Press Releases: They Don’t Care What Your CEO Says
…If it’s the usual drivel such as: “We’re excited to partner with the leading provider of innovative solutions for [insert industry,product, service type] to deliver the revolutionary solution for transmitting terabytes of mission-critical data over widgety-wacky high-flow, virtual pipes, using double-wide 8GB airblown fiber with multi-level redundancy” (Yeah, I know that’s gibberish, but your deep dark industry speak usually is to anybody other than you.)
OR
“I’m thrilled that Joe Smith has joined our high-performance team; he brings an extensive background in leading-edge widgety-wacky development and sales that will further enhance our global customer focus and commitment to innovation.”
Blah-blah-blahhh….(and that high-school yearbook headshot of the white guy in a tie accompanying this world-shaking news will get you even more press. Not.)
Of course, in the real world you sometimes have to put in CEO speak. Otherwise, the release will never make it out of the corner office. But, do preface any such release with a personal note (know your editor or reporter)…do your best to get the “real news” in the first paragraph…and relegate the ego stroke quotes to the end.
Read More: Eight Telltale Signs That Your Press Release is Bullsh**. (From MarketingProfs, via Opinionated Marketers.) These signs apply to any type of marketing communications. And, check out the comments to the post - more good stuff.
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Tags: marketing communications, marketing, marketing troubleshooting, PR, press releases
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May 4th, 2007 at 9:38 am
You remind me of one of the few times I’ve ever interviewed a corporate corner office type. The PR gal at HP went through a lot of trouble to set up the interview with the VP of SME Wonderfulness (or something like that).
I tried really hard to include some direct quotes from this muckety-muck in my article but wound up having to paraphrase what he said and follow it with this: “or at least, that’s what I think he said. He spoke in such intense corporate jargon that I really would have appreciated a translator … ”
When I sent the HP media relations gal a copy, I included an apology for making fun of her corporate executive but she took it very well. In fact, she said it was good that I had made fun of him because the guy needed to learn how to talk to real people and save the corporate jargon for internal memos.
July 17th, 2007 at 7:29 am
[…] Posts: Press Releases: They Don’t Care What Your CEO Says. Marketing Messages: Is Everything “Awesome?” The All-Knowing, All-Seeing […]
August 16th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Mary, clicked through to this post and… I’m shocked! You mean the whole wide world isn’t sitting on the edge of its seat to learn that I got a new chair? Or that I take cream and sugar in my coffee? Oh, come on! Whatever else could they be interested in, if not ME and MY COMPANY and every banal thing we ever did? Not real news and content? Oh shame, Mary! You’ll give CEOs nightmares if we have to start believing that!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:34 am
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