure" editorial vehicles, yes. But with the rise of "sponsored" publications/sites/studies/articles, "custom" publications and "special supplements", the line starts to blur. Then there are the related conferences and tradeshows. If a company executive sits on a technical panel as a perk of his company’s exhibitor or sponsorship status, should that have the same value or credibility as traditional technical panels (with revenue derived from technical program attendees)?

Barbara Kalkis – In some cases, companies, and I’m not just talking about clients here, know keenly that there is a separation of church and state. That’s exactly the problem. They think that "other" companies should advertise for the good of all, without directing the concept internally.

Advertising has become the scarlet letter of the semiconductor industry of the 21^st century. It’s dying and the death may be prolonged and painful, but it’s coming.

Linda Marchant – Very often not. Another place where it helps if this is not the first time the client has had to deal with the press.

Kerry McClenahan – In most cases they do, or they quickly accept it as a given once I explain it to them. But that said, we live in a global world and that is not necessarily the modus operandi in every country. Understanding where the rules apply and where they don’t is really important.

Sarah Miller – The concept, yes.

Gloria Nichols – Because my PR clients are private companies without big advertising budgets, this is not even a consideration.

Freddy Santamaria – Yes they do, I have been teaching them as a "credo."

Mike Sottak – Most do – unfortunately that concept seems to be getting tarnished more and more of late.

Toni Sottak – Yes, this separation is more clear to clients I work with now than those I worked with earlier in my career. However, lines are getting blurred again with the web and the host of ad/PR opportunities it presents.

Francine Bacchini – While we track both "a" and "b", ThinkBold is not the traditional PR agency and so we also employ some non-traditional metrics. Since we offer a complete menu of marketing services and view all that we do for our clients in a much more integrated way, we ultimately aim to influence the bottom line by driving product demand and industry-leadership positioning.

Here are some of the non-traditional measurements of success that we look at:

• How many new prospects visited our client’s website as the result of a press release (review the web reports to identify hit increases, new visiting domains, etc.)

• How many new prospects/logos contacted our clients after an announcement (need to train office staff to count relevant inquiries right after a news release)

• How many new prospects attend the events of our clients or visit the booths of our clients at conferences (track statistics, compare attendee lists, etc.)

• How many inbound e-mails do our clients receive in response to press activity

• How often are editors calling our clients for quotes/comments

Lynne Cavanaugh – Our success is measured by the relationships we establish for the client with the media and analyst community. We try not get the client focused on immediate coverage (although most of the time that is the result if the client’s news and/or messaging is of interest). We do emphasize that public relations is a process and that the reporter needs to get to know the client, its product, what the clients perceptions are of the industry, and essentially if the client can be trusted as a viable source. The reporter does not want to be mislead or spoofed as the consequences can be detrimental. It takes time to build that trust.

Essentially, we encourage our clients to embrace the idea that effective PR occurs in stages: First a knowledge base needs to be built with a reporter where the company is introduced and its unique differentiators and its plans in the industry are relayed. Then the relationship can extend to the next level if the client regularly provides news of interest in a timely manner that meets their needs, offers politely to be a source on features they are preparing, provides reporters with routine and significant insight from customers and/or interesting industry events … It’s a process.

Lou Covey – All of the above. My personal measure of success is when clients get bought or go public for solid valuations or their sales rise beyond their expectations.

Rob Gelphman – Certainly they want to see their name in lights. That is our job. But the good ones recognize that the media is a filter, adding credibility to your message on behalf of the reader. The good clients recognize that the media consumes the information by the client, but that with a "cleansing" the customer is more likely to respond.

They are looking for, and we advise them to, measure the quality and quantity of customer responses. It has been proven by academic research that people are more likely to respond favorable to something they read rather than a sponsored advertisement.

1. Face time with editors—yes, at trade shows or for major announcements
2. Coverage—yes, if that was the purpose of the face time and something newsworthy was imparted. Sometimes you set a meeting for relationship building or to provide an update that will help frame future news
3. Messaging—did they carry through and was the story positive, negative or neutral.

Barbara Kalkis – Sometimes I don’t know how a client measures me. It’s all of the above, but it really comes down to the relationship and how much value they place on the information/counsel I can provide, as well as what I can do.

Linda Marchant – Varies from client to client. Best is to have an agreed-upon communications plan that spells out what client wants and PR can deliver, then to measure success against goals met.

Kerry McClenahan – My clients do value "face time" but the real measurement is both quantity and quality of press coverage. Quantity is easy to measure. With respect to quality, I measure not only in terms of positive vs. negative coverage, but I also evaluate how well key messages are received and re-transmitted. I actually do an ROI analysis for PR clients that calculates publicity value vs. dollars invested. Several clients also measure brand awareness on an annual basis, and PR certainly contributes to moving the dial, so to speak.

Sarah Miller – For the most part, they’re appreciative of the opportunities to meet with editors. As emerging companies, they certainly gauge the words that end up in print and leads that come their way as a result of coverage.

Gloria Nichols – My clients measure success by volume of coverage and the message that is heard. Having said this, it is critical to set expectations regarding certain publications. For example, EDN, EETimes, Electronic Design and Chip Design won’t cover a new customer announcement. So the challenge isn’t how to get a particular press release ‘covered’ but how we can give the editor’s material that will justify their ‘ink’.

Freddy Santamaria – That was right on the 80’s & 90’s. Now you do the job, or you don’t. If you do the job, all that is a normal part of the job and not part of measure of success.

Lauren Sarno – Clients pay for results. Our success is measured by the number of one-on-one briefings scheduled, how many editors and analysts show up to an event, favorable coverage in the media and favorable analysis by market researchers. It’s also measured by the number of new publications and analyst houses that cover the client, the number of speaking engagements we secure, the number of editors and analysts who respond to our audits and whether the annual audit shows that perceptions of the client have improved over the past year.

But ultimately, clients measure our success by their success. That’s not always fair, but it’s the way it works.

Nancy Sheffield – All of the above. But, the most immediate and valuable is press coverage.

Mike Sottak – Sometimes a, sometimes b, sometimes d) which would be no quantifiable proof but a net result that ended up with a solid positioning and messaging strategy that may be useful in places other than PR.

Toni Sottak – Unfortunately, success isn’t measured in such clear-cut ways. Certainly, clips or published articles are an easy and important metric. However, we try to stress the importance of building relationships with the media and trying to influence the industry agenda so stuff like number of meetings with press and perception audits are sometimes also used to measure success. Ideally, the role of PR should be tied to specific business goals and measurement of PR success would be directly related to helping the company reach these goals.

Anon – Yes. Usually monthly. I have no idea what "industry standard" may be

Francine Bacchini – We track all coverage and supply our clients with their desired format (some want hard copy, but most want soft copy for easy e-mail re-distribution)

Lynne Cavanaugh – Yes, we scan for coverage on a daily basis and forward news/articles with the client in them, and also competitors and any industry news. This helps them get an idea of what types of topics reporters are interested in and helps significantly in relationship building. They might want to send out a response to an article to provide the reporter with genuine feedback; or they might find the knowledge useful during a conversation they have with a sales prospect that day. There is a lot of value to reading the websites and publication issues on a daily basis. Each quarter we send the client a recap of articles they were featured in for their reference.

Lou Covey – Monthly if its part of the agreement, ad hoc most of the time, though.

Rob Gelphman – I think you mean clipping files. And yes, of course. It provides good sales collateral and the investors like it as well.

Judy Kahn – Yes, some for "instant gratification" and currently aggregated reports on a monthly basis.

Barbara Kalkis – Yes, clippings are critical, whether in print or online. All PR must be accompanied by clipping files for measurement purposes. Don’t even question it. I present the files as often as I can.

Kerry McClenahan – I provide clipping reports monthly or quarterly, depending on the client’s preference. I provide ROI analysis and other metrics quarterly or annually.

Sarah Miller – Yes, periodically and after major announcements.

Gloria Nichols – I have recently started to keep a coverage report with links for clients that would like to track this. None have asked for clippings.

Freddy Santamaria – I don’t do to demonstrate, just as a complementary service, and it is sent when the clippings appear.

Nancy Sheffield – Yes. Clips are the most visible way of showing value. Clips are provided after any news announcement.

Mike Sottak – Usually on a monthly basis, or a per project basis (i.e. analyze a major launch)

Toni Sottak – Yes, depending on the size of the client we do it weekly, monthly and quarterly.

Anon – We try to set realistic expectations up front. Sometimes a change of management mid-communications plan may produce a glitch, with face time as the goal rather than achieving communications milestones (such as website traffic increases or numbers of requests for info or increase in unsolicited editorial requests for information or industry beginning to write about a topic in terms first laid out by a client) as the goal.

Francine Bacchini – We encourage our clients to develop and maintain good relationships with the press via year round opportunities for contact. However, since we work predominantly with start-ups, we focus our clients on using an editor’s time wisely and making the most of it through advance preparation and respectful treatment that center around hard news announcements.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Our clients understand that the best way to get in front of an editor or analyst is if it has something to say. So, some quarters a client may be focused on product strategy and does not have much to say, unless a writer is looking for a source on an industry topic. Other quarters, a client may have a significant product development, or sale, and we would want the editors to briefed. So, our clients are very keen to not wearing out their welcome with a very business journalist community.

Lou Covey – We try to do it twice a year with each editor minimum for start-ups. Whenever a client has a tier-1 announcement we push to get one-on-ones.

Rob Gelphman – Some expect regular conversation even if they have nothing to say, reasoning he will remember us when he is ready to write about our product category.

Again, the good clients acknowledge that talking is not always communicating, and that if they have nothing newsworthy to say, do not say it. Good marketers always have something to do when not talking to the media.

Judy Kahn – I haven’t really quantified it that way.

Kerry McClenahan – Including phone interviews/briefings, a few times per year per client is typical.

Sarah Miller – They look for face time when they’re making major announcements and/or at least a couple of times a year.

Gloria Nichols – No expectation in this way. Some editors only do phone meetings for example.

Freddy Santamaria – ONLY, when they have something interesting to say. If not, it can be an informal lunch or dinner, just for the pleasure to meet.

Lauren Sarno – If we have earned the client’s respect, they know to expect face time as often as they merit face time.

You match the editor to the spokesperson and the news. If your client releases a number of major products in a given year, the client’s product marketing spokespeople may talk to Ron Wilson five times. The CEO may talk to Jim DeTar only during a major acquisition; a senior executive may talk to Howard Baldwin as often as the client is on the cusp of an emerging trend.

Nancy Sheffield – Depends on how big the company is. At least once a month for small companies. Weekly for larger companies.

Mike Sottak – People seem more and more satisfied and accepting of telephone and e-mail contact, even on the client side. The speed of business and peoples’ personal work styles/locations are making the traditional press tour somewhat obsolete. Nowadays it’s pretty much limited to major events, like trade shows.

Toni Sottak – This depends on a lot of factors but mainly the news coming from the client. In general, for small companies we would try to be in front of editors at least two times a year. For bigger clients the challenge sometimes is to streamline face-time with editors.

Anon – No. I’ve heard on many occasions from a press person that as a PR person I should be "counseling" my clients on how to work with the press. But clients don’t always want to hear the reality of how to work with the press—editor deadlines, what constitutes a good story, etc.

Anon – It varies. Polite rejections rather than silence are becoming more common. Our main need is to let the client know that we have been working for them and have their best interests in mind. If we get foolish questions in an interview, because someone had no time to read the material we sent, or to talk to us beforehand, it can look as if we haven't done our jobs. If we send off an article proposal, and hear nothing despite repeated attempts to contact the editor, it is hard for a new client to know that we have actually been trying.

Anon – Editors also often ask for something written "without marketing jargon," but good PR people are the ones who battle mightily to have the marketing jargon taken OUT, before we send articles to editors, because we see if as often as you do, and we know it's tired and meaningless. Being paid for our services, we often lose that battle.

Francine Bacchini – No, not usually. But then our client interaction would not be considered common for a PR agency. We sometimes serve as the acting VP of marketing, often sit in executive staff meetings and also make strategic presentations to the board of directors. We fulfill a different role in the companies of our clients than the traditional PR agency of the past, so it is unlikely that an editor would understand this process, or necessarily, need to understand it.

Lynne Cavanaugh – I believe editors understand we are just the conduit, and not an actual source of technical information.

Lou Covey – Not in general. A few do.

Rob Gelphman – Some. Some editors realize how difficult some clients can be. All editors expect you to exert control to some extent. And they are right. If you do not have influence over the client, how can the editor trust them or you.

Judy Kahn – Probably not. For one thing, there isn’t a single process.

Barbara Kalkis – I don’t know. I doubt it.

Kerry McClenahan – I’ve never given it any thought. I’m not sure it matters whether they understand our relationships with our clients or not. As long as the editor is getting solid information from us, in a timely and appropriate manner, our role "behind the scenes" may be irrelevant. I’d love to hear the editorial community’s perspective on the relevance of this.

Sarah Miller – I’m not convinced they concern themselves with that.

Gloria Nichols – No, and in general, I think this is an implementation detail that isn’t a concern to them.

Freddy Santamaria – I hope, by now, yes – well, I always been direct & with clean ethics.

Mike Sottak – I think so. They don’t expect miracles typically.

Francine Bacchini – Most editors prefer e-mail as a first point of contact, but I’ve found them to be very flexible when the news story is a good one.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Journalists have their preferred communication methods and it is our responsibility as a PR professional to follow those preferences. Most editors indeed prefer e-mail contact initially. And, if it is significant news, typically a phone call is welcomed. The seasoned PR professional will know when to just send an item to keep them in the loop, and when to call with a HOT news lead. If a PR professional confuses the two, it could be frustrating for the journalist and put a kink in the relationship building process.

Lou Covey – All of the above. And it changes regularly. You have to stay in touch with them and keep individual files.

Rob Gelphman – E- mail is preferred means of communications and getting people on the phone is more difficult than ever. I will call those I know if for no other reason than to say hello. I do not have a preference either way.

Sometimes I think a news release has a better chance of being read if sent via e-mail, than a voicemail has of being heard. Kind of flipped over the last couple of years.

Judy Kahn – By and large, e-mail has become the preferred method of communication overall and I can’t recall the last time I used snail-mail. I also pick up phone a lot; a standard joke about PR people is they were "born with a phone in their ear" and I am guilty as charged. I maintain a record of any idiosyncrasies.

The product press release, however, is a whole other can of worms. I like to say there are two variables in PR, timing and significance, and generally, timing trumps significance. Once the press release goes over the wire, it very rapidly becomes old news and coverage diminishes. Calling an editor to follow up on a press release is a good way to stimulate that disrespectful/dismissive attitude you mentioned.

Barbara Kalkis – Virtually everyone wants an e-mail, here and internationally

Linda Marchant – Each editor - and I deal with about 15 regularly and about 20 more occasionally - has his or her own preferred method of communication. One of the challenges is to remember what those are. Worse than stated preferences, though, are people who just simply don't respond to any sort of approach.

Kerry McClenahan – Although a handful of editors have explicit preferences for contact, most are pretty flexible in my experience. Understanding their needs and preferences actually helps us do our jobs better, so I’m never bothered when editors do state those preferred approaches.

Sarah Miller – That’s true for some, and I do my best to respect that, but I find it’s never a hard/fast rule.

