Comments on: Is everyone in PR wearing the same dress?

By: jsweets

jsweets — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:42:02 +0000

Having worked as a journalist and blogger for many years, I think all PR pros need to at least intern at a publication for a summer. You can tell in the first 3 seconds of an email or phone call who has no clue how the pub biz works. You can also tell who has never once checked out the reporter’s publication or beat before rolling into the pitch.

I also agree with the point made about PR folks being connectors. All the great ones I’ve kept in touch with over the years are those who seem to know everyone and can help with information, even when it’s not directly related to a client.

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Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:18:03 +0000

[...] Well, if that’s her gift, all the shouting must be a great way to garner PR. However, via Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog: “According to [AdWeek’s] Brian [Morrissey], the best thing PR people can do is [...]

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Sometimes Breasts Aren’t Enough, Julia Allison « OnlineMarketerBlog — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:27:33 +0000

[...] Well, if that’s her gift, all the shouting must be a great way to garner PR. However, via Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog: “According to [AdWeek's] Brian [Morrissey], the best thing PR people can do is [...]

By: shannonpaul

shannonpaul — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:11:37 +0000

Thanks everyone for the great feedback!

Steve – Thank you for the great examples that show exactly what I was talking about. It’s so easy to ignore people who are all doing the exact same thing en masse without regard for the people they’re trying to connect with.

Cee Bee – I’m sorry for the confusion- it never occurred to me that PR is also the abbreviation for Puerto Rico. Thanks for the new awareness. :)

Genaro and Leah – So glad you liked the post.

Ami – I love your extension of the metaphor to include prom and thrift-store dresses and I think it extends beyond book PR. The more human we can be, the better chance we have at forming real relationships and humanizing the companies and organizations we represent.

Tanveer – So glad I could help you understand women better *and* some of the challenges facing the PR industry. :)

Shannon – I’m sure it’s a very educational endeavor to be on the receiving end of a pitch and I’m sure it’s also very frustrating at times. You have a great personality and presence — I trust your ability to be genuine will work far better than those trying to stick to messaging at all times and follow strict protocol.

By: Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:58:48 +0000

You are right on the money. And as someone who is in PR and then also writes her own blogs, I can’t tell you how often those “same dresses” make their way into my inbox wanting a write up on my blog. It makes me want to email them back and ask for a little more umph to be put into the pitch…and it also makes me much more aware when I am pitching editors for my PR job.

Not sure this is really a “tactic” for being individual, but I just approach people with the same confidence and outgoing personality that I display to the whole world on my blogs. Just being myself has been the most effective way to “pitch.”

By: Tanveer Naseer

Tanveer Naseer — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:52:52 +0000

A very interesting post, Shannon. And I must say I enjoyed the same-dress analogy. It’s not only very effective in demonstrating the issue here, but for many men like myself, it now makes this concern women have less of a head-scratcher.

You got two birds down with this entry. Nicely done.

By: Ami

Ami — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:04:24 +0000

As someone who has worked in the book publicity for a long time, I can attest that you are right on the money with this, Shannon.

It’s especially interesting to me because I see this as a time for unprecedented access to consumers (at least in the book business)–as long as you take that time to research and ensure that you meet them on their level.

To take your metaphor a step further, there’s room for prom dresses AND reworked thrift store duds right now in book pr. It’s pretty exciting.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:58:10 +0000

Fuzzytek,
Is your metaphor so deep that I’m missing it?

Steve, Good feedback.

Shannon, Great title and very good points. I have been slowly integrating some PR clients into my freelance writing work, but my gut was telling me to get out of that field before I even started. I put another check in the ‘stick with freelance writing’ column after reading this post. ;) Not that I’m afraid of hard work or creative thinking, but why branch out into a glutted field when I already have something I love and am good at?

By: Cee Bee

Cee Bee — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:30:45 +0000

It took awhile before I realized you weren’t talking about an office in Puerto Rico.

By: leahmcchesney

leahmcchesney — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:26:29 +0000

Great post Shannon awesome food for thought, I love the dress analogy! Love your blog!