One of the worst ways that PR agencies rip off their clients is by forcing new hires to make those idiot phone calls to journalists asking questions like “I’m just calling to see if you got my news release and if you know when it will be printed?”
These calls infuriate the reporters. The company mentioned in the news release looks bad. The agency comes across as naive and clueless. And the poor client gets billed an hourly rate for all this foolishness.
I posted an item about this in my blog back in September. And I was reminded about it this morning when I read the Daily Dog, the new blog from the folks at Bulldog Reporter.
Jim Sinkinson, Bulldog’s publisher, wrote an excellent article about this problem and said it better than I ever could. Titled “Banish the PR Flunky,” it takes PR firms to task for forcing new hires to bother journalists—sometimes on deadline—with these calls.
Because my company is mentioned in several media directories, I get these same calls, too. And when I do, I want to reach right into the phone and choke the Brittany, or the Jessica, or the Kaitlyn on the other end.
So here’s the deal. If you work in the media and you get one of these calls and you’re willing to go on the record, I’m willing to expose the PR agency. Just ask them what agency they’re from, post a response right here and maybe together we can shame enough agencies into ending this ridiculous and nonproductive practice.
By the way, I’ve been hounding the folks at Bulldog for months to finally start a blog. Their excellent content, previously emailed, was never available online. Thanks to their new blog, the PR world is a better place. Give ’em a whole bag of doggie treats.
Regarding the complaints about PR flunkies who blitz the media:
They’re pumping up their firms’ revenues and padding their clients’ invoices. Many firms bill hourly for everything their employees – from “junior account executive” to VPs — do on behalf of the client. They can log all of the useless phone calls and show the activity report to the unsuspecting client.
I think the way to cure this problem is to get to the apple before it falls off the tree. Do an information blitz to universities that have PR and marketing programs. Get the media people who complain about this to offer seminars and guest appearances for students. Then these students, after they graduate and start moving up the ladder, can implement radical changes in the way their firms work with reporters. A seminar for PR execs might not hurt either, but most of them are probably too firmly entrenched in the old way. If you’re a reporter or editor, and you’re not willing to go a little extra distance to help cure the problem, then don’t sit in the fire and complain your butt is burning.
I used to work in the media. Now I’m on the corporate side. I have attended seminars sponsoired by wire services and newpapers featuring guest speakers from the media. Any PR professional who doesn’t take these opportunities to get firsthand information and instructions from the editors they may have to contact in the future deserve the title “Trinket Knownothing.”
You can tell just by the outline of the problem – uninformed young thing calls asking time-wasting questions – that getting such calls is aggravating in the extreme. I hope the campaign opens some eyes. In the meantime, I really don’t think it is necessary to publish the names of the Uninformed Young Things….they’re almost innocent victims here, doing what they’re told to do. And, they probably figure out how NOT to make these calls after the second humiliating response. Publish their agencies’ names – a good idea, at the agency level managers should know better – but I would suggest you give the girls a break. Why muddy up their names when they’re just following orders?
And, in the category “we all have our pet peeves,” mine is people who cannot spell. Today’s problem was “all right”. It is not the same as already…it is different. All right is two words. I do wish the professionals out there would learn it!
I would like to expose the PR firm Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc. for putting some poor intern out there to flail helplessly in pr/media land. The young lad sent a news release as long as a novel, with no explanation about the local connection. It was marked “embargoed” –which considering it wasn’t really news, was a joke. He called again and again asking if I had received it, whether I was going to use it, and then he had to call back when I asked questions because he couldn’t answer them, etc. I did not use the story despite his persistence. I’ve attached the embarassing e-mail banter:
Date: Nov. 14, 2005
Hi Karen, (this answers an e-mail question I asked re:relevancy)
The Mankato connection would be that DayPort, Inc. – a developer of streaming Internet video – was selected as a finalist for a Tekne Award in the category of Technology Services for companies with annual revenues under $50 million. And, although DayPort did not win the award, the company’s nomination shows that it has positioned itself as a leader in its field. Please see the attached press release with details of all the Tekne finalists.
DayPort, Inc. did attend the Tekne Awards ceremony Nov. 10, and if you would like to speak with a representative of the company regarding the event, or how the company plans to take Internet video to the next level, please contact me at 612-455-1765 or (Intern email address), and I will be more than happy to schedule an interview or help connect you with more information.
(Intern Name)| Intern
Padilla Speer Beardsley | 1101 W River Parkway | Minneapolis, MN 55415
Midsize Agency of the Year, Holmes Report 2004
p. (612) 455-1765 | f. (612) 455-1060 | (Intern email address)
Minneapolis | New York | http://www.psbpr.com
——————————————————————————–
From: Wright, Karen J [mailto:karen.wright@mnsu.edu]
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 3:01 PM
To: (Intern name)
Subject: RE: RELEASE – 2005 Tekne Award Recipients
Is there any Mankato connection? Thanks. Karen
—–Original Message—–
From: (Intern Name)[mailto:(Intern email)]
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 2:57 PM
To: Wright, Karen J
Subject: RELEASE – 2005 Tekne Award Recipients
Karen,
Minnesota technology associations have named the recipients of the 2005 Tekne Awards, paying tribute to the contributions these Minnesota companies, organizations and individuals have made to technology innovation and the state’s $5.2 billion high-tech industry.
The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) and Minnesota Technology Inc. (MTI), in partnership with Medical Alley/MNBIO, presented the awards Thursday, Nov. 10 at a 7 p.m. ceremony at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The recipients earned awards for developments in medical and biotechnology, manufacturing processes, software and communications, education and other technology facets, and were recognized for their contributions to the more than 124,000 Minnesota jobs created by high-tech innovation.
If you would like any more information or interviews with these recipients, the event organizers, or if you would like to know more about the state of the high-tech industry and education in Minnesota, please contact me at lbosch@psbpr.com or 612-455-1765.
Thank you for your interest and best regards.
(Intern name)| Intern
Padilla Speer Beardsley | 1101 W River Parkway | Minneapolis, MN 55415
Midsize Agency of the Year, Holmes Report 2004
p. (612) 455-1765 | f. (612) 455-1060 | (Intern email)
Minneapolis | New York | http://www.psbpr.com
> >
EMBARGOED UNTIL 10:00 p.m. CT on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2005
For more information:
Peter Lindstrom
Minnesota High Tech Association
952.230.4551
plindstrom@mhta.org Danielle Engholm
Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc.
612.455.1764
dengholm@psbpr.com
2005 Tekne Awards Honor Newest Recipients
Minnesota High Tech Association and Minnesota Technology, Inc.
announce the state’s top technology companies and leaders
MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 11, 2005 – The most outstanding technology innovators in Minnesota over the past year received top honors at the 2005 Tekne Awards, held last night at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Presented by the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) and Minnesota Technology Inc. (MTI), in partnership with Medical Alley/MNBIO, the Tekne Awards annually recognize Minnesota’s best and brightest technology users and developers.
“This year’s list of Tekne Award recipients included individuals and organizations of all sizes and from a wide range of practice areas under the technology umbrella,” said Kate Rubin, president, MHTA. “The diversity of technology leaders and innovators recognized is a testament to how important Minnesota’s high-tech industry is to the state’s economy.”
Judges for the awards selected one recipient among three finalists in each of 17 categories, honoring different facets of the high-tech industry and technology education in Minnesota. Award categories recognized leaders and technology businesses that are emerging (with annual revenues under $50 million) and established (with annual revenues of $50 million or more).
The complete listing of 2005 Tekne Award categories and recipients includes:
INNOVATION AWARD, which honors a business, academic institution, teacher, or business or academic collaboration that has demonstrated leadership, dedication and excellence in the development of an innovation in areas such as digital technology, nanotechnology, micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), medtech or biotech, genomics or bioinformatics, or other areas of life sciences research with the potential to contribute significantly to Minnesota’s technology industry and economy.
· Emerging company recipient is Minnetonka-based Virtual Radiologic Consultants (VRC). VRC eases demands of healthcare providers by connecting 450 client healthcare institutions nationwide with over 50 widely distributed radiologists in a common, secure, proprietary network via the largest wide area network (WAN) of its kind.
· Established company recipient is Rochester-based IBM Corporation. IBM developed the Blue Gene/L supercomputer with calculating rates approaching one petaflop (a million billion operations per second), which may soon process information that could reveal secrets about Alzheimer’s, Cystic Fibrosis and Mad Cow Disease.
· Innovation in Teaching recipient is Timothy Jump of Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park. Only the second year the award has been presented, the Innovation in Teaching award is being given to Jump for creating the Advanced Competitive Science (ACS) program at his school, and for leading his students to victory over graduate-level college students in the U.S. Open RoboCup competition. Jump’s students went on to represent the United States at the World Cup in Japan.
TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AWARDS, which recognize companies or divisions within established companies that exemplify entrepreneurial spirit and promise continued economic growth through technology development or application in one of six categories:
1. Advanced Manufacturing – Advanced materials and chemicals, machinery and equipment, electronics and components, measuring instruments, photonics, optics and lasers, and computer and peripheral equipment.
· Emerging company recipient is Eden Prairie-based Micro Dynamics Corporation. Micro Dynamics has realized compound annual growth rates of 20 percent with its offering of electronics contract manufacturing solutions, and has the ability to build over 2,000 different assemblies for its customers.
· Established company recipient is Entegris of Chaska. Entegris creates products that purify, protect and transport materials used to manufacture semiconductor, data storage and life sciences products. In addition, Entegris has created components used in over 70 percent of today’s fuel cell automobiles.
2. Biotechnology – Agriculture, environmental, food science and pharmaceuticals.
· Emerging company recipient is Celleration of Eden Prairie. Celleration developed the MIST Therapy System, which produces ultrasonic waves to deliver an energized mist of sterile saline solution to a wound, reducing the healing period without direct contact.
· Established company recipient is Minneapolis-based Cargill. Cargill Animal Nutrition developed new ways to manage the heat produced by a hog’s digestion and balance the carbohydrate portion of the animals’ diet, which results in healthier hogs and higher producer profitability.
3. IT-Software, Communications and Infrastructure – Software, networking, communications, and wireless equipment and products.
· Emerging company recipient is Eagan-based Gearworks. Gearworks’ flagship product etrace™ is wireless software that can transmit driving directions to mobile workers or let customers know where a delivery is, using real-time mapping.
· Established company recipient is Eden Prairie-based Fargo Electronics. Fargo electronics is a global leader in the development of secure technologies for card identity systems, having sold more than 100,000 systems in 80 countries worldwide.
4. Medical Technology – Devices, diagnostics and equipment.
· Emerging company recipient is Vital Images of Minnetonka. Vital Images developed software that creates two-, three- and four-dimensional anatomical images that help diagnose conditions more accurately, plan surgery less invasively and screen for certain cancers and heart disease at an earlier, more treatable stage.
· Established company recipient is SurModics of Eden Prairie. SurModics developed a system for continuous drug delivery, combining a polymer coating with an implantable coil that sustains constant release of medication in a specific location within the body.
5. Technology Services – Finding innovative solutions for a client’s use of technology.
· Emerging company recipient is Magenic of Minneapolis. Magenic is a Microsoft-focused custom application development firm that has developed business and technology solutions for more than 180 Minnesota companies and was named the 2005 Microsoft Partner of the Year.
· Established company recipient is Eden Prairie-based Ingenix. Ingenix’s pharmaceutical solutions business, i3, created Aperio, a registry of drug experiences from over 11 million people that will help identify safety issues (such as bad reactions to certain drugs) faster than before.
6. Technology User – Innovative application of products or services resulting in dramatic business improvement or market advantage.
· Emerging company recipient is WindLogics of St. Paul. WindLogics has developed innovative methodologies that assess long-term financial risk associated with wind energy development.
· Established company recipient is Golden Valley-based Honeywell. Honeywell minimized manufacturing steps by using a single platform design to create its new family of PRO thermostats. The robust “electronics excellence” manufacturing processes reduce development time for subsequent products by 50 percent.
LEADERSHIP AWARD, which honors an outstanding individual who, beyond a specific innovation or achievement, has contributed significantly to Minnesota’s technology expansion.
· Emerging company recipient is Win Wood, vice president of strategic programs, Micro Dynamics Corporation. Wood helped grow Micro Dynamics from a 12-person electronic design shop to a 450-employee design and electronic manufacturing services company serving the medical, industrial, telecommunications, computing, military and aerospace markets.
· Established company recipient is Janet Dolan, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Tennant Company. In addition to helping Tennant achieve more than $500 million in revenue, Dolan serves as president of the Minnesota Business Partnership and chairs an SEC subcommittee examining the effects of Sarbanes-Oxley.
About MTI
Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI) is a nonprofit, 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is to help its business customers gain competitive advantages, support their growth, and contribute to Minnesota’s economic vitality. It fulfills this work through a statewide staff of expert professionals who have tested expertise across a wide variety of business, technology, manufacturing, engineering, publishing and research disciplines. In the last three years, MTI has helped nearly 2,000 Minnesota companies and made a significant economic impact. It helped create and retain over 2,500 jobs, saved its clients more than $70 million, and helped generate $80 million in new technology investments. For more information visit http://www.minnesotatechnology.org.