Gloria Nichols – I have yet to know an editor that mandated the type of interaction. Certainly, minimally, they all want to get an electronic version of announcements.

Freddy Santamaria – I try to have always a personal regular contact (phone) with my peers in Europe, U.S. & Japan, beside the e-mails of info.

Nancy Sheffield – All of the above.

Mike Sottak – All of that sounds on the mark

Toni Sottak – Yes, all of the above.

Francine Bacchini – It would be a nice to have, but certainly not a requirement. Given editors can receive hundreds of e-mails in a single day, it is not very practical for them to respond to each one.

Jen Bernier – It sure would help, and it would save that editor from a lot of irritating phone calls from people who call to ask is their release has been received (which is of course a frowned-upon practice, but that’s another question).

Lynne Cavanaugh – Of course any response from an editor is always appreciated. But it is understandable and almost a given that reporters can not respond to every e-mail in their inbox. I work on the assumption that if the news is significant enough, then follow up with the reporter within two days – don’t wait for a call back.

Again, this calls for shrewd discrimination on what the reporter feels is news. That comes from numerous conversations once they have met the client. As a PR professional, you need to be asking the reporter, do you want me to send their releases moving forward? What type of information is of interest to you? What do you like to write about? What do you think the hot topics are for your industry for this year?

Lou Covey – Yes, but it's helpful to provide the editor with a specific response option, like asking for an interview time, pointing out announced editorial opportunities you could help them with, etc.

Rob Gelphman – I would appreciate it. The good ones do and it is a complement and a sign of respect. But I do not expect it from those I do not know. And most are just too busy.

Judy Kahn – I don’t expect to hear back from a press release e-mail; I’m usually sending an e-mail blast as an FYI. I would appreciate a response, even if negative, to pre-announcement pitches.

Barbara Kalkis – Yes. The journalists who respond and tell me that the article/NR is published or going to be published is a gem. The online guys are VERY savvy about this for the most part. I get feedback from them very often. They understand the power of the Internet and marketing themselves much better than the folks who are from the print generation.

Linda Marchant – It would be wonderful. If responses to every press release are onerous, responses to every article proposal would be a greatly appreciated.

Kerry McClenahan – Not necessary.

Sarah Miller – Nice, but not necessary.

Gloria Nichols – No, with 200+ EDA vendors, that would be unreasonable to ask of an editor. It is my job to follow-up with the editor if I feel something is newsworthy/noteworthy.

Freddy Santamaria – I never expect one, (it's impossible), unless I ask for it, concerning a specific matter related to the release.

Lauren Sarno – Heck, no. If I’ve written the press release well enough, the editor will have already done me the favor of reading the headline and first paragraph to know if he or she is interested. If it doesn’t serve the editor’s needs, I won’t get a response.

Clients issue press releases for lots of reasons—to fulfill contractual arrangements with a partner, for customers, for the record—and frequently we caution the client not to expect coverage.

If we think an announcement is worth coverage, we’ll contact the editor well in advance of the release date and offer a pre-briefing. If we’ve gotten important news at the last minute, we’ll call the editors most likely to be interested.

Nancy Sheffield – Immensely! Just a yes or no makes all the difference. We can go back to the client and give them an answer. It could save hours of following up.

Mike Sottak – It would be nice but I can understand the volume of work that would create for an editor. It would be nice to get some sort of response when there is a definitive position – such as "not a chance we would cover this – it need XYZ.." but again this would be very time intensive for the editor.

Toni Sottak – Yes I’d appreciate it but then I’d probably think they were going to do something with it.

Francine Bacchini – I do keep such a file, but only because it helps me to be more respectful of each editor’s needs and wants.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Yes, it is very important to make sure the reporters feel you have heard them once you do begin speaking with them and building that relationship. I think that is important to anyone. If it helps, writing the information on a Rolodex card is a great idea.

Lou Covey – All of the above. And more.

Rob Gelphman – I do not go into that detail but I do keep an updated contact list of name, title, beat, address, e-mail and phone number.

First contact I never send attachments without permission. After regular contact, I have an assumed permission to send attachments. I always embed news releases in the e-mail text and provide links, if asked to web site material.

Judy Kahn – Yes, something equivalent to that is quite important. In an agency environment, it’s "shared intelligence."

Linda Marchant – Yes to a) through c)

Kerry McClenahan – I keep profiles that include most of the above, minus the personal information. If personal relationships develop with editors, that’s a bonus but I don’t seek to cultivate relationships at that level. Most of my interactions with editors are friendly but professional. It would feel slimy to me to create artificial personal connections just to get more traction with an editor.

Sarah Miller – No, I like to get to know the editors and usually keep this information in my head.

Gloria Nichols – There are not that many editors in EDA to justify written documentation on such things -- it is easy enough to simply remember everyone’s preferences. I suspect that the larger PR agencies do this as a courtesy if they have regular turnover, so that the editors don’t have to keep ‘retraining’ their new hires.

Freddy Santamaria – I don’t keep a file on anybody. I have a constant relationship (phone), lunches, dinners. In Europe, a release needs to be embedded on the e-mail, nobody has time to go to see an attachment. Attachments are good only for photos, figures, screen shots. I pitch a product or an executive when the need arises, not for the sake of it and only if I think the product or the executive is interesting for the editor.

Lauren Sarno – Let’s put it this way: It’s only as important to know an editor’s preferences as it is to know, say, your mother’s.

It comes back to respect. An editor takes the time to tell you, you need to remember. Not because you’re on the sell side and the editor’s on the buy side, but because you and the editor are colleagues, and life is more rewarding if you earn trust and maybe friendship as you go along.

Nancy Sheffield – Yes, we provide a briefing document for each meeting with all the details of the editor and publication. Contact, again, depends on how big or small the company is. Small companies probably do two-three product announcements a year. Big companies do one a month.

Mike Sottak – All of that plus notes on the last meeting/interaction each client has had with the journalist

Toni Sottak – Sort of – this is the kind of stuff you learn over time from working with these people. Some of it can be put in a database but most of the stuff just sits in your head.

Francine Bacchini – I have no experience with this, so I can’t speak to it.

Lou Covey – Used to be more of a problem before the Internet. Scoops are a very outmoded concept. Had more to do with the long lead time between when the reporter writes the story and how fast it can get through the printshop and distributed. None of that infrastructure exists anymore.

Rob Gelphman – I have not run into this.

Barbara Kalkis – Hmm. This is a question for editors.

Linda Marchant – Yes and Yes.

Kerry McClenahan – I have generally found editors to be pretty professional about exclusives. It’s true that sometimes an editor who gets scooped is unhappy about it, but I’ve never seen it break along age- or experience-related lines. I think it has more to do with ambition level and also the perception of the "ranking" of their publication.

Sarah Miller – There can be. I try to give fair and equal opportunity to elimnate "scoops."

Gloria Nichols – I do not know the internal repercussions. "Scooping" can occur in 2 ways that I can think of: One editor was given earlier access to the news by another editor. I personally recommend equal access to all editors. The second way is that one responds to an item or event sooner. I personally love reading multiple accounts of the same item, so I don’t see the issue. But I can see how they might compete with each other in this regard.

Freddy Santamaria – As we say in France: "C’est la Vie", sometimes you win, sometimes not!

Nancy Sheffield – A good PR person will send the initial pitch to all involved and let them decide who will cover it.

Mike Sottak – Rarely happens with a planned announcement as clients usually don’t like to broker exclusives. On ‘unplanned’ things, the good editors are typically plugged in more than less senior people so they tend to get the scoops on their own anyway.

Toni Sottak – I don’t see this as much as if another publication runs it first.

Francine Bacchini – Most of my clients are start-ups so their PR budgets are limited to only those things which will deliver the biggest bang for the buck. Chat rooms and blogs fall outside of this.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Yes, stories are pitched to publications and ESNUG, but I’ve stayed away initially from blogs. They are a good resource to find out what topics are hot, who thinks they are hot, but I would hate to jump into a blog and pitch a client. It just doesn’t seem like an appropriate forum. I would rather scan blogs for information, and then e-mail or phone the contact.

Lou Covey – No. Different stories for different publications. Part of the time it takes to distribute stories is determining who the right people are.

Rob Gelphman – Sometimes and depending on content, spokesperson for company. Usually, if it is of value it will find its way there. It’s called viral marketing.

Judy Kahn – I think there’s still an 80/20 rule, meaning I can be effective in reaching the target audience(s) without pitching everyone. This is also dictated by the relative importance of what I’m pitching and the associated budget and resources, in instances where I’m working with a defined project budget (which is most of the time).

Barbara Kalkis – Yes.

Linda Marchant – No.

Kerry McClenahan – I have pitched to ESNUG when appropriate and our agency has recently added blogging to our bag of tricks (both for the agency and in an advisory capacity for our clients). In my experience you don’t pitch blogs as you would other venues, it requires a different approach entirely, which I offer as a service to my clients. There still aren’t a lot of blogs in the electronics space, but hopefully that will change!

Sarah Miller – No.

Gloria Nichols – My understanding is that these venues don’t take stories pitched by EDA people or their PR firms, so no.

Freddy Santamaria – I never forget ESNUG. If not, yes to EDA, Electronics, Industrial, Business, Analysts, Daily Papers, etc, in Europe & U.S.

Lauren Sarno – ESNUG, chat rooms and blogs? Pitch, no. Talk, yes. The significance of all forms of peer-to-peer communications is that they are supposed to represent the authentic voice of the writer. If readers think the writer has been influenced, their horse-pucky meter goes into the red zone. You can ask customers to send John Cooley a report on their actual experiences with a product, but that’s where it ends. You can swap ideas with a blogger, but pitching will get you nowhere—or shouldn’t.

The best use of a blog is to get your client to write one. The client, not you. The best hope for that blog is that customers will care enough to respond.

Nancy Sheffield – Not to ESNUG or blogs. Although, blogs are gaining in popularity.

Mike Sottak – No. Might give Cooley heads up once in a while but his disdain for PR people makes it less frequent an occurrence than it might be.

Toni Sottak – No, but I realize we have to start seriously considering bloggers in our PR effort.

Francine Bacchini – Editorial calendars change more frequently than in the past, so we do not rely upon them for editorial opportunities. Because our clients are start-ups, they are less able and less interested in creating content to map to an ed opp calendar item. Instead, we regularly pitch contributed articles and opinions pieces to ensure more frequent client coverage.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Ed cals are significant to public relations activity but are not relied on soley to getting a client’s product, executive or company into a publication. We understand that the calendar is planned at the start of the year with an objective to pursue a feature on that topic, but often the calendar can change.

So, while we call on the editorial opportunities posted into the calendar, we try to be in touch more frequently with the editors and reporters to find out what types of other topics they are interested in and will be working on. We also try to come up with thought-provoking ideas of our own to pitch based on client input, feedback they are getting from customers, what analysts might be saying, news we might have found, etc.

Lou Covey – Because editors can't predict the size of the publications with any certainty (because advertising is so scarce) editorial calendars are too generic to be very helpful. We usually work with editors a year out to determine what they might need on certain publication dates. If you can present high-level concepts that you can insert your clients into rather than just pitch the client technology, the editors are more likely to listen to your ideas for articles.

Rob Gelphman – It can be a great help. I follow and track and recommend to clients. But I prefer they not bother as they seem to find an angle for every scheduled topic. Uncanny how they think it worth a pitch to a reporter about their flash technology when the editor merely used the term as in flash in the pan.

Judy Kahn – As you know too well, editorial calendars are created in order to sell ads (hence their inclusion in media kits) and therefore, with some exceptions, the calendar itself is set up for that purpose and not for the benefit of PR people. Some of it is purposefully vague or broad both to attract a wide range of advertisers and because, if the publication sells space against a given topic, that topic must appear in some form. Also, editors need the freedom to refine their focus as trends become more apparent. A possible good fit may or may not pan out. I consider client enlightenment part of my charter.

Barbara Kalkis – The Editorial Calendar is a particle of the past. It’s useless in the Internet world. People need info now; they can’t wait until the special September issue. The market winners are being determined NOW. Forget editorial calendars. Focus on the news.

Linda Marchant – An up-to-date editorial calendar, with more detail about the current opportunities, is a great help Some clients want to be involved in directing the editorial targets, others prefer to hire us for that

Trying and failing happens. Clients' acceptance of failure varies. A bunch of failures in a row, which also happens from time to time, is painful for everyone, but often a good learning experience

Kerry McClenahan – Ed cals are both a help and a hindrance. They are a help in that they give you a starting point and a dialog-starter. They are a hindrance if you get too reliant on them and stop being proactive in terms of coming up with fresh topic ideas and proposals. In addition, they are pretty loose roadmaps in most cases, and if you don’t stay in close touch with core editors you’ll find that you miss out on topics your client should have been part of. My clients don’t follow the editorial calendars since they know we’ve got them covered. Trying and failing is never fun (luckily it happens infrequently!) but most clients are philosophical about it if you can give them a clear reason why the pitch was rejected.

Sarah Miller – It’s helpful, and I work with my clients to determine targets and develop good article abstracts.

Gloria Nichols – Editorial calendars are definitely a help. I believe that they save the editors from receiving the identical calls from PR people asking them what they will be writing about next. Though actual calendars are rare—and perhaps they don’t wish to tip their hand as to story ideas too far ahead. I know that several editors send out e-mails to the PR community when looking for input for a coming story. This is great!

No repercussions for not being covered. Should it continue to happen, I would consult with the editor as to what we should be doing differently.

Freddy Santamaria – YES it's a help, yes they do. IF I fail, = Their product was not good, the executive not interesting, or the company had nothing to say, or what they said was crap. But, always I try to send the info.

Nancy Sheffield – The editorial calendar is our lifeblood. Clients don’t necessarily read the editorial calendars, but a good PR professional looks at it weekly. Clients get word on upcoming topics from their ad reps at which time it is too late to participate in the article. And, often times these notices don’t correlate with what was described on the editorial calendar, so there is a bit of a panic until we explain what the editor is actually covering.

Mike Sottak – Ed cals are still a useful tool, but only as useful as the ability to keep them up to date and use them in a relevant way. Can’t pitch every story to every broad stroke ed cal topic. The best ed calls are the most specific. Most clients understand they might not be included in every ed opp, but they want to at least try to get in them all. A strikeout is better than not getting to the plate to begin with.

Toni Sottak – Editorial calendars are my life! I live by them for our clients. They clearly help the vendors (our clients) understand what the editors care about and are a very useful guide for helping vendors address industry issues.

Francine Bacchini – It can become time consuming and costly for our start-up clients to have us monitor every little change to an editorial calendar, so we focus on staying ahead of the game through regular communication with target editors. This has always been the best path to information on upcoming and evolving editorial opportunities.

Lynne Cavanaugh – Editorial calendars being changed by the publication is not an unusual occurrence. We try to be proactive with the editors and reporters and try to pitch topics in addition to the editorial calendars.

Lou Covey – Clients get pissed that they didn’t get into an article you never knew was coming.

Rob Gelphman – It happens. Deal with it.

Judy Kahn – This is an expected constant.

Barbara Kalkis – Who cares if it’s changed! It MUST change! It must be thrown on. Every trade publication needs to be news driven. Editorial calendars are for Sunset and Better Homes & Gardens so they can remind advertisers when to submit their Christmas cookie recipes for publication.

Even the media kits need to be innovated and renovated! They are still designed for print! They need to be designed for easy readability and download from a PC. Yet, they are still design-intense, with lots of color photos that kill a printer, and take minutes to download. Yes, in the Internet world, lives are lived in minutes.

Linda Marchant – One needs to check it each time before making a pitch

Kerry McClenahan – That’s routine, which is why you need to be in touch with core editors regularly and not rely on the calendar exclusively.

Sarah Miller – I’ve had articles both delayed and requested in advance of the agreed date, but I haven’t had written articles that were accepted not be published.

Freddy Santamaria – Again "C’est la Vie" – These days, you need to know to live on the fast track! What happens when it's news is to have, as I have, a regular (phone) relationship!

Nancy Sheffield – It is our business to check the calendars at least once a quarter to catch these changes.

Mike Sottak – You change with it

Toni Sottak – This happens a lot and is expected, as the editorial topics need to be dynamic and relevant. We try to stay in close contact with the editors to understand these changes as early as possible.

Francine Bacchini – I consider it my job to regularly read multiple publications and to examine what the target editors of my clients are writing about to see how they treat story coverage. In this way I can get a good sense of what an editor may want or need from my client.

Lynne Cavanaugh – If there is no editorial calendar because it is a news driven publication, we try to connect with the editors from a news point of view.

Lou Covey – Same thing. "Why didn't you ask the editor when this was running?" PR people are paid to be omniscient.

Rob Gelphman – Then give ‘em news.

Judy Kahn – If it’s a top-tier publication, then I’ll build relationships with the appropriate editors and client spokespeople. On my part, I would pitch appropriate news and on their part, they will call when the client can add value by commenting on a story.

Barbara Kalkis – This is a good thing! Editorial calendars are passé, history, over! We will all benefit by having up-to-date relevant news, regardless of what topic it’s focusing on. The publication should simply segment the news by type and get on with it. The editorial calendar dictated advertising rates, frequency and topics. But advertising in the IC industry is all but dead, so the need for editorial calendars is also dead.

Linda Marchant – If there is no editorial policy as well as no calendar, it is even more important for the editor to respond to pitches. We cannot improve our usefulness to editors or our service to our clients if we are guessing what no feedback means.

Kerry McClenahan – In that case, you have to learn the publication really well and develop a good understanding of the types of stories they tend to cover. You base your pitches on that in-depth understanding and never, ever waste a deadline-driven editor’s time with pitches that aren’t relevant.

Sarah Miller – I make my best case and, if the publication is interested, we proceed.

Nancy Sheffield – We provide the news and pitch trend stories.

Mike Sottak – You have to cater to a publication’s needs and style. Know the publication -- its deadlines and story types!

Toni Sottak – For these publications we try to pitch viewpoints and/or contributed articles as appropriate and or try to respond to key themes we see being covered. We also try to do outreach to the editors to keep them up to speed on our clients' developments.

Jean Armstrong – It is my experience generally that PR people don't get access to an article prior to its being published. If I insist on reviewing a piece, pre-publication (and I rarely do) it is only to review the facts. I have never asked to review quotes or style. I don't think that is my business. However, especially if the situation is touchy, reviewing facts is my business and I have insisted on it when the occasion warrants it.

Francine Bacchini – It is very seldom that an editor will afford me (or my client) the opportunity to review any article. It would be wonderful to have at least one review for technical accuracy, but I don’t think that today’s tight deadlines will allow for such a review cycle.

Lou Covey – For the most part, not at all.

Judy Kahn – If it’s written by an editor, generally not at all. If there appears to be an issue in an interview situation, I might ask for the direct quotes to be read back.

Barbara Kalkis – If you’re talking about reviewing articles by the client, we review them all the time. If a journalist does an interview and quotes the client, sometimes we see it and sometimes we don’t.

My personal opinion is that it is a mistake for a journalist to return copy to a company and let them review their quote. I would say the journalist should only call the company to clarify or confirm a quote if there appears to be an error in the way the journalist took his notes.

Linda Marchant – Varies depending upon the nature of the article and the writer. Most publications will not let one review something written by staff, even for quotes. But one can often review edits to submitted articles.

Kerry McClenahan – Generally no access if it’s a staff-written article. If it’s a contributed piece that has been edited by the publication, sometimes they let you review the final before publication, but not always. This business is not an exact science, by any means. If you want control of your messages, advertising and direct marketing about much safer bets! That said, there are steps you can take to maximize the chances of your coverage aligning with your objectives, including media training for spokespeople and well-articulated, credible messages that the client and internalize and deliver.

Sarah Miller – Usually not at all; sometimes to review facts.

Gloria Nichols – Generally not at all. Rarely, rarely, (maybe twice ever!) we will review content for accuracy.

Freddy Santamaria – Only I ask to review the translation if the article is not in English, when the article is translated by an outside translator from the editor!

Nancy Sheffield – For a news story, not at all. For a technical article we get a galley to review for technical accuracy.

Mike Sottak – Typically not at all – maybe some technical accuracy checking.

Toni Sottak – We only ever have access to articles that our clients authored prior to publication.

Anon – First of all a press release should not be too technical, and only provide the highlights of the product and why it is important for the industry. The technical content should be contained to the data sheet. A release review process can take upwards of ten revisions. This is often because too many people are in the review process and each one has his/her own style or content to provide.

Anon – Varies. Often we interview the client, ask questions we think editors and publications would want to know the answers to, write, and have the client review the facts. Almost as often, the client writes, and we try to turn the technical jargon and excruciating detail into something that an analyst familiar with technology, but new to EDA, would understand. (Which seems to be an easier concept to grasp than "How would you explain this to your mother?")

Jean Armstrong – I write the press release, but only after I create a press release worksheet that I send to the client to complete. Then I use this completed document to draft the press release. Sometimes this input gathering is supplemented with a meeting, but usually the worksheet is enough. In a very large organization, it is often the case that a large number of people are involved in giving input to and reviewing a technical release. This can really increase the time it takes to get a release finalized and, of course, increase the cost.

Also, I have often found that the press release process initiates the first discussion of the product's positioning and the messages. This should be a separate process that takes place long before we start drafting a press release. To try to streamline things, I try to convince the client to have an internal person collect all the input and provide some kind of guidance on what input I should take. And I try to get the client to consider product positioning and key messages long before we start drafting the press release.

Francine Bacchini – Typically, based upon a key messages document, I write the first draft of the press release for the majority of my clients. This first draft incorporates key technical content from interviews with the technical marketing manager and also someone from the sales team (to ensure that I capture the customer’s perceived value).

I tend to guide my clients not to overload the press release with technical details. Such a level of detail is best delivered in a datasheet or white paper, not a press release.

Given that all my accounts are start-up companies, it is inevitable that some level of technical detail will appear in the press release to help explain how the product works or what it does for the user. I am able to write to a certain level of technical detail by working with my client to gain the needed understanding, but the client does supply some very technical content where appropriate.

Within ThinkBold we have technical associates who are assigned to a given account to help with technical writing and the crafting of technical messages that are meaningful to a technical audience. Upon completion of this first draft, my client then reviews and edits for technical accuracy. I’ve found that this process works well and reduces the number of needed iterations.

Jen Bernier – We send to the client a worksheet that asks all of the questions to which we think we need the answers to write the release. After reviewing the release, we come back with more specific questions. Often, I research the market and what other people are doing in that particular area by reading articles and other press releases. Then we write the release. This is one of my favorite things to do. I was always good at term papers in school, and it’s a similar process.

The review process ranges depending on the client organization. Since the initial content comes from the client’s own words, there isn’t much concern about the content not being correct, but the person who filled out the worksheet in the first place reviews the release to make sure.

Lou Covey – Depends on the client. We usually write the release from material in a customer product presentation, as well as interviewing the engineers, looking at spec sheets, finding inconsistencies, searching the web for competing product information. Then, sometimes, we find a client who can actually write well which means we only have to edit.

Judy Kahn – Currently, I would be the one to write it. Let me describe the ideal. First, the client completes a sourcing document. If the questions in this document are answered fully and supporting documentation is furnished, technical detail won’t be an issue. In theory, there should be a rigorous review at that phase with marketing, engineering and MarCom signoffs to that document. Then, there should be a sourcing meeting to go over the document with me. I would likely have comments about positioning and messaging (that’s usually more in contention than technical details) and ask a lot of questions. At the end of the meeting, the concepts should be clear.

If you build consensus around the sourcing document, then the press release based on it should be on target and tweaks should be minor. The draft undergoes review and approval by the business unit and MarCom. After that, there’s a Legal review before the release is final. In practice, there’s less rigor.

Barbara Kalkis – Depends on the client. I write it or they write it, technical or not. The review process is very straightforward for my clients.

Kerry McClenahan – I write all releases for my clients. I like to start by drafting a platform that includes objective of the release, target editorial and reader audience, strategy, key benefit and messages, and supporting rationale. Not all clients buy into platforms. My more sophisticated clients often devise internal input forms that they require product marketing and/or engineering to complete in advance of an input session. With or without those forms, an input session takes place during which I ask lots questions and take copious notes, then draft the release and send it over for review. Sometimes the process takes several days, sometimes we’ve only got several hours.

Sarah Miller – I write it after establishing the key messages, and it goes through internal review iterations

Gloria Nichols – It is collaborative. The review process is pretty simple (Marketing contact, CEO and sometimes CTO), since the companies I work with aren’t extremely large.

Freddy Santamaria – The technical release is written by the technical staff, I only do rewording for a less technical comprehension and better presentation, if the need arises (of course in English, French, Italian & Spanish).

Mike Sottak – Writing/drafting varies from client to client. Review process also depends on specific client – bigger ones necessarily have longer and more complicated review processes. Starts ups are usually the easiest to work through a press release, but even that can depend on the internal personalities and politics.

Toni Sottak – We usually write all the press releases for our clients. For highly technical topics we do intense briefings with the technical team and go back and forth with edits. Most of us have now been in this field for so long that we have a general understanding of the basic concepts but if we don’t we will sometimes rely on a friendly editor or two to make sure we have a more ‘objective’ view of the issues.

Anon – Difficult clients want to establish a regular pattern of releases - 10/ year, perhaps. Savvy clients realize that it makes more sense to be seen as credible than as prolific.

Jean Armstrong – This is all over the map. Some clients think they need to put a release out once a week, whether they have any news or not. I don't agree with this. I try to convince them to wait, or at least group small pieces of news into one release. I do think though that the Internet and all the different web sites have modified my advice somewhat.

Press releases used to be strictly for reporters' benefits, but now I think sometimes a press release can be issued more for the benefit of customers, potential employees or competitors. The web sites enable many different audiences to easily pick up news in the form of press releases. This can be valuable to a company because it enables them to get news out that would not be picked up by a reporter. So, I would say the ideal strategy on issuing press releases depends on the client's goals.

Francine Bacchini – My start-up clients range from doing multiple press releases in a month to one every quarter. Each client is focusing on delivering white papers, contributed articles and opinion pieces in the interim.

Lou Covey – We encourage at least one per month for start-ups and two for large/ public companies, just to keep name recognition going.

Rob Gelphman – The question should be, ‘How often should a client issue a press release"?

The answer whenever you have news that affects the industry or market. If it is self-serving or only a few people will care, then don’t waste my or the editor’s time.

Writing a news release a week to keep the stock price always fails and will usually result in lower stock price and eventual delisting. The analysts are tired of noise. They want news. Same with journalists. Same with customers and every stakeholder on whom the company depends.

Judy Kahn – This varies all across the board.

Barbara Kalkis – Depends on the company, the news, and their ability to spot important milestones within the company or chat and let me identify milestones with them.

Kerry McClenahan – These days clients issues releases a lot more frequently than in the past, often with no expectation of getting coverage. They feel that wire distribution and Internet pickup is enough for certain types of announcements. Some clients issue several releases a month, while others do so only several times per year.

Sarah Miller – It varies, depending on when there’s news to announce.

Gloria Nichols – Varies with the client. From 4 times a year to 8 times a year.

Freddy Santamaria – A good average is two per month, if it is not "Bxxx Sxxx!"

Nancy Sheffield – At least once a month to maintain visibility and keep the Web site current.

Mike Sottak – Depends on the client. We have some that issue one per month, some one a quarter, and some several a week. Really depends on their size, number of products, public/private status, etc.

Toni Sottak – It depends by client – some of the bigger ones issue the financial ones on their own. Most of our clients use the PR team (internal and extended) for press releases.

Anon – A PR person usually does not write a technical article; hey we are not engineers. J It is getting harder and harder to find internal resources to write articles and not enough budget to hire an outside writer.

Anon – About 30% of the time, but the articles are based on interviews with client execs and engineering staff, users. Clients also always have the final word on what makes the final cut

Francine Bacchini – When the client lacks internal technical writing resources or is bandwidth limited, we have technical writers on staff who usually do the first draft. However, I frequently massage the piece for specific target constituencies and based upon a given publication’s or specific editor’s guidelines.

While I have written a number of whole articles, they tend to be focused at a higher level rather than down at the level of extreme technical detail. Highly technical pieces are best left to our technical writers or to our client’s internal technical leads, but I still insist upon doing a vigorous review and edit for publication/editor acceptance.

Lou Covey – We wrote 36 last year, edited and placed most of them. We're on track to increase that this year. We have 16 in the works for one client alone.

Rob Gelphman – It is rare when I completely ghost write. There is much input needed by the client and a contributed article for instance is usually the culmination of meetings, input sessions, editorial briefings, and responses to industry issues. I may put finger to keyboard, but clients always edit, add input and approve.

Judy Kahn – Infrequently and when I do, they’re usually viewpoint articles. It’s more common for me to edit articles.

Barbara Kalkis – This comes and goes in waves. This year, my writing is not articles but rather information for the client.

Linda Marchant – Best is to have the client write and for PR to clarify structure, content, priority of concepts. Engineers tend to be very good at describing how things work and why; client execs want to get a message across. One of the functions we perform for editors is to meld all that, make it comprehensible, and try to tailor it to their readership.

Kerry McClenahan – It seems that with the implosion in the technology industry a few years back, when budgets were unilaterally slashed, anything that could possibly be done in-house was. Contributed articles went in-house and haven’t come back out. There are exceptions, but more often than not clients are writing in-house and asking me to edit only.

Sarah Miller – Lengthy technical articles – rarely. However, I edit them.

Gloria Nichols – Never. They write the draft and I critique and edit it as needed. Sometimes they will tell me the content over the phone, but it is always their content.

Freddy Santamaria – Not very often, I just do rewriting or I write the articles for myself!

Mike Sottak – About half the time – the other half is more an editing job

Toni Sottak – This varies by client as well. We often write the whole article, especially viewpoints. Detailed tutorials and "how tos" are often done by the technical engineering team.

Francine Bacchini – I don’t mind the anonymity because I am well paid for what I do and well appreciated by the vast majority of my clients. I’m fortunate to represent clients with outstanding technology that I believe in, so for me it is a great pleasure to see these companies grow and thrive. Additionally, I derive tremendous personal satisfaction from knowing that I had a small hand in their success.

Jen Bernier – I am a behind-the-scenes kind of girl, so I don’t mind. I have occasionally had my name on articles (when writing for a tradeshow for example) or contributed a column to a PR magazine. Once I was quoted several times and appeared in several photos in an article in British Cosmopolitan. It was about networking parties in Silicon Valley. Of course, because it was Cosmo, it ended up being more focused on whether or not I was flirting with one of the guys at the party. Those are fun opportunities, but they don’t happen too often.

