RDVP Seminar: Julie McHenry (3/2/2005)

[Note: I've fallen behind again on my blogging, too much going on. So I'll revert to somewhat less well-written/organized entries, on the assumption that it's better to get SOMETHING up than continue to postpone until I have time to do it well.]

Julie McHenry is a Public Relations (PR) professional. She took her interest in journalism and background in marketing (with an MBA) to the field of PR, and worked with Microsoft starting in 1983 (pre-IPO). In 1990, she moved to the Valley, working with companies like Symantec, Convergys, and Intuit. Currently the founder/principal of Communications Insight, she spoke to the RDVP group on the importance of PR and building relationships with journalists. She talked about the difference between paid content (advertising) and editorial content, noting that a good PR person can help shape what journalists write about in the editorial sections, though can never completely control the message. If you want total control, buy an ad.

She encouraged the fellows to think about their projects in terms of what is newsworthy: unique, innovative, or an innovative twist on a familiar model. By building a relationship with a journalist, providing them with interesting news over time, acting as a source for them, they are more likely to listen when you have a message that you would like to convey to the world.

In prepping for a press interview, she suggested having 2 or 3 big points that you want to be sure to make, as well as a collection of factoids that you can throw in to make things interesting and quoteable. She is a big fan of analogies, saying that they're a good way to convey difficult concepts in a way that people will understand. She discouraged us from requesting questions in advance (saying it makes you look paranoid and sets up a confrontational tone) and to request changes in pre-press copy only if there's something seriously wrong: the reporter doesn't want to see your grammatical changes, and you shouldn't try to re-write things to make them seem more positive.

She mentioned the power of an advisory board to lend credibility to a new organization, and pointed out that having people from complementary disciplines provides a stronger board overall. When the advisory board is in place, along with a website and some funding or donors, only then does it make sense to launch the organization. Sending a press release to PR Newswire, Marketwire, Businesswire, or Ascribe (a new non-profit newswire) will make sure that your news gets across the desk of nearly every relevant journalist (though the good ones will already know about you.) For more targeted news, you may be better off calling a single journalist for a publication that reaches your target market. With an exclusive scoop, the journalist is more likely to be interested in writing a story rather than competing with everyone else who picks something off the wire. She said that a journalist will typically take a cold call, though email is often better, and if that email starts with a flattering reference to a previous story by the author, it's likely to get a better reception. Also, being aware of their deadlines is courteous.

She talked a bit about the PR strategy of "influencing the influencers", which was practiced effectively by Regis McKenna and his firm (including Julie) with clients such as Apple, Intel, and Genentech. Since technology is a reference sell (along with most other major purchases) you should influence opinion leaders, possibly even giving away your product to them ("seeding the market") to generate word of mouth among the general public. Finding and influencing the right 50 people can be the difference between a smashing success or a luke warm one.

In response to a question from Carlos, she said that it's better to "ride the wave" (be associated with today's hot topic) than try to operate counter to it. But you should seek a new angle on the hot topic, so you're not another "Me too" story.

Julie also offered her advice on how to choose a PR agency. Choosing one of appropriate scale was her first recommendation: a new non-profit is probably best off with a solo practicioner, while a larger multi-national company will obviously require a larger firm. Establishing a good relationship with the person is key, and you want to find someone with whom you can have a high bandwidth conversation--that is, someone who "gets" your ideas and speaks your vocabulary. You should ask for references from current clients, and talk with them. You can also ask for 2 or 3 primary contacts (journalists) that the agent relies on, and email them to ask for the effectiveness of the agent.