News, ideas & conversations for communicators worldwide
 

« How do you solve a problem named Hillary? | Main | What is your favorite escape clause? »

Yet another bad PR pitch: Read it and weep

Earlier this week we wondered why PR writing is so horrible. Well, sometimes the pitch can be even worse. Thanks to our friends at the Bad Pitch blog for bringing yet another embarrassing press release to light.

Here it is in all its glory:

Subject line: Mailing Services are a hot trend for printers
Body: Hello! Could you run this in your publication.

Thank,
Celeste


Bad Pitch reports that Celeste CC’d about 90 media outlets. And to make matters worse, she didn’t blind copy them so everyone could see who was on the pitch e-mail. I don't think this pitch will land above the fold of tomorrow's New York Times but still, definitely a big no-no in the PR world.

Celeste, thanks for this gem of a pitch. Or should I say 'thank?'

The full text of the release:

Mailing Services are a hot trend for printers
LOCATION - DATE – CLIENT, known for traditional offset printing continues to grow their business through diversification strategies. Today the company announced the opening of their new mailing and fulfillment division. The new division is fully staffed and operating with state of the art equipment in a dedicated 12,000 sq. ft area.

The complexity of the continually changing U.S. Postal Service (USPS) regulations can make any printer think twice about getting involved in offering mailing services. However, adding mailing services is a hot trend for printers right now as a value-add for customers.
“In the past, providing a one stop resource for our clients was a goal. Today it’s an achievement” says NAME, president of CLIENT. The company is now able to deliver every aspect of projects, saving their clients the hassle of coordinating multiple vendors while improving quality, turnaround times and reducing costly delays.

CLIENT is a privately owned and operated full-service FSC Certified print communications company located in CITY STATE. The companies comprehensive communication services include offset, digital and variable data printing, Personalized web sites (pURL’s), prepress, finishing, inventory, fulfillment programs and mailing services. CLIENT prides itself with a reputation of continually providing their clients with creative solutions, cutting-edge technology and a committed support staff.

Comments (5)

The grammar... The GRAMMAR!!!
"The companies comprehensive communication services include offset, digital and variable data printing..."
That should be POSSESSIVE! Oh, fer cryin' out loud! I weep for the future.

Oh... and for the record... Having a printer add mailing services is ~nothing~ new! “In the past, providing a one stop resource for our clients was a goal. Today it’s an achievement” LOL! That's like saying, "Look! I can tie my shoe!"

I worked in Direct Mail for years... Hmmm... maybe you should send me the name of this printer. Looks like they could really use my help!

PR flaks should be required to blog for 10 hours straight for at least two years before they're allowed to write press release copy. Only then will they have figured out what will capture an audience's hotly contested, multimedia-tuned attention span nowadays. (Note how I do not use the word "reader." Considering anyone merely a "reader" in an online environment is akin to thinking John McCain is a soaring orator.

nick:

Probably an intern.

I received a press release yesterday introduced like this:

Subject: press release attached
Body: [empty]
Attachment: [indecipherablefilename.pdf]

And the sender expected coverage? Get a clue!

Joe Luchok:

UGH!--Always blind copy the reporters. Celeste is responsible for that error. She may not be responsible for the content. Many organizations think anyone can write a release. They also fail to listen to PR people. I have often wondered why companies hire a PR person but do not listen to them.

Since I do know Celeste's background or how much she wrote but the content is pretty bad too.

Post a comment

Important:
to protect against spam you must enter the letter "p" in the box.
(The comment will be posted ONLY when the safety letter is entered.)

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on June 4, 2008 4:41 PM .

The previous post in this blog was How do you solve a problem named Hillary? .

The next post in this blog is What is your favorite escape clause? .

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Comment Feed Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]

Recent Responses

Michael Sebastian
Illinois governor rescues Sam Zell from bad PR
It doesn't, Colin. Here are four reasons why: 1. This story has yet to gain traction. People are talking about it, and...
read all | post a response

John Cowan
Obama speechwriter gone wild—and caught on Facebook
Salon.com has an item on this. One comment from a selection of Salon staffers: "Try to imagine a photo of a top female s...
read all | post a response

FEATURED VIDEO

Jon Stewart: You have a better chance of going to prison if you're an Illinois governor than if you're a murder

Blogger Bios

Posts by Author

About

Tell us how you manage unrealistic expectations, meet reporter needs, churn out news when there is none, deal with a client you can't stand, and what you say to people that slam PR. Or anything else that's on your mind.

Ragan Blogs

Content Matters
- Toby Ward, Tim O'Keefe, and Todd Whitley

PR Junkie
- Melissa Underwood, Michael Sebastian, and Mark Ragan

Other Blogs

- Shines a brighter light on the subtle roles played by public relations
- A gathering place for professional communicators
- Blogging at the intersection of communication and technology
- Ranting and raving about news, techniques, and development in the world of PR research and evaluation.

PR Newser

- PRNewser is a blog about Public Relations

- The latest and most effective strategies to market your business.

- Business communications for the real world

- The place at the intersection of business, communication and technology.
- Les Potter blogs about Strategic Communication and Public Relations

- Social Network for PR Students, Faculty, and Practitioners

- An award-winning public relations resource

- Conversations about Social Media and Marketing

- What would the LEAN Communicator do?

Powered by
Movable Type 3.33

Home | Internal Communication | Public Relations | Speechwriting | Web Content | Government Communication | Tips & Tactics | Hot Topics | Back to Top
MyRagan | MyManageresNetwork | MyRaganTV | Blogs | Podcasts | Jobs | Forums | eNewsletters
About Us | Copyright 2007 Ragan Communications, Inc. | Privacy Policy | Search | FAQ | Contact Us | Store | RSS RSS | Widgets | Site Map