From the PR toolbox: Unnecessary events

From the editor's point of view the fewest products or news justify the participation in a PR event. Nevertheless, "PR experts" are increasingly proposing an event to their clients. Although they know the editors lack time.

On Friday the 13th superstitious people better not get out of bed. Or at least don't leave the house. Everyone else should. But only if it's really worth it.

As PR consultants, we regularly advise clients on whether or not it is "worthwhile" for the editor to leave the house. This is why I was astonished when I recently read the "advice of a PR and marketing expert". He suggested that journalists should not present a new online shelf configurator via press release. The editor should rather come to a location after work to configure a shelf himself, which he can later raffle among his readers. Another "highlight" of the event: After the configuration session they cook and eat together.

The combination was so constructed that I cannot even recall it. Was it "Cooking and configuring shelves online - both are only possible with all the senses"? Or "Food and shelves - both for the senses"?

I have a counterproposal: we won't do it.

It would never have even occurred to me to get in touch with my long-standing editorial contacts, to ask them to come to an event introducing an ONLINE tool... Not to mention the fact that PR consultants should know that really good - outstanding, original - reasons are needed to lure journalists out of the house in times of understaffed editorial offices and a daily surplus of invitations.

No - the product is not “worthwhile”: After all, the purpose of an online configurator is precisely that I don't have to leave the house to configure something. If you would like to have a closer look at the shelves, you are welcome to come on a factory tour (another time). And the tool should be intuitive enough that no explanation is needed.

We prefer to spare the editors the at least four-hour event and let them go home to their family after a long working day. And we spare our customer's budget and do not spend thousands of Euros on hyper hip invitations, location, cook, food and giveaways plus agency fees.

Instead

• we write a press release explaining in simple words what makes the online configurator special. If that is not possible, we have entirely different problems from a communication point of view.
• we ask the customer to provide high-quality picture material. Good images can be used for a wide variety of purposes and channels.
• we convince the customer to create a video that presents the online configurator - in less than a minute. The video can also be used for marketing purposes.
• we offer an online webinar for the trade media, during which the highlight features are presented. The webinar can be recorded and made available for download.
• the editors participating in the webinar are welcome to configure and draw a cupboard themselves.

This way the editor gets all relevant information about the configurator with little effort and the customer receives the coverage he would like. Old-fashioned, goal-oriented and without unnecessarily burdening our precious contacts.

You're welcome.