This Week in PR Takes

Take of the Week:
Nick Huber wrote about one of my favorite topics, which I’ve dubbed “The Soapbox Moment” of each press interview. Anecdotally, I’d say that about 95% of the press interviews that I’ve coordinated and staffed over the years conclude with an open-ended question that sounds something like, “Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?” This is the moment for an interviewee to get up on their soapbox to either reiterate the main point(s) they wanted to convey in the interview, or it’s the time to raise a crucial point that hadn’t been discussed yet. Whether reinforcing a previously mentioned point or communicating a net-new one to the conversation, this question should always be answered with a “yes.” Otherwise, it’s a massively squandered opportunity to create an on-point soundbite for the story.

The Rest of the Takes:

• Brandon Watts with an important point around putting yourself in the shoes of the reader and using that as a gut-test to determine if it should be pitched.

• “Next” up is Next PR’s Shannon Tucker with an article on how to choose the right public relations agency.

• A marketing executive was wondering if PR is still valuable, and Christina Berger didn’t just respond with her resounding “yes” but she also provides a 3-step checklist to help companies answer this question for themselves.

• I’m just a huge fan of Ann Noder’s take, “Reporters want stories, not declarations.”

• Britt Klontz’s reminder that the popular masthead isn’t all there is to pitching, and channels like Substack can be incredibly effective.

• The publicist/journalist relationship question is always a hot topic, and Saema provided her own take on going beyond the “buddy list.”

• Are press releases worthwhile anymore? Houston Holmes dug into this question with a take that it’s ruining media relations strategies.

• Judy Schramm gave eight tips on how to implement a successful CEO/executive communications program.

• Public relations and communications KPIs too often focus on pure quantity, but Ariel Shapiro gave a take on why quality matters.

• Suzanne Block’s take on how speed plays a role in getting coverage and a lack of it will have a negative impact on results.

• Last, but by no means least is Sarah Evans with two hot posts this week that are more scripts than takes. The first helps PR pros with positioning when the unfortunate event of a source cancelling a press interview occurs. The second is designed to help when we hear the dreaded words, “We have an important announcement. Can we get media coverage tomorrow? Let’s just send it out and see who picks it up.”