The Ultimate Pitch (and I mean it in the bad sense)
There is a running joke I have with family and friends over the definition of irony. I truly believe it is nearly impossible to find a true and accurate example of irony, as defined (specifically Socratic irony). Mainly I do this with an element of contrariness, or as some people call it, “being a pain in the ass”. Either way it typically creates interesting conversations.
(PLEASE NOTE: I’m not going to give this site any sort of publicity at any point in this post and refet to it instead as xxxxx.com. If you want I’m sure you can find it using the Google.)
It was with this in mind that I received an email pitch with the subject line “We just launched xxxxx.COM and wanted to share this news with you.”. I read the email because it touted a new way of pitching stories, something I have touted on this blog many times and I still believe that the first PR agency to become pitchless will win the war. The email went on for several paragraphs, in a variety of different colors to tell me about how this new service: “…is a business utility that lets Brands and Agencies “Make the Right Connect” globally.”
I’m not going to bother complaining that the pitch had zero personalization, numerous grammatical errors, was not targeted at me in a specific way (as a blogger, former agency, current corporate comms) and in fact listed all the ways to use the service no matter what my role. Irony is when an online pitching service touts a new form of pitching and does it by making all the traditional mistakes.
But, here folks is what they call “the kicker”:
No part of this email may be reproduced on a website/ blog etc. without prior written permission.
The italics are mine, but the language is that of this PR person. So let me get this right…you pitched me about a service, presumably your client, I’m guessing in the hopes that I’m going to write about the service on my blog or if I was a journalist on my website (you wouldn’t know because you did no research before you shipped out your pitch). Now what if I’m interested in writing about your service, even if I got past all the mistakes, I need to contact you for permission??
Not only do we have irony, we have idiocy. Guess I broke the rule, wonder if they are gearing up the lawyers.
Anyone else receive this pitch?
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:08 am
*checks calendar–nope, not April 1.*
I don’t even know where to start. That’s beyond irony and moving into deliberate self-satire. Any chance one of your PR friends has an odd sense of humor, and is playing a practical joke on you?
Jen
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:13 am
Hmmmm, I actually never thought of that, but then again none of my friends are smart enough ;)
/kff
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:25 am
Yep, I got that pitch too. Definitely worse than some of the usual ones.
I just have no patience for typos. At my last firm, I was in charge of proofing every document before it left our PR team, including press releases. It’s really not hard to avoid mistakes if you put your copy in front of even ONE other person. Makes me nuts.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I agree! Pitching journalists feels like I am whoring myself. As a newcomer in the business, I am told I have to pitch and pitch to no end. But it kills me to then be nailed-to-the-cross by other PR people, especially when they also have pitched and spammed journalists.
Kyle can you honestly say you never wrote a bad pitch or had a journalist rip you another hole?
I just subscribed to Help a Reporter Out and it’s a huge help when I’m seeking publicity in the U.S., for my clients. I hear there is a Canadian version that just started called journalist source. These types of services reverse the role and the journalist sends his or her query to the PR people.
So the first agencies to stop pitching aren’t really agencies, they are individuals who work in the PR industry.
Just my two cents
Trev.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Hey Trevor. Thanks for the comment, some good thoughts for me.
Have I ever written a bad pitch: Of course I have.
Have I ever had a journalist rip me: Of course I have.
Have I worked for a client or an agency who has said “Pitch at any cost”: Of course I have.
It is why I left the agency business and it is why I believe more in Social Media.
I try to not rip PR folks or nail anyone to a cross because we have all done this job the ‘wrong way’ at some point or simply made a mistake. My point here was to not ‘out’ anyone or even any company. My point was to show the absurdity of pitching a blogger (I’m NOT a PR person anymore in the true sense of the term) and then telling me to not publish the language on my blog. The other mistakes are just purely bad PR practices.
I think HARO is a great start…but why couldn’t an agency create a service similar to HARO (Hint: folks are working on it) that does end, or at least evolve, the pitching practice?
/kff