I’m a degreed journalist, and a former magazine and newspaper editor. I’m also a marine marketer and publicist with more than 40 years of experience. From both sides of the media and P.R. aisle, I understand the pitfalls that can kill a potentially good story, or damage a company’s reputation.
Those insights helped me craft a survey of 15 well-known journalists with an average of 30 years in the marine industry. I wanted to get their take on a variety of topics, along with their best tips for success.
The good news: 33% say the overall level of professionalism of marine-industry P.R. teams and publicists is outstanding, with 40% ranking it good and 27% ranking it fair. The challenging news: The survey also identified six key areas where companies and P.R. pros could be doing better with their media-related efforts.
Quality Imagery
A high percentage, 73%, of respondents cited the lack of professional artwork or visual imagery accompanying a press release as their top annoyance, especially the woeful absence of usable high-resolution photography. Multiple journalists noted frustration with publicists who fail to understand the difference between high- and low-res images.
Timothy Cole, chief content officer of Belvoir Media Group and publisher/editor of Practical Sailor, bemoans weak visuals, saying: “Great art makes for great writing.” Soundings Trade Only editor-in-chief Gary Reich urges publicists to provide a link or media gallery for easy access to imagery and content.
Irrelevant Pitches
Coming in a close second, with 67% citing it as a top pet peeve, is “irrelevant pitches” or a clear lack of understanding of the editor’s media audience. Lakeland Boating editorial director Kate Bush said publicists “send press releases for products or events that have nothing to do with our target market.” Boat International U.S. edition editor Cecile Gauert is aggravated by those “who don’t take the time to find out who they are writing to.” Panbo editor Ben Stein said: “Please know what I cover and what will result in a story. I’ve been invited to events, installs, etc., where there’s no story there. That’s frustrating.”
In addition, 40% of respondents expressed frustration with emails sent to scores of journalists from a broad industry list, or to multiple journalists representing the same title. Others receive duplicate emails from several members of a client’s P.R. team, or are included without their permission in lengthy email communication threads.
Strategic targeting is the name of the game here. You want to send the right message for the appropriate media audience, and send it to the editor or journalist covering the beat or topic. The best publicists research and understand the nuances of each media title and their respective audiences, and customize their pitches accordingly.
Expert Commentary
Editors also described receiving press materials that don’t include pertinent quotes or opportunities to speak with company leaders or product experts. “Failure of the P.R./publicist to provide a clear, convenient path for speaking to someone who can adequately address the technical aspects” is often problematic for marine journalist Phil Friedman, who also referenced the “failure to identify and introduce the person(s) who can be the face of the company and help infuse the facts with personality.”
Marine Words president John Wooldridge notes that many publicists fail to include relevant information from in-house experts addressing design, engineering, construction and performance data. He also says publicists should “contrast their client’s products or services compared to competitors” to help distinguish them from the pack.
Content and Organization
Several editors were exasperated by pitches that claim to be new or newsworthy, but aren’t. A solid 53% scorn fake or poorly presented news.
Lenny Rudow, angler-in-chief of Rudow’s Fish Talk Magazine, said being sent “reams of non-newsworthy items” tops the list of his grievances, along with “being told ad nauseam that something is new when it really isn’t … or that it’s earth-shaking, groundbreaking, game-changing, etc.”
Gauert also shuns “muddy, marketed-oriented copy,” a thought echoed by Megayacht News editor Diane Byrne, who referenced overt, sales-oriented press releases. “Supplying clear, concise press releases that prioritize real news and include supporting details — not fluff and sales pitches — plus have relevant artwork attached or available via an included download link,” Byrne said.
Boating magazine editorial director Kevin Falvey recommended including a “bulleted list including who, what, where, when and why to accompany releases, invites and announcements.” Falvey also appreciates receiving Word files that are easy to cut, copy and paste, as opposed to cumbersome PDFs.
Soundings Trade Only senior editor David Conway said: “Understanding the full range of formats that material can be presented in, from Word to PDF to jpeg, and providing them in an easy, downloadable format so I can tailor them to our outlet” is a big plus.
