DISQUS

Cassandra Hallacker · 1 month ago

#C473

Laurie Myer · 1 month ago

Brian - this is a really great perspective on this issue. I take your point that there is still a role for the embargo and I like your approach of selecting a few candidates in differing areas to work with on a developed-relationship basis. I have, for the most part, stayed away from embargoes as I've been burned more than once by contacts who broke early to position themselves as the leader while saying "oops-my mistake." I will consider your approach next time the opportunity comes up.

norwind · 1 month ago

Thank you for providing the details and analysis of the "embargo" information situation and its strategic place and time in the news/media eletromagnetic spectrum.

LA · 1 month ago

Hi Brian,

Great synopsis of the state of things w.r.t. the old embargo.

Having been caught in the middle of this horse race personally, and recently, I must say that we as practitioners are being called upon more and more to help our clients see the difference between quantity and quality. Taking the right story to the right audience (publisher) is key. I tend toward a more transparent approach, sharing the news or updates as they come, and for those who express interest first, get the story first. Simple. If you don't respond to me in a timely manner, I cannot get you the information in a timely manner. So, in a sense, some of these seasoned writers are "scooping" themselves.

Above all, trust remains a primary public relations tenant. We are here to help.

To the media I say: ask us for what you need/want, and we can work with the companies you want to talk to so that you get what you need/want, and when (and don't get pestered with the stuff you DO NOT want ;-) To the client I say: trust that the feedback we give you is real - we are getting it strait from our closest media friends and we are trying to help them do their job, not make it harder. You might not get the THE headline you want, exactly when you want it, but over time if you respect the process you may very well find yourselves in the respected (and coveted) go-to seat.

-LA

Kary Delaria · 1 month ago

Thank you for this insight, Brian.

Frustrated with "traditional" pr tactics, I'll admit that until reading this, I was a PR pro who would have said embargos don't have much of a place in the online landscape. Now, I'm thinking differently. When I read your words, "PR earns the trust and relationships that they deserve," I realized that my line of thinking is only contributing to the idea that PR pros should not be trusted, or, their pitch not valued.

Recently, for a client event promotion, we sent information to core bloggers/reporters in advance of public release of the information. We didn't call it an embargo, but at its core, that is what it was. And, it was effective due to the things you describe in this post - timely, targeted pitches to those with whom we had developed a relationship.

Thank you for making me take a new look at a PR tactic about which I'd grown cynical.

Gina Cuclis · 1 month ago

Your headline that this is a PR crisis is ridiculous. It's nothing new that media organizations won't honor embargos. It's been that way since TV news became popular. Seasoned PR Pros who are strategic thinkers and know how to work with the media don't use embargos.

briansolis · 1 month ago

Gina, you are right, the debate honoring embargoes is not necessarily new, only broadened. However, if you follow this blog, you'll know two things, it's called "evolving pr crisis" because it is evolving and this is the latest chapter in the debate in regards to new media. Let's try a different title... In my experience (direct and documented) embargoes being used quite effectively right now by "strategic thinkers" - it's just a documentation of the state of engagement as it exists right now - especially among those influencers who do not adhere to traditional journalism. The back channel is increasingly persuasive.

Laura Taylor · 1 month ago

Thanks, Brian. You always have some of value to say and embargoes are one of those topics that we approach differently depending on the situation. It's one of the toughest areas we all have to deal with regardless of time in the biz.

Rich Harris · 1 month ago

Brian - This is excellent. Thanks for posting. I've noticed the dynamic shifting big time here at trade shows like CES, etc.

Monica O'Brien · 1 month ago

Brian,

This was so interesting for me not having a background in traditional PR. It seems like the price of breaking news is so much higher than the price of news in general. I don't necessarily blame TechCrunch for not honoring embargos - it doesn't actually benefit them to do so, because they have so much power on the internet at this point. (I know you seem to disagree with this.)

I love that you mention the magic middle - I do think good spreads whether you push it through the elite or the magic middle. Any news that isn't viral in nature has less chance of getting heard. But if you can get enough of the magic middle to talk about you, you will get the influencers to notice.

Thanks for the interesting post Brian!

Ellen Porter · 1 month ago

One reason I hesitate, in this day and age to use an embargo unless the client REALLY wants us to, is the posting of copy the night before on newspaper websites. I've only had two clients who wanted us to issue a release with an embargo, and this became an issue for one of them.