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Mathom Room: Compensation Architect, Media Bullseye, Intuit and relaunch of PBS Parents

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The mathom room is that place where I put all the interesting stuff that I want to tell you about but just don’t have time to devote a whole post. Here’s this month’s collection.

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Compensation Architect is a new blog that I developed for Santorini Consulting, an enterprise software implementation firm. The blog is a guide to designing, managing and implementing compensation systems; its principal author David Kelly is a recognized expert in the field. If you are, or someone you know is, involved in setting or managing sales compensation systems and policies, I urge you to check it out. Design by Leslie Doherty of Catapult Web Development.

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I keep forgetting to mention that I was a guest on the Media Bullseye Roundtable podcast on August 1st. Sarah Wurrey, Jen Zingsheim and I talked about BlogHer, whether the web is impacting reading standards and the impact of Randy Pausch’s life and death on the interwebs.

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I’m going to have more to say on the JingleGenerator from Intuit as a blogger relations campaign, but for now, just enjoy messing around and creating jingles using this tool. I’m not sure anyone would actually use one of these jingles in a promo campaign but it’s kinda fun to create one. And I absolutely love this footnote from the press release:

1Tommy Silk is a totally fictitious character, created solely for the promotion of theJingleGenerator.com because we didn’t have the budget to hire someone famous or use their name without getting our pants sued off. Any resemblance to real music moguls, living or dead, is purely coincidental. So there.

Silk? He’s sort of a cross between Austin Powers, Tommy Mottola and Tommy Lee.With maybe a dash of Van Halen. And funny, though not nearly as funny as the footnote.  Enjoy.

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PBS has relaunched pbsparents with the Supersisters blog written by sisters Jen Lemen, Kristen Hammond and Patience Salgado. I love the idea of hearing from siblings on a subject. One of the most compelling blogs I’ve ever “read” was 3191 a photo blog by two sisters who lived on opposite coasts, took a photo every morning and then posted the results. I think Supersisters has the potential to be just as compelling. Check it out.

That’s it for the mathom room. I’ll be back later in the week with more blogger relations, good and bad.

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The silly season starts

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Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again: Back to School Season.

This is NOT an excuse for linking any and every product to school-age children. So PR person who was about to press <send> on a mass email to parents… STOP IT! RIGHT NOW! [GO TO YOUR ROOM!]

Re-read your pitch and make sure there really is a link to getting kids ready for back-to-school. And please be age appropriate. I’m still laughing at the one forwarded by a friend today that urged parents to make sure their college-bound kids know how to use their cell phones.

Yes, you read that right. Don’t believe me? Here it is:

       

While I am all for parents discussing safety risks with their children — including young adults off to college, I don’t know a single college-age person who wouldn’t be insulted being referred to as a child. I’m insulted on their behalf just reading this pitch.

And of course, as my friend wrote when she forwarded the pitch, eight-year olds know how to use cell phones. The idea that an 18-year old needs help using one is just bizarre.

The other two points are more relevant to the young adult away at school for the first time, but that brings up the other problem with this pitch, all of which I’ve included above except the signoff with the rep’s phone number.

It’s a stealth pitch. I’ve written about this before, but your pitch should always be clear about who and what you represent. Hiding the client, not being clear about your agenda is dishonest. Don’t do it.

Another form of stealth pitch is the fake comment or user testimonial. This tactic is often referred to as astroturfing. On consumer sites, it typically takes the form of a glowing testimonial, purportedly from a happy customer. How can you spot this?  Look for the message points. Most people don’t write that way. PR people do. As the saying goes, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…

It is perfectly okay to leave a comment about a product if it is in direct response to a query and you clearly identify your interest. It is not okay to hide your interest or leave unsolicited pitches in the comments on a blog. If you think the blogger might be interested in your product, service or idea, send an email first.

Honesty really is the best policy.

UPDATE 8/19: As some of you know, I used to work for an Internet filtering company. It turns out that the PR agency that sent the stealth pitch I commented on above represents a company that recently acquired one of the brands I worked for. I discovered this fact when my friend forwarded me another pitch she received today from the same rep that did name the product. While strictly speaking, I was never an employee of this new company, I do have a general policy of not commenting on former employers, and this is close enough for me. I also have a soft spot for this brand, since it was my baby for a very long time, and would never criticize it publicly. But in a roundabout way, I did.

Stealth pitching is a BAD idea. Don’t do it.

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Where’s the beef: The content of a good blog pitch

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Now that we have the secret sauce for a blog pitch, it’s time to think about the main ingredient — the content. There is no single recipe for this; it’s different for every product, service and program.

