The lines between PR, social, marketing and advertising have been blurring — a trend that is accelerating as “native advertising” has become en vogue. We recently saw one of the potential pitfalls, which resulted in a scathing write up on TechCrunch, something all tech companies want to avoid.
Here’s what happened:
The PR person for LG’s new phone — the LG G2 — emailed a reporter at TechCrunch proposing that he review phone features or compare it to other devices, in exchange for an unspecified amount of money. The reporter decided to call out LG and suggested in his post that consumers should be leery of G2 reviews since it appears some — if not all — bