How Not to be Boring to People in the Press

Do the stories you read in the press ever hit you as same-old/same-old? Imagine how the people who write them must feel! Yes, Virginia, editors do get bored - but there's space to fill and stories to write, so they work the craft that earns them a living. Let's take a look at what this can mean to and for us.

Vanguard rush hour.

You're a fly on the wall in a reporter's cubicle. The phone rings. It's you or us on the other end, breathlessly telling them of your latest, greatest announcement: you're joining the leading-edge companies in a hot new product niche, only yours comes in a different color, or whatever. They know it's an important story to you; they know it because you're the 25th company who's breathlessly called with a similar announcement. Maybe that explains why the editorial response isn't at the same fever pitch as the boardroom expectation.

Spin.

Publicists and promoters (and please don't confuse the two) have a jargon word in their lexicons that may be just the prescription to that call's sickly response: spin. Instead of (pardon the protracted jargoneer puns) a straight story pitch, you want to throw a curve, find an angle that gets a more positive response from friend journalist. It may be the latest gizmatchy, but if you're not the first and only people to break one out, make it a point to inject a breath of fresh air before you call.

Think cleverly.

How? Be creative. Be funny. Be truly different. Or come at it roundabout. If the others are playing on performance, try playing on cosmetics or price or availability or features or a cute name. Remember, unless your product is truly a breakthrough (not a me-too), you'll need to use
your wits to break through the boredom.

To wit.

If wits fail, try wit. You might doctor a photo and put it in the hands of Napoleon. Or quote your CEO saying it stays crunchy longer in milk. Or offer a Mafia Lifetime Guarantee: if a customer reports a problem, you'll kill him. Or announce a look-alike contest (for a person who looks like your gizmo). Or say that you're entering your new whatever as a candidate in the New Hampshire primary. Remember, humor is only a tool, a tactic. Use it to open a few doors, and eyes, and ears, and shake the cobwebs out of what's already become a dull story for the writer; as with any tool, don't use it if you're not sure how.

Beaters.

Even if the reporter's still downbeat, you're still not beaten; you can always try approaching the story from a different reporter's beat. If it won't fly as a news story, use its financial impact on the company or the industry to approach the industry reporter. Author an observation on the significance of the new niche for the op-ed page. Approach the contributing columnists. And, of course, there are always reviewers, freelancers and, with a little backspin, the rumor columns.