About MHTA
The Minnesota High Tech Association accelerates the growth, success and sustainability of Minnesota’s technology-based economy through public policy advocacy, member collaboration and education, and community outreach. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota’s entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size − involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. MHTA works in partnership with AeA, which represents Minnesota’s technology organizations nationally. More information on the MHTA can be found at http://www.mhta.org.
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I’m with HOpkins, even though he’s heavy on the Shift key. 😉
It’s not Ashley’s fault that the only task she’s been given is to nag reporters and editors.
However, it’s not Ashley’s place to jeopardize her brand-new job by “standing up for the cause,” which would constitute outright refusing to do what she was assigned. Teaching college students to do this is futile.
Shaming the agency and the management _is_, as Hound and Hopkins say, the solution.
Post the idocy here, but publicize the agency, not the intern/employee.
I completely agree with xyb (who’s light on the shift key). *grin*
I was once in Ashley’s shoes as the junior media relations associate. I learned a lot during my time there, but I was also usually the one assigned to pitch 40 reporters in an hour. Not only was it humiliating, the cold-calling really turned me on the idea of working in PR as a career.
Of course, if one of those 40 reporters *did* pick up the phone (99% of them didn’t), I had 10 seconds to try and explain to the aggravated reporter why I was bothering them with something trivial. Without any kind of relationship, you can guess what the response was.
The worst part was that many reporters took great delight in being bullies about it, too. It was as if they were taking out all their aggravations about being on deadline. I do have to say that many reporters were thankfully more helpful and nice about it, but there were a sizable minority that felt it their personal duty to yell, scream, and pontificate boorishly about how
I had personally ruined their lives by pitching a press release.
The one time I did stand up to a reporter (from the now-defunct Industry Standard), it was like a dam had burst. After listening to his diatribe about how PR flunkies wasted his time, I interrupted with one of my own. I laid it all out, talking about rude reporters who don’t play ball, who were impolite, and not even all that talented. After I finished, half a minute of silence ensued before he quietly asked, “What was it you were calling about again?” He even ran a blurb in the next issue about the story.
It didn’t matter. The damage had already been done. I left PR soon afterward. So before we persecute poor Ashley for doing what her boss had told her to do, take a deep breath and consider the source.
Joan, PR flunkies are people, too.
This is a really old meme–and sort of a creepy way of endearing yourself to reporters. There has to be something else worth writing about in PR these days, right?
I mean, every industry has its rookies. They do dumb things, learn from them and then move on. That’s how this business evolves. Hopefully the brighter ones evolve into smart pr folks and the less bright get washed out.
I’m scratching my head as to why you would take pot-shots at newbies in the field. Just seems like a lame way to generate traffic to your blog. If you absolutely have to go down this road, aim at the principals of the offending firms–shame on them for asking junior staff to lean the hard way–but don’t humiliate someone brand new to the field.
You want to make PR a better place? Ask your readers to some patience with the offending email pitcher and take the time (within reason) to correct them. Maybe, eventually, possibly….next time they’ll remember the reporter’s kindness and send something relevant, timely and useful.
And for those of you who published the emails here…c’mon, lighten up.
I’ve got an idea. How about exposing all the journalists out there who have never worked in a business environment yet are supposed to know how to write about it, get the most basic of facts wrong, present information in a way that is sensational rather than factual and use their editor as an excuse for the reason their final piece is junk (part of the skill of being a good journalist is being able to know what the publication is supposed to cover and what your editor likes to focus on). The truth is that for as many flunkie PR people out there I’d say there’s another 2 or 3 journalists who have no business working in the field.
And to be even more blunt, the lack of skill and integrity of so many reporters and editors is part of the reason so few CEOs want to be proactive in using media as a vehicle for communicating their messages. (And let me tell you, they are becoming less inclined to work with you people.)
Through your sensational, sloppy journalism you are putting your whole industry at risk because you are alientating the very people (people like me and the CEOs of the world) who, let’s face it, are the reason you have the tools — i.e., information — to do your job.
If you really want to get rid of the PR flunkies, then this is what you have to do: elevate media as a reliable source of information people can trust. Once that happens, people/organizations will be willing to pay for PR expertise to help them get their messages out. I am appalled by the stupidity of the notion that the PR flunkies can be policed through a blog like this. You, the journalists, are the problem. Once you solve the problem, PR will be elevated and you’ll no longer have to deal with PR idiots. This shouldn’t be difficult to grasp. But then again, as I said, most journlists have no understanding of how the business really works.