Lou Covey – No. As a newspaperman I always like the tradition of saying "No byline, please." To maintain anonymity and ragging on the newbies who kept track of how many bylines they got. Writing is writing. Getting it right; communicating well is what it's all about. Like I said, I plan to do this until I die. When people ask me what I do for a living, I usually say, I'm a professional communicator. I love what I do.

Rob Gelphman – I do get credit both by editors who trust my work, and the clients who get the resulting editorial attention.

Judy Kahn – No, because although I do considerable writing, I don’t define myself as a writer. On occasion, I’ve received compliments from editors or analysts for the writing in a press release.

Barbara Kalkis – Sometimes and no.

Linda Marchant – No

Kerry McClenahan – I was told early on in my career by a difficult client, "You can have the money or you can have the glory, take your pick." He wasn’t necessarily referring to writing, it was more a global view. That said, if you’re in it for the glory, you are so in the wrong business! Our job is to make clients look good from well behind the scenes.

Sarah Miller – I don’t find it so.

Gloria Nichols – This doesn’t apply to me. I think if a PR person wants to be the one getting the visibility, they might seriously consider changing jobs to be on the marketing side.

Freddy Santamaria – As I mentioned before, the glory needs to go to the executive of the company, if I want attribution I write my own articles.

Nancy Sheffield – No, we don’t expect to get attribution. If our client looks good, we look good.

Mike Sottak – A good PR person should be seen and not heard…or is that children? I don’t think people get into this business for that kind of recognition.

Toni Sottak – No, because we do get recognition by the client.

Francine Bacchini – Since my clients are resource limited start-ups, I do get the occasional lecture on this subject. For the most part, my clients do deliver on time as I strive to provide whatever help is needed to ensure timely delivery.

Lou Covey – I have NEVER missed a deadline in my 30+ year career. It's come very close sometimes, but I never miss it. There have been many instances when opportunities have been missed because a client hasn't responded in time, but if we make a commitment to provide something by a specific date, then they get something. It is just NOT an option.

Rob Gelphman – Never. I am never late. Except when I am, but I always give ample warning that I am going to be late.

Judy Kahn – If need be, "disarming candor" before it’s actually late can eliminate ugly consequences.

Barbara Kalkis – Only once. I’m good at nagging.

Linda Marchant – Never yet, knock on wood

Kerry McClenahan – My first thought here is that if you’re turning articles in late, the least you deserve is to get yelled at. It’s more likely they’ll yank your spot and give it to someone else. This is a deadline-driven business and I think it is flat-out irresponsible to miss deadlines. That said, I haven’t been yelled at by an editor since my first weeks in PR 20 years ago, and that was for pitching something he felt was irrelevant, not deadline-related. I learned two things from the experience: always make sure your pitch is relevant for the publication, and if anyone yells at you, call them on it. I did, and he apologized.

Sarah Miller – I don’t recall that happening.

Gloria Nichols – I have never been yelled at by an editor, but then my clients are punctual. Even so, I have never even heard horror stories of other people being yelled at.

Freddy Santamaria – NEVER, I am always in time. If I can't do it, I decline.

Nancy Sheffield – They don’t usually yell. I think they know by now to put a lot of "padding" into their deadline requirements. Also, the PR person has to keep driving the article development so it gets done on time, or we know well enough in advance that there will be a problem and find an alternative solution.

Mike Sottak – Whenever we are late! Seriously, most of them are understanding but they have jobs to do and it’s our role to make their lives easier.

Toni Sottak – Unfortunately, our clients are often late in meeting deadlines for contributed articles, but we have been fortunate to be able to manage this with the editors and rarely get "yelled at."

Francine Bacchini – With some editors, this is the only way that they seek content, but for the most part, I have been given reasonable deadlines.

Jen Bernier – Fairly often. The unfortunate thing here is that with more time to discuss the query with our client, we would be able to provide a more thoughtful response. Editors would get more meaningful input if they gave people more time to think about, discuss, and assemble their feedback.

Lou Covey – Six to twelve times a year. We almost always have something.

Rob Gelphman – This happens often but I never take offense. It is part of the job description and most editorial coverage happens to those who answer the phone. With rare exceptions, editors and reporters have been grateful for helping out on short notice. It is how you build a relationship and you might need them later.

Judy Kahn – Fairly often, it’s the nature of the business and I don’t see it changing. Actually, once you’ve built a reputation for responsiveness and/or producing results, it’s a nice compliment to be a go-to person.

Barbara Kalkis – Not typically, but it does happen.

Linda Marchant – Varies by editor, but quite frequent with some. It can be useful, though - usually creates an opportunity that was not there

Kerry McClenahan – Fairly often. As I said, it’s a deadline-driven business, plus nearly all trade publications are still short-staffed. So they’ve got a lot on their plates and sometimes need you to drop everything and get them what they need. Being willing and able to do so gets you more opportunities for coverage for your clients.

Sarah Miller – Sometimes that happens and we try our best to accommodate them.

Gloria Nichols – I find the editors to be very organized and give lots of advance notice. Occasionally there is a last minute news item where that they want our input –this timing is beyond their control, and my clients are just appreciative to have the opportunity to comment.

Freddy Santamaria – Very often, it's normal – my role is to be on their side.

Lauren Sarno – If you’re lucky, all the time. It isn’t just Boy Scouts who need to be prepared.

Nancy Sheffield – Not often, but it does happen every now and then.

Mike Sottak – It happens and our good clients are able to take advantage of it – it’s a double win because you’re likely to be included in the article and you’ve won points with the editor.

Toni Sottak – This doesn’t happen too often but it is something we would gladly help facilitate as I see it as the most important part of the PR person’s job – helping the media get the info they need.

Francine Bacchini – As a PR agent, it’s my job to court an editor’s time. And so it only makes good sense to behave with utmost respect for that time. Editors are bombarded with requests for meetings, so we need to treat the time we receive with the proper respect that it deserves.

Lou Covey – The same reason it's OK for a doctor to be late?

Rob Gelphman – Who says its OK? It's just that we have to tolerate it.

Judy Kahn – I’m not an advocate of lateness as acceptable behavior for any of the three but for a PR person, being on time is part of his/her professionalism.

Worst of all is when lateness becomes part of the story. Look no further than the front page interview in the May 23rd EE Times where the editor recounts how the subject (client) was fifteen minutes late, the futile efforts of the Desperate PR rep and the initial equipment problems. This is not the sample I want to pull out to motivate a client to do one of these.

Barbara Kalkis – The editor is the customer. Always.

Linda Marchant – Depends on the editor. If we know a client is likely to run late, we try to warn the editor beforehand

Kerry McClenahan – Because the power balance in the relationship is not equal. Period.

Sarah Miller – The client and PR person assume the role of "host." So out of politeness and respect, it’s important to be on time. That’s not to say it’s all right for an editor to be late. 2-way communication is desirable, and I think editors have been very good about notifying me if they get delayed.

Gloria Nichols – I don’t see editors running late to meetings. However, we are seeking the editor’s time and attention, and we absolutely we need to be punctual to these meetings. If the editor did run late, the client and I could always use the time to review other items—the time would never be wasted.

Freddy Santamaria – SORRY In Europe, Editors are never late. If they are, they call you!

Nancy Sheffield – Because the editor is the one writing about your company

Mike Sottak – An editor is kinda like a customer – you’re tying to sell them something so you should cater to their needs, even if they are late.

Toni Sottak – Generally, this is a sign of respect and I don’t think it is truly acceptable for anyone to be late.

Anon – Bad press is bad for the company and bad for the industry. No press can always be changed; bad press can only be managed.