Deployment and Followup
A full 100% of respondents prefer receiving P.R. announcements by email. However, in cases of genuine breaking news with time sensitivity, some opt for texts or phone calls.
If a member of the media responds to P.R. outreach, publicists should immediately reply. That often fails to happen, according to a third of the survey respondents. Boating editor-at-large Randy Vance said he has experienced “slow or no response.” Stein said “followup, arranging interviews, etc., is often required … and some make that feel like I’m inconveniencing them.”
On the flip side, other respondents described excessive, unsolicited followup, with 20% saying it’s disruptive. For routine followups, 60% prefer email, 7% will accept a phone call, and 33% prefer no followup at all, opting instead to reach out to P.R. contacts if they are interested.
The takeaway here is not to pester media following your release. Document followup preferences, and respond accordingly.
Boat Show P.R. Events
A topic that’s always a hot button among the Fourth Estate is boat show P.R. events. A top headache involves scheduling, particularly considering recent budget cuts that limit media attendance.
“There is a general lack of coordination of the event calendar to avoid conflicting event times and days,” Friedman said. Reich suggested: “Before scheduling, check to make sure there is no conflict with another event. Having to choose between two boat-show events at the same time is tough.”
Byrne added: “Start on time, and be situationally aware about your show location in relation to P.R. events before and after yours. For example, if there’s a big announcement at the convention center at FLIBS, it’s going to take time to get back to Bahia Mar for another.”
Pontoon and Deck Boat editor/publisher Brady Kay added: “Understand we are working a show, not traveling for a single event. Keep it short and sweet, and cut to the chase.”
Many shows have designated press teams and onsite offices. These teams traditionally provide a real-time digital calendar of scheduled press events. Consult the calendar to avoid conflicts, and post your event information as soon as it’s confirmed. Ask the press team about opportunities to supply materials in the press room , but avoid bulky print press kits. Opt for more compact thumb drives.
In addition, provide notice to targeted media well in advance of the show, such as a “save the date” invitation with an overview of the event’s highlights and news.
Some publicists opt for “release teasers” without including event details. This approach misfires with many journalists, including one who requested anonymity: “Don’t ask me to come see your new product launch with no further details. Tell me you’re launching a new 26-foot fishing boat, or that you have a new compact refrigerator. Give me some idea of what you’re doing so I can plan accordingly. It costs a lot of money to go to shows, and my time there is limited, so I need to focus on things I know will give me a return against my time and my company’s expenses. Mystery announcements immediately fall to the bottom of my priority list.”
Finally, and perhaps most important: Honestly evaluate the need for a boat show press event. “Many are not newsworthy and not necessary,” Vance said. “Instead, consider having P.R. people on hand for drop-ins.”
Cole suggested sending information to marine writers ahead of the show, including visuals and specifications. The goal should be to secure one-on-one interviews whenever possible.
“Scheduling a press event for the sake of having a large media group at their booth but not releasing anything newsworthy” is counterproductive, Bush said. Her advice: Don’t hold a press event to recap the year or to talk about an already-released product or model.
Boat International editor-at-large Marilyn Mower said, “Most press events are useless because they give everyone canned information at the same time.” Instead, she added, “Offer one-on-ones to the top media outlets for your market audience. Don’t make journalists who really talk to your audience wait behind self-proclaimed influencers with an audience of lookie-loos. Be selective so that the key officials from your brand can have real conversations with individual media members. Also quickly share photos from the event, including the media member talking to the brand official for social media use or in Q&A articles.”
Final Tips
Understanding the challenges our media counterparts face, and working to make their jobs easier and more productive, goes a long way to creating positive synergy and enhancing relationships. I encourage publicists to find a mutually convenient time to engage key journalists who cover their space, and to discuss and define editorial preferences. In addition, I appreciate the advice that Cole offered about connecting on a more casual basis.
“Arrange a call just to find out what’s happening in my world,” he said. “Let’s pick each other’s brains a little, with no agenda other than to make friends. Editors appreciate the discourse, and that relationship can come to benefit in surprising ways.”
