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by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Monday, 24 August 2009
It’s all fine and dandy for Middle East PR consultants to impress their clients by trotting out their knowledge of the latest twittering this and blogging that, but the Insight/MediaSource Middle East Journalists Survey 2009 should act as something of a cold shower on the consultancy world’s complacency.
One of the survey’s main conclusions is that much of the information we feed journalists is not always reliable, up-to-date or relevant. It’s worth reading that again – not always reliable, up-to-date or relevant.
If this really is the case – and apparently it’s the opinion of a statistically significant group of journalists – then many PR agencies are basically peddling inaccurate, out-of-date or irrelevant material on behalf of their clients and getting handsomely paid for it, no doubt.
First, let’s understand how regional journalists like to get their news. They, the survey assures us, prefer to receive information in the form of on-the-record briefings, with press releases following a close second. That’s right, press releases.
Believe it or not, journalists in the region are receiving and using more press releases now than in 2007. The survey’s authors generously suggest that PR has now become an important part of the marketing mix, the implication being that the industry has now come of age and should be taken seriously.
The truth, however, is very different. The simple fact is that journalists have no choice other than to rely on press releases as a primary news source.
Under time pressure, with too few resources, it’s clear that the global economic slowdown has had a significant impact on the media landscape and the region’s journalists have had to adapt quickly to its consequences.
Declining advertising revenues have led to redundancies (reported by 20 percent of the Arabic language media and 40 percent of the English language media) and, combined with recruitment freezes, have left editorial teams feeling battered and bruised.
As if that wasn’t enough, there has been a significant increase in the number of journalists reporting additional pressure from advertisers and owners.
A perfect backdrop, you would think, for us consultants to rush to the aid of our hard-press media compadres, seize the opportunity to fill the vacuum with some well-crafted news stories and score some significant exposure for our delighted clients?
But, and here are two more really telling statistics about the quality of PR agencies’ output, those press releases are usually full of dross and poorly targeted.
One construction magazine journalist, for example, quite reasonably questioned why he should be interested in a press release discussing the very latest spa treatments. Or another who queried the news value of a new carpet store opening in a shopping mall.
Worryingly, the survey reveals that the relationship between some agencies and media has become so bad that reporters are under instructions to delete or bin ‘blacklisted’ agency releases without even looking at them. Can clients really be happy paying for all this wasted effort?
But it’s not just the fault of the PR agencies.
The media’s apparent willingness to run non-news in turn feeds the PR machinery that generates it - often under pressure from clients - many of whom continue to use PR as an option for promoting a new product or service more cheaply than the advertising it demands.
Another message that emerges loud and clear from regional journalists is that PR consultants too frequently overlook their needs in favour of pressure from clients.
Key to a successful PR/client relationship is the consultant’s ability to manage client expectations about the media, and to use his or her specialist knowledge with confidence in advising what is or is not possible.
But too few of us bother to make it our business to talk to journalists to find out what they really want. That is a failure of duty to them and to our clients. And isn’t it just a little bit sad that we have to rely on third-party surveys for journalists to tell us what they really think of us?
The media may never end up loving us, but their respect for us will surely grow if we start talking to them more and providing them with the quality and accuracy of information they clearly crave to make their lives just a little easier.
Isn’t that what being a professional communicator should be all about?
Andrew Mackay is a director of International Insights, part of the All About Brands plc group with offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
READERS' COMMENTS
Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.
In defence of my peers
Posted by A humble PR servant, Dubai on Thursday 27 August 2009 at 15:23 UAE time
These generalisations are mostly true, but they are still generalisations. Not all PR practitioners are the same and not all journalists are the same. I wholeheartedly agree that while PR is becoming a more recognised marketing discipline, there is still a lot of work to be done in educating clients on what 'news' actually constitutes.
Most of my peers will happily share many an example of their efforts to persuade clients not send out something bland and uninteresting to most journos that they consider news. No Mr. Client, the story about your company sponsoring a fluffy bunny race in Safa Park does not merit the front page of Business News in the National; in fact it doesn't cut it for any page of most of the publications available here.
"I don't care, send it everywhere, that's what you get paid for."
Well actually, no, it isn't.
Ah but hold on, there's a journalist that actually wants to ask more detail on the race, what the angle on raising funds for orphans in Egypt is and why this is so important to your brand Mr. Client.
Mr. Client....hello....the journalist is on deadline....hello....send me bullet points if you're short of time and we'll work them into something....hello...hello...
Now again, generalisation; not all clients are the same and to be honest, the level of appreciation for what a good PR outfit can do has changed over the last five years. There are still the ones that just want a press release factory, but for the others, their needs are far more interesting and enriching.
We have a long way to go - PR professionals do not want the journalists' jobs; they are not obstructive by choice and they do not like having to send out releases that they know are complete cr*p.
I'll do a-day-in-the-life swap with a journo anytime if it helps them understand a little better what we're trying to do. I'm sure it will also add to my appreciation for the work they do too.
Posted by A humble PR servant, Dubai on Thursday 27 August 2009 at 15:23 UAE time
These generalisations are mostly true, but they are still generalisations. Not all PR practitioners are the same and not all journalists are the same. I wholeheartedly agree that while PR is becoming a more recognised marketing discipline, there is still a lot of work to be done in educating clients on what 'news' actually constitutes.
