Dern’s PR Tips

CES — the big annual Consumer Electronics Show (www.cesweb.org) is a few weeks ago, and, since I preregistered as Press, I’m getting lots — probably several dozen or more — “we’ll be there, can we set up an appointment” or similar messages daily.

I have no problem with this; it’s the nature of the beast.

But… and especially in the case of mega-large events like CES, vendors (and their PR agencies) could make it easier (well, less hard) on us press folks by MAKING EMAIL USEFUL and TRACKING YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH US.

Keep in mind that even though YOU can dispatch email to hundreds, even thousands of journalists, editors, analysts and bloggers with a single keystroke, it takes each one of us time to respond to each message, whether it’s as simple and quick as “delete without reading” or “add to spam filter,” or taking the time to read, respond with a personal (or personally tweaked) message (I’ve got at least three just for CES — “Yes,” “Maybe,” and “Sorry, but…”).

INFORM US! Start by making sure each email message includes the info we’ll need.

• HAVE A SUBJECT LINE. Hard to believe, but I’m getting a lot with a blank subject line.
• Put KEYWORDS in the subject line; in particular, the COMPANY NAME, PRODUCT, and “CES” …and if possible, the location (site, hall, booth number). And if there’s room, also the year, since email builds up over time.For example, “CES 2009 – MagMonopoles’ New Drouds, LVCC SH3 33333″Phases like “Come see” or “Stop by” or “Meet with” or “Invitation” are OK, room permitting.
• PUT KEY INFORMATION IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, including:
  • The company — if you’re a PR agency, don’t just say “our client(s),” be specific.
  • Product(s) — CES 2009 will have 2,700 exhibitors. Don’t expect us to remember who you are and what you do — or have to take time to look you up online because you didn’t take the three seconds to add five or six helpful words.
  • WHERE YOU’LL BE. The location is important, especially for a mega-show like CES, which has exhibits in two convention centers, plus two hotels… and the convention centers aren’t small, either. For the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), include the Hall, and for South Hall, include the Hall number/level. E.g., “LVCC South Hall 3 (upper level) 3333.”While we could look this up, if it’s right there in the email we can enter it then-and-there in our planner.
  • What associated events/locations will you be at? E.g., will you be at the CES Unveiled, Lunch@Piero’s, Pepcom or ShowStoppers multi-vendor events? Will you be doing any press conferences, or have any meeting rooms? Again, include full location info.
• PUT IT IN TEXT. Don’t just send the info as an attached image, e.g. a GIF, JPG, PDF or whatever. That may be more work to open, it’s more file space… you may lose our attention before we ever see what you’ve sent. You want to include an image, fine, but put the key stuff in text in the message body.
• INFORMATION BEATS CUTENESS. The first three cute messages from whoever sent them might have been tolerable. By the hundredth — or even the tenth — it’s “just the facts — PLEASE!”And — I wish I could say, “Of course,” — use a mail tool that doesn’t include a list to hundreds of TO: names. Sheesh.
• TRACK ‘EM. Now that you’ve sent a well-crafted informative message, KEEP TRACK! And use an email system that lets you modify your list as you go. I’m getting the same message from some vendors every three days — including to ones I’ve already acknowledged.
• DON’T BUG US. If you’ve gotten a response — by email OR phone, don’t (re)send another copy.
• DON’T BUG US. Unless something changes, don’t send a message more than twice.
• DON’T BUG US. Unless the reporter’s registration form says, “OK to contact me by phone,” don’t. Especially if you’ve sent email. Especially if that email’s been responded to.

See you at CES 2009.

(Not all of you, of course… I don’t cover EVERYTHING, and even if I did, there isn’t time to see everything. See my posting from last year, A Few Words (Well, Paragraphs) AboutThe Multi-Vendor Press/Analyst-Only Events, on the inherent infeasibility of this, and why events like Lunch@Piero’s, Pepcom and ShowStoppers don’t just help address this problem, but go a long way to solving it.)