This week, Ad Age published a story written by Michael Bush titled, “As Media Market Shrinks, PR Passes Up Reporters, Pitches Directly To Consumers.” Bush notes in the piece that traditional approaches to public relations are challenged now given ongoing shifts in the media landscape — and that “instead of pitching their stories to reporters, a growing number of marketers are directly engaging consumers through original content they and their agencies are creating.”
Creating original content and sharing it directly with consumers is no doubt a growing trend. But I would also argue that we’re not, in fact, “passing up” reporters in favor of going direct to consumers. What we’re actually doing is using this same fresh, brand-created content to connect with both “audiences!”
It’s increasingly difficult to break through the clutter and share ideas with the media. Sure, picking up the phone is still important, but often editors and producers prefer an email pitch. But how many of those do they get a day? Even the most tailored, appropriate, spot-on story idea for the absolutely ideal reporter may simply not be “heard” above the fray.