Most of my peers will happily share many an example of their efforts to persuade clients not send out something bland and uninteresting to most journos that they consider news. No Mr. Client, the story about your company sponsoring a fluffy bunny race in Safa Park does not merit the front page of Business News in the National; in fact it doesn't cut it for any page of most of the publications available here.
"I don't care, send it everywhere, that's what you get paid for."
Well actually, no, it isn't.
Ah but hold on, there's a journalist that actually wants to ask more detail on the race, what the angle on raising funds for orphans in Egypt is and why this is so important to your brand Mr. Client.
Mr. Client....hello....the journalist is on deadline....hello....send me bullet points if you're short of time and we'll work them into something....hello...hello...
Now again, generalisation; not all clients are the same and to be honest, the level of appreciation for what a good PR outfit can do has changed over the last five years. There are still the ones that just want a press release factory, but for the others, their needs are far more interesting and enriching.
We have a long way to go - PR professionals do not want the journalists' jobs; they are not obstructive by choice and they do not like having to send out releases that they know are complete cr*p.
I'll do a-day-in-the-life swap with a journo anytime if it helps them understand a little better what we're trying to do. I'm sure it will also add to my appreciation for the work they do too.
Spam
Posted by UAE Media on Wednesday 26 August 2009 at 14:00 UAE time
Just this morning i recieved a press release that has no relevance to my outlet and was in a language i dont understand.
"I know, if i send the release to everyone in the world at least one person is going to publish it!"
this does nothing for the reputation of the PR agency.
Posted by UAE Media on Wednesday 26 August 2009 at 14:00 UAE time
Just this morning i recieved a press release that has no relevance to my outlet and was in a language i dont understand.
"I know, if i send the release to everyone in the world at least one person is going to publish it!"
this does nothing for the reputation of the PR agency.
Business and Financial PR? It's easy - Ignore the local media
Posted by PR Man, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 25 August 2009 at 17:35 UAE time
For my financial clients, I hardly ever talk to the local media. I devote all energy to international media and news wires. End result? I get solid coverage in real media that my clients read. And it is always picked up and used by local press. Win-win, with none of the brain damage of talking to the poor overworked souls who contribute to those wonderful business pages of the Middle East's dailies and weeklies.
Sorry Arabian Business, but I include you in that too.
Posted by PR Man, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 25 August 2009 at 17:35 UAE time
For my financial clients, I hardly ever talk to the local media. I devote all energy to international media and news wires. End result? I get solid coverage in real media that my clients read. And it is always picked up and used by local press. Win-win, with none of the brain damage of talking to the poor overworked souls who contribute to those wonderful business pages of the Middle East's dailies and weeklies.
Sorry Arabian Business, but I include you in that too.
Construction and spa treatments
Posted by Doug, Dubai on Monday 24 August 2009 at 17:07 UAE time
Actually, the real problem is the sheer inability of almost any PR agency to get information across in a timely manner. Here's some golden rules that are evidently used by PR agencies in the belief that this makes them good communicators:
1. If a journalist approaches you about an off-diary story, point-blank clam up and refuse to discuss it - especially when the journalist has come across some negative news.
2. Send out press releases and then when journalists follow up for exclusive quote or hi-res images, keep them hanging for weeks and then get cross when they don't bother covering you. Even better, send out a critical press release, don't tell anyone else in the agency about it, and then go on holiday.
3. There's nothing unprofessional whatsoever about demanding copy approval so you can turn impartially written news story ("journalism") becomes a glorified press release.
This is the problem. Journalists are calling PRs all the time and the fact that you still don't seem to realise that the same basic requests are getting repeated all the time suggests you simply don't know how to do the most basic tasks required by the job description.
You're supposed to know about your client. You're supposed to understand the concept of deadlines. You're supposed to know that not talking about bad news is the surest fire way for uncontrolled rumours to spread. But generally, most PRs in this region seem to think the job consists of emailing out a press release and then cutting out the clippings from the paper to give to the client the next day.
Posted by Doug, Dubai on Monday 24 August 2009 at 17:07 UAE time
Actually, the real problem is the sheer inability of almost any PR agency to get information across in a timely manner. Here's some golden rules that are evidently used by PR agencies in the belief that this makes them good communicators:
1. If a journalist approaches you about an off-diary story, point-blank clam up and refuse to discuss it - especially when the journalist has come across some negative news.
2. Send out press releases and then when journalists follow up for exclusive quote or hi-res images, keep them hanging for weeks and then get cross when they don't bother covering you. Even better, send out a critical press release, don't tell anyone else in the agency about it, and then go on holiday.
3. There's nothing unprofessional whatsoever about demanding copy approval so you can turn impartially written news story ("journalism") becomes a glorified press release.
This is the problem. Journalists are calling PRs all the time and the fact that you still don't seem to realise that the same basic requests are getting repeated all the time suggests you simply don't know how to do the most basic tasks required by the job description.
You're supposed to know about your client. You're supposed to understand the concept of deadlines. You're supposed to know that not talking about bad news is the surest fire way for uncontrolled rumours to spread. But generally, most PRs in this region seem to think the job consists of emailing out a press release and then cutting out the clippings from the paper to give to the client the next day.
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