successful pitching it’s a lot like fishing. barbara brown director of marketing and business...
TRANSCRIPT
Successful PitchingSuccessful PitchingIt’s a lot like fishingIt’s a lot like fishing
Barbara BrownBarbara BrownDirector of Marketing and Director of Marketing and
Business DevelopmentBusiness Development
33 South Sixth Street, Suite 440033 South Sixth Street, Suite 4400
Minneapolis, MN 55402Minneapolis, MN 55402
bhbrown1bhbrown1
Joshua SchneckJoshua Schneck
Founder, CEO, Snow CommunicationsFounder, CEO, Snow Communications612-337-0748612-337-0748Josh@[email protected]
15 years law firm PR experience15 years law firm PR experience
Helped gain $1,000,000 account for Helped gain $1,000,000 account for client through PRclient through PR
Also represents 3M, Hormel, CargillAlso represents 3M, Hormel, Cargill
WIIFM WIIFM (Why are we here today?)(Why are we here today?)
Agency perspective (Josh)Agency perspective (Josh)
Support business development with strong PRSupport business development with strong PRHave a strategy and a planHave a strategy and a planDevelop PR talentDevelop PR talentMeasure and reportMeasure and report
Law firm perspective (Barbara)Law firm perspective (Barbara) Pure PR vis-à-vis M&BD benefitsPure PR vis-à-vis M&BD benefitsSavvySavvyContentContent
Thought leadershipThought leadershipMedia TeamMedia TeamWhat you don’t know can harm youWhat you don’t know can harm you
Ten Top Ways to Turn Ten Top Ways to Turn Off EditorsOff Editors
10. Ask them if they’ll cover the 10. Ask them if they’ll cover the opening of your new officeopening of your new office
9. Call them back after their deadline9. Call them back after their deadline
8. Pitch an old story8. Pitch an old story
7. Be unfamiliar with their publication7. Be unfamiliar with their publication
6. Tell ‘em the attorney is in 6. Tell ‘em the attorney is in depositionsdepositions
5. Decline to confirm the obvious5. Decline to confirm the obvious
Tens Ways...Tens Ways...
4. Ask them if you can read the story 4. Ask them if you can read the story before it’s publishedbefore it’s published
3. Use the word “estoppels” in a 3. Use the word “estoppels” in a sentencesentence
2. Tell them everything you just told 2. Tell them everything you just told them is “off the record”them is “off the record”
And the #1 turn off for editors...And the #1 turn off for editors...
#1 Turnoff for Editors#1 Turnoff for Editors
1. Ask them if they received the press 1. Ask them if they received the press release!release!
Pitching is Like FishingPitching is Like Fishing
StrategyStrategy - what are - what are you fishing for?you fishing for?
FocusFocus - where are - where are you fishing?you fishing?
TimingTiming - when are - when are you fishing? you fishing?
PitchingPitching - what’s - what’s the best bait? the best bait?
Strategy - What are you Strategy - What are you fishing for?fishing for?
Promote specific Promote specific expertiseexpertise
Practice groupsPractice groups Address Address
weaknessesweaknesses
Focus - where are you Focus - where are you fishing? fishing?
Industries?Industries? Type of client?Type of client? Job titlesJob titles
Timing - when are you Timing - when are you fishing? fishing?
Half-life of a news leadHalf-life of a news lead
Print pubs: 1-30 Print pubs: 1-30 daysdays
Online pubs: 1-30 Online pubs: 1-30 minutesminutes
Blogs, Twitter: 1-Blogs, Twitter: 1-30 seconds30 seconds
What’s the best bait? - What’s the best bait? - the pitchthe pitch
Think like an Think like an editoreditor
Publication Publication specificspecific
Inform/entertainInform/entertain Brief! 1 short Brief! 1 short
paragraphparagraph
Q. How do you interest Q. How do you interest the WSJ in a patent law the WSJ in a patent law firm with no litigators?firm with no litigators?
““The law firm that’s never tried a The law firm that’s never tried a case, and never will.”case, and never will.”
Let’s do some pitching!Let’s do some pitching!
North Face is suing South Butt, a North Face is suing South Butt, a parody site run by a college student, parody site run by a college student, for trademark infringement. How for trademark infringement. How would you pitch one of your would you pitch one of your trademark attorneys as a source on trademark attorneys as a source on this case to The Wall Street Journal? this case to The Wall Street Journal? To an IP pub? To an IP pub?
PitchingPitching
A large company in your market is A large company in your market is filing for bankruptcy in 24 hours and filing for bankruptcy in 24 hours and your firm isn’t handling it. your firm isn’t handling it. How do How do you pitch your firm’s bankruptcy you pitch your firm’s bankruptcy specialist as the expert source to the specialist as the expert source to the local business media? To Law 360 local business media? To Law 360 Bankruptcy Law? To CBS News?Bankruptcy Law? To CBS News?
More PitchingMore Pitching
Congress just passed a law requiring Congress just passed a law requiring shareholder votes on executive pay shareholder votes on executive pay at public companies. at public companies. How would you How would you pitch one of your corporate pitch one of your corporate governance attorneys to local governance attorneys to local business publications? To Corporate business publications? To Corporate Counsel? To Business Week?Counsel? To Business Week?
PitchingPitching
It’s February 1st. You want to raise It’s February 1st. You want to raise the profile of your employment law the profile of your employment law practice. practice. Who do you pitch to? What Who do you pitch to? What do you pitch? When?do you pitch? When?