Like any other marketing activity, you start with your marketing objectives. With an important caveat: you have to get over the idea that anyone actually cares about your product. What they care about is how it makes them feel, how well  it satisfies a need or desire.

That’s where the concept of adding value comes in. You can’t just deliver a laundry list of facts and features, and expect a blogger to write about it. They might buy your product, as a customer, but in order to give you valuable space in her story on her blog, the blogger needs something more. She needs your pitch to add value to her blog.

Here are a couple of examples that do a nice job of adding value.

First,  a pitch for Quaker Chewy Granola Bars with Protein.

The mom blogger who forwarded this pitch to me said that although the pitch was a bit spammy  (can you spot the message points, everyone?) she was impressed with the offer. Since her daughter would be starting soccer soon, she was inclined to do it.

My take: Although I would be thrilled if agencies ditched the message points ( "Moms like you will be able to please the pickiest eaters with kid-friendly flavors") and just used plain language,  the value added in this pitch is very good: a decent package of products and review product for the blogger plus the offer of a giveaway package for a friend or reader. Along with a clear understanding of the privacy concerns of the blogger. Grade: A- [PR Agency: Ogilvy PR.]

And a pitch from the National Women’s History Museum.

Why is this pitch so good?

It’s on target. I am on the record, in multiple places, as a feminist with a great deal of interest in gender issues. This is something about which I could reasonably be expected to care.

I’ve met the PR rep who sent the pitch, Erin Skinner, from Weber Shandwick unit Powell Tate. She interviewed me at BlogHer Business as part of Weber Shandwick’s video coverage of the event. What really impressed me: she’s still reading my blogs. And not just this one, but also my personal blog, which is where the referenced post appeared.

She doesn’t ask me to write. But here you go, I have. If the pitch is good, you don’t need to ask. I also sent an email to my congresswoman — dead easy, do it.

Now, for an example of  a pitch that doesn’t pass muster. For comparison purposes.

See the difference?

Let’s start with the salutation. Two parent bloggers forwarded this to me for bad pitch. One was addressed as Blogger <Lastname> and the other as Blogger <Firstname> . Seriously, how bad is the database this firm is using? And what is with the salutation BLOGGER? Is it a category in the database and someone screwed up or do they really think this is a legitimate salutation?

It’s a short pitch –that I will give you. But it is nothing more than a series of message points strung together. "A funny and heart warming film." "Makes for a perfect summertime watch for kids of all ages."

And typos. Hate typos.

But most importantly –where’s the value? Why should these bloggers write about this film? Where’s the offer for a review copy? Or perhaps a copy or two as giveaways? I realize that many companies have to limit the offers of review product. Fine. Then limit your outreach to bloggers and journalists who might reasonably be expected to review your product. And offer product straight up. Don’t wait for the blogger to ask.

And heaven forbid, when they ask for product, don’t offer them a .jpg instead. As this vendor did to a mom blogger who actually replied to a blind pitch because the product was relevant to her family’s needs:

Ummm. If you can’t send samples, why did you pitch?

Bottom line, if you want a blogger to write about your product, you have to give her a reason that matters to her. Otherwise, you should simply run an ad on her blog. End of story.

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BlogWorld Expo and the entertainment industry

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If you’re interested in the shift currently happening in the entertainment industry from the traditional studio driven model, in which a few media moguls control the purse strings and our screens, to a user-generated creativity-driven online model — for example, Joss Whedon’s recent direct-to-Internet project Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog —  I’m moderating two panels at BlogWorld Expo next month in Las Vegas that you might find interesting.

They’ll certainly be entertaining. Read on, check out the panelists and you will see why.

The point of departure for both panels is the Writers Strike, and how the writers used social media like blogs and YouTube to get their message across.  I came up with the idea for the panels shortly after the strike ended last spring. I was struck by how effectively the writers used social media to communicate with the media, fans and indeed with each other to keep themselves motivated during the long months on the picket line. I pitched the idea to BlogWorld Expo, they said yes, and the gods must have been smiling on me, because I was able to recruit some truly awesome panelists.

Here’s the scoop on the panels. I hope to see you there.

Social Media and the Writers Strike: Blogs, Fans and Community
Saturday September 20, 2:45-3:45 pm
This panel, the first of two about Social Media and the Writers Strike, will offer an overview of how the writers used social media during the strike to inform the public, encourage and reward fan support and keep union members motivated. We’ll focus on community-developed sites like United Hollywood and the impact of fan support as we discuss the overall impact of social media, vs. mainstream media, on the outcome.