Part B above would take a book to answer. Depends upon the issue. Best policy is always openness and honesty, but there are times when legal considerations make that difficult.

Jean Armstrong – I think that Bad Press is worse than No Press. Bad Press is difficult to make go away. The best spin control for Bad Press is to issue an honest explanation for why something happened, or an apology or an explanation for what the company is doing to right the situation. However, the damage that Bad Press produces can last a long time.

Francine Bacchini – Since I my clients are start-ups, no press would be preferred to bad press that might put the company’s financial future at serious risk.

While no one wants bad press, it does happen. Once it does, it needs to be immediately addressed and properly managed if you want to ultimately deliver positive results through greater coverage and additional interview opportunities. Experience has taught me that the combination of advance preparation and timely response is the best way to deal with any occurrence of negative press.

Lou Covey – PT Barnum said: Press is press, just spell my name write. Truly bad press usually involves litigation. The rest is subject to interpretation. Stay calm, ride it out and be honest.

Rob Gelphman – No press is better than bad press. Bad press has to be overcome at the expense of favors and your dignity. No press at least does require an apology to the editor.

Barbara Kalkis – I can say from 25 years of experience that no press is better than bad press. Bad press is sticks like bubble gum on shoe leather, like white on rice, like …you get the idea.

Kerry McClenahan – Bad Press is far worse than No Press. If clients are in a bad press scenario, I always recommend quick, honest responses. If you delay, the story has a chance to grow and if you’re not honest you’ll dig yourself in far deeper than if you just dealt directly in the first place. If a company is clearly in the wrong, I would always advise them to find a way to quickly and visibly make amends. After things settle down, instituting some genuine and visible community relations activities can help as well.

Sarah Miller – Not necessarily. Being immediate, truthful and consistent are helpful approaches, as are third-party endorsements.

Gloria Nichols – It is critical to keep an open communication line between the client and the editors so that at least they understand the client’s perspective. Also, this way they consider the client as a real individual(s) rather than some faceless company they are writing about.

Freddy Santamaria – I try to get all the parties together, to solve the situation.

Nancy Sheffield – No one likes bad press and would prefer to keep out of the limelight. But, if something negative happens we tell our clients to stay upbeat, be honest, keep an open line of communication, and apologize for any mistakes (with legal approval of course)

Mike Sottak – Be honest and open. Don’t run and hide. Try to understand why the focus is only on bad news – is it a ‘personal’ thing for the editor or publication?

Toni Sottak – Some say that no press is worse than bad press but I don’t necessarily subscribe to this philosophy. I believe there has to be a true relationship between the client and the reporters and that the client has to be willing to come forth with accurate communication in both good times and bad. Too often, the clients want the press to write everything positive about a company but the reality is if you are going to be covered by the media you have to be open to everything and be willing to address the difficult questions.

Anon - To answer this question about Prima Donna Editors & Executives, I'm sending you a play! [Check it out in Letters to the Editor].

Anon – My first reaction is that the editors would be more interesting. But that's just stereotyping the hard-driven, ex-engineering or sales exec who can be a monomaniac. We've had some very interesting execs over the years.

Of course, if the editors knew they were going to get OFF the desert island one day, they would probably talk to one another and not want to get too close to the PR people... :-)

Francine Bacchini – While there are definitely a few editors with large egos, in my experience it’s the senior executives (and mostly the engineering PhDs) who are the bigger Prima Donnas. That said, I would likely enjoy being shipwrecked with either group, as each can be extremely fascinating in their own way.

Lou Covey – Editors. And that's only because I've spent most of my life associating with them. My closest friends are journalists, newspaper owners, writers, broadcasters, etc. Those are the people I share the most with. This Memorial Day, as I have for the past 35 years will be with a bunch of them. We'll talk about politics, religion, sports, social movements, our kids and now our grandchildren; and about those who are no longer with us. I have friends and colleagues working and buried all over the world. Those are my people. Always will be. And that's what I offer my clients.

And I'd get shipwrecked with you, Peggy, anytime. ;).

Rob Gelphman – It is a tie between senior executives with little (whoops can’t write that)…sense of self worth, and business press editors who have turned into rock stars and celebrity journalists. Both can be insufferable and boorish.

Barbara Kalkis – Put me on an island with an editor any day. They love to talk. They’re interested in everything and have an opinion on everything. They love to argue for argument’s sake. They like to explore ideas. They like to eat and drink great wine and good food. They hold beliefs closely and strongly and articulate them with vehemence. They know how to argue with heat and light, so that once the argument is done you can go drink and eat and talk and move on to the next argument. Political correctness is a choice not a mantra. Editors have a great sense of humor and value the written word and art of conversation.

As I recall from the event, being stranded with Larry Ellison on his ill-fated sailing race was not a happy situation. We, too, can learn by example.

Kerry McClenahan – I genuinely like and respect most of the senior execs I work with. Prima donnas are rare. Among editors, there are a few more, I think. That said, none that I can think of are awful. And as to the desert island, I’d likely pick the client since many of them are ex-engineers and therefore problem-solvers and inventors at heart. They’d be very handy to have around. Although, I would have to factor in which group had the best cache of wine, books and music!

Sarah Miller – I bet you’ll get a lot of anonymous responses on this one! Having a healthy ego doesn’t necessarily equate with "prima donna." I find both the Editors and Senior Executives to be very bright, creative, articulate, dedicated, hard-working and good problem solvers. However, given a choice, I’d prefer not to be shipwrecked…or at least to be stuck on a desert island with my family instead.

Gloria Nichols – Now THAT is a loaded question! (When did you stop beating your spouse?) I just don’t have that characterization of either group, and not just because my name is on this response.

As for the desert island question, can I please pick Brad Pitt instead? (After my husband and son of course!)

Freddy Santamaria – I only work with the people I like, (Editors or Senior Execs.), not with "Prima Donnas" – so I don’t mind to be stuck with the people I like.

Nancy Sheffield – I would love them all to be stuck together talking about how to best manage the editorial process for better company coverage.

Mike Sottak – That’s an interesting vision, especially for a guy who is stuck on a desert island!

Can’t generalize by profession really – they are all people and each of them has their own individual personalities. I’ve seen prima donnas on both sides and great people, too.

Toni Sottak – This is a hard one because it totally depends on the people. In general, I find editors fascinating people because they have such a wide background and encounter so many different things as part of their job. I also have met some dynamic senior executives that would keep the time passing on a deserted island. Being that we actually live on a desert island in the Caribbean, I can say we’ve had both our journalist friends and senior executives come to visit and both are a lot of fun.

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# 26 – Barbara Kalkis asks/answers: What is the future of high-tech PR and journalists in the field?

Barbara Kalkis – I see the pendulum swinging back to having PR inside vs. using external PR agents. This is not to say the external PR agents will go away. I just think that the use of the external PR person will be reduced and used as a resource when necessary. Why? The Internet is encouraging and opening up direct conversation, so in some instances the PR person has become the middle man. Also, engineers who are doing marketing are also doing their own PR. Some companies are offering news release templates that allow engineers to fill in the blanks and voila, the news release is written. Wire services are expensive and don’t always reach the right people, but if your company is only interested in a Google or Yahoo pick-up, they can provide it, as well as reaching the Dow and financial analysts.

Likewise, journalists are becoming middlemen. Companies want to be blogging, on websites, reaching customers directly. They don’t want to advertise, they want info to be free, which it is in some cases. In other cases, companies will pay to have their news release posted and be happy with it.

Thanks so much for tackling this topic. I’ll be very interested to hear what my colleagues have to say.

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June 7, 2005

Peggy Aycinena owns and operates EDA Confidential. She can be reached at peggy@aycinena.com

Copyright (c) 2005, Peggy Aycinena. All rights reserved.