Publicists Can Broaden Your Writing Range

2010 just might be remembered by me as the Year of the Publicist.

No, I’m not a publicist. But, I have connected with quite a few people who are over the course of the past few months–professionals who are eager to tap my network of blogs to help promote their clients and/or products. That’s good, because it helps me get my work done.

My main area of writing expertise is in the automotive industry, but I also cover campus and consumer-related topics on various websites and blogs. Any assistance I can get along the way is certainly welcome.

Publicist Defined

So, what exactly is a publicist? I’ll use Merriam-Webster’s second definition of that term to explain: “… one that publicizes; specifically : press agent.”

Publicists can work in any industry. Their job is support one or more clients by getting the news out through various media events, press kits or directly by contacting people who might be interested in that news. Granted, their reason for doing what they do is centered on helping a client, but those who are experts at their craft know that the recipient plays a critical role in disseminating information.

Publicist Assistance

What can a publicist do for you? Many things including the following:

Share breaking news about a company, person or product. This is helpful for me because in order for me to be relevant I need news that is timely. Announcing the release of a new product after the fact doesn’t help my cause. I must maintain an edge in my reporting, something a good publicist can help me accomplish.

Connect you with the source. You can write about someone, but the best thing is to connect with your source directly. A publicist can arrange an interview for you, perhaps much faster than you can pull off on your own. Let the publicist provide an important edge in reporting or story development.

Think outside of the box. The best publicist is the one who goes beyond your needs, perhaps adding a tidbit of information or suggesting an angle for you to pursue as you develop your story. That’s important because you can’t know everything going into an interview. A publicist should be in the loop and willing to help you develop a winning story.

Publicist Problems

Of course, there are some downsides in working with a publicist including:

Publicists get paid for spreading the news. If you pick up a story suggested by a publicist, then they get paid for what you wrote.  That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can mean you’ll be sent lots of irrelevant information.  Too much unrelated data means you’ll have to shift through some nonsense.

You’re not always treated as an individual. I’m amazed that some publicists contact me without making an attempt to get to know me.  I can’t tell you how many times I get queries addressed generally such as “Dear Journalist” or in some other generalized manner. Why bother? I almost always ignore that information.

The gatekeeper who doesn’t lift the gate. I understand that publicists need to protect their clients, but making it difficult to make contact with an important player doesn’t do anyone any good.  Geoff Williams, writing for Writer’s Digest said that sometimes “…publicists forget that they’re not the story.” Yes, sometimes you have to go over a publicist’s head in order to craft your story.

Negative News

Don’t expect a publicist to share negative news about their client. They are in the business to share information that is positive. Off the record, you may get some feedback they wouldn’t say officially, but be tactful by not attributing that information to the publicist.

Build relationships with publicists, not walls.

Online Product Reveals: Cutting Edge & Informative

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

GM Rolls Out The Camaro Online

I write extensively about the automotive industry, operating several sites including The Auto Writer which is, by far, my busiest blog. I am by no means a mechanical expert when it comes to cars, but I am an admirer of the technology and engineering that goes into making the vehicles we drive and I like to keep my pulse on this dynamic industry.

Today, General Motors revealed the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, bringing back a nameplate that the company marketed from 1967-2002.  Fans of the Camaro and its sibling vehicle, the Pontiac Firebird, were bitterly disappointed when GM stopped production in 2002, especially as Ford continued to produce its arch rival pony car, the Mustang.

But, it was that same Mustang which helped resurrect the Camaro. When Ford introduced its latest generation pony car in 2005 to heralded acclaim, both General Motors and Chrysler realized that they needed to get back into this important segment. Like the Mustang, both the new Camaro and the current Dodge Challenger have taken their styling cues from earlier models, exactly what Ford did when it redesigned the Mustang.

GM’s Masterful Online Reveal of the All-New Camaro

Today, GM did what many companies in the 21st century are now beginning to do: unveil a new product offering via the internet.  Instead of waiting for a major auto show as the venue for the Big Reveal, GM showcased the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro to the entire world online.  The ten minute ceremony began promptly at 4 p.m. at the GM Tech Center in Warren, MI. with short speeches about the Camaro followed by a reveal of a bright orange pre-production model.

This is how GM succeeded with their market reveal today:

• Wisely, to get people to tune in, the company “leaked” images of the production version Camaro last week.
• These images were posted all over the internet creating a buzz which rocked the blogging world, stirred leading internet sites, and became feature articles over the weekend in the Sunday papers.
• This morning, I checked the Chevrolet Camaro site and found that GM had updated the page to announce the unveiling for later in the day.
• Immediately, many of the key automotive blogs relayed that information to their readership, causing the buzz to reach a fevered pitch.

Harnessing Internet Driven Buzz

My point with this article isn’t so much what was revealed but how it was revealed. By creating the necessary buzz leading up to the product release and taking full advantage of the strength and breadth of the internet, millions of people from around the globe were able to witness the Camaro’s introduction at one time. All of that free publicity will certainly benefit the car and the company, fueling additional free publicity for months to come.

The internet hasn’t just arrived — it is a real game changer in the way that we market our products. The key, of course, is generating the buzz and then following through with a timely and informative product reveal.