Panelists
Jeffrey Berman
Jeffrey Berman’s first spec script was purchased by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard at Imagine Films. Since then he has written feature film projects for Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and The Walt Disney Studio, as well as several independent film companies. In the television market, Berman has written and sold several MOWs including The J.K Rowling bio-pic for NBC television and The Last Rainmaker for Hallmark. Recently, Berman co-founded UnitedHollywood.com and is producer/co-host of UnitedHollywood Live. He also created and hosts The Write Environment, a compelling series of one-on-one interviews with some of today’s most prolific writers.  He ran the Pencils 2 Media Moguls campaign during the strike; read more here.

Erica Blitz, Galactica Sitrep
Erica Blitz, who often goes by the online handle "ProgGrrl," is co-editor of the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fansite Galactica Sitrep, and blogs about miscellaneous TV, film and pop culture at FanGrrl Magnet. She currently works in film advertising in New York City and has a background in both film and music marketing. For a closer look at how Sitrep covered the WGA strike from the fan perspective, check out these tagged posts. 

Steve Diamond, Vallywood
Steve Diamond is a law professor and political scientist on the faculty of Santa Clara University School of Law in Santa Clara, California, which is in the heart of Silicon Valley. He has an extensive background in the labor movement and advise a wide range of unions, workers and institutional investors on financial and legal issues. He was a candidate to become National Executive Director of the Screen Actors Guild in 2006.

Mark Verheiden, Famous Mark Verheidens of Filmland
Mark Verheiden is currently the Co-Executive Producer of the Peabody Award winning television series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, screenwriter of the Fall 2008 feature MY NAME IS BRUCE (starring Bruce Campbell), and screenwriter on the original feature film ARK (Sony Pictures), produced by Neal (I AM LEGEND, FAST & THE FURIOUS) Moritz and Mike (Dark Horse Productions Chief) Richardson. Past work includes writing and producing the first three seasons of SMALLVILLE, writing the scripts for the feature films TIMECOP & THE MASK, and scribbling out nearly 125 comic books including THE AMERICAN, ALIENS, PREDATOR, THE PHANTOM, SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN/BATMAN.”

Social Media and the Writers Strike: How user-generated content won the war of the words
Saturday September 20, 5:00-6:00 pm
The use of user generated content during the Writers Strike to both inform and entertain further validated the importance of the Internet medium. This panel, the second of two about Social Media and the Writers Strike, will dive deeper into the impact of websites and videos written (and often performed) by the writers and distributed through YouTube, United Hollywood and other Internet sites. Why did they work so well, and how has user generated content changed the entertainment landscape? What lessons can we apply to our own endeavors, personal, professional and corporate?

Panelists
Jeffrey Berman (see bio above)

Michael Colton, www.coltonaboud.com
Michael Colton writes for film and television, and is currently working on a new Fox animated show set to air next spring. He and partner John Aboud also appear regularly as panelists on VH1’s "Best Week Ever," "I Love the 80s" and other shows. Before moving to L.A., they ran the Web magazine Modern Humorist, and prior to that, Colton was a staff writer for the Washington Post. During the Writers strike, Colton & Aboud created the much-discussed parody website AMPTP.com (now housed at AMPTP.humortron.net). Joss Whedon praised them as "heroes," which is obviously an understatement.

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See what I mean? It’s gonna be a fun time, and I hope some of my readers can join us. If you can make it, use discount code SGVIP for 20% off your admission. The code is good until September 1st, but early bird registration ends on August 22d; if you are planning to go, you can save even more by registering by then.

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Special thanks to Erica Blitz and Rob Kutner, a writer for The Daily Show and author of Apocalypse How. They were invaluable in connecting me with potential panelists, and I am forever grateful for their help.

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The secret sauce for the perfect pitch

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First things first. No matter what we’d like to believe, there is no such thing as the perfect pitch. One person’s spam is often another person’s breakfast.

Here are my ingredients for the secret sauce of a nearly perfect pitch to a blogger.

Relevance

Relevance is a key ingredient. Without it, it is highly unlikely that you will get even a nibble from a blogger. Do your homework. Make sure that your product or service and pitch match the blogger’s interests. And please don’t assume that the blogger will connect the dots and understand that your pitch is relevant. Tell her why you sent her the pitch, why you thought it was relevant. Otherwise, a blogger just might assume that you got lucky, not that you were smart.

Respect

Don’t patronize. Nothing irritates more than the arrogance that you, the company, are doing the blogger a favor by telling them (and 1000 of their closest friends) about your "thing." Certainly tell the blogger why YOU are excited about whatever it is, but don’t suggest that they will be as well. Or that their "readers will love it". That’s for the blogger to decide, and that phrase, more than any other, will consign your pitch to the trash heap.

Don’t ask the blogger to write. If the pitch was good, you don’t have to ask. There are a few exceptions of course, mostly related to charities and fundraising where you will be forgiven for asking folks to spread the word. But truly, you are much better off if you focus on developing a program or offer that the bloggers will want to share with their friends. Also known as  the readers of their blogs.

Brevity & Clarity

Get to the point. Quickly. Tell the blogger who you are, why you are writing and why you thought this pitch was relevant. One to two paragraphs at most. Bloggers don’t want a laundry list of features or a lot of marketing-speak and PR puffery. They may be reading your pitch on a mobile device or even a dial-up line, so ditch the attachments. Instead, tell them the WIIFM.

What’s in it for me? Answering that question for the blogger is what makes a nearly perfect pitch.

Value

Your pitch or program should add value. Otherwise, you should advertise.

What does adding value mean? A personal blogger writes about things he is interested in, generally from the perspective of how they impact him. He’s telling his story, and you need to give him a good reason to include your story in his. That means putting your product or service into his context, not talking at him from yours with a press release, list of features or carefully crafted message point. Here are some ways to do this.

Provide access to exclusive information. But make sure it is access that the blogger actually wants. Few bloggers will want an "exciting interview" with your marketing VP. Sorry. But if your brand uses a celebrity spokesperson, some might be interested in an interview or even a meet and greet if there is an appropriate venue. Others might love access to your product managers, a factory tour or an invitation to participate in an advisory board.

Offer evaluation products or samples. Pre-release or beta is okay, just be clear on what you are sending and whether you want direct feedback, to improve the product, or are simply sending it so they have a chance to try it out. Remember, bloggers don’t need it to be new, although they do like to be clued in on the new things. Who doesn’t? What bloggers really need is for your pitch to be relevant to their interests. This is a golden opportunity for companies who are able to make their products "new to you" with relevant stories. Word of warning: Do not expect to get the products back. If your budget cannot support sending evaluation product to every blogger you pitch, cut your list back to a number that it can support. If your product is a high priced item, such as a computer or a car, consider ways to offer trial through loaner programs and events. Both Ford and GM have used these tactics very successfully recently to get folks into their vehicles. Computer companies have long sponsored the Internet cafes and email stations at industry conferences for the same reason. [BTW, if you are a computer company, I came up with an idea for you while writing this post. Call me.]

Offer products to the blogger that she can give away to her readers. Many personal bloggers use ads to offset the cost of their blogs; giveaways and contests attract readers, which in turn can increase advertising revenues. It’s such a simple way for a company to add value for the blogger while achieving its own goals of promoting the product.

Events and junkets. While I often worry that we put too much focus on events and trips, they are a good way to expose bloggers to your products and most importantly, your people. Important: while every blogger relations effort should be considered, and measured, in the context of your marketing and communications strategy, this is particularly critical when it comes to events and junkets. No matter what your budget for the event, no matter how big or small your company, your event is going to consume a lot of resources, both hard dollars and soft costs. You have to have a clear objective and a way to measure it going in, or you will be wasting money. No matter how much the bloggers loved the event. You should also look into sponsoring events or conferences that already attract the blogging population you want to reach. Consider sponsoring the attendance of a few bloggers who might otherwise not be able to afford a key industry conference. But don’t make hollow offers. Make it meaningful; a free registration isn’t much use if the blogger can’t afford the plane fare. 

Support the charities and causes the community cares about. Many companies do this already in "meatspace." Think about how you can extend your support into your online and social media efforts. But beware of token support or the appearance of carpet bagging. Charitable involvement must be organic to your business or your product; don’t just jump on the latest bandwagon, throw a few dollars at something and expect to reap the rewards of your largesse. Folks can spot a faker. Just look at all the firms that have tried to "go green" with superficial efforts and have ended up more red-faced than anything.

Put the blogger at the center, not your product. Feature them on your site. Invite them to be part of an advisory council or product focus group. Actively solicit their opinions and feedback on new products. We did this with the Photographic Memories project during the HP Photo Books launch. A central element of the program was interviews on hp.com with moms about the role of photography in their lives. No question, there was a connection — if photographs are important in our lives, what better way to share them than a Photo Book — but that was not the focus of the interviews.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll take some good pitches and dissect them for the value element. I’ll also share a bad pitch that could have been so much better if the company had just focused on adding value for the bloggers, not just pushing their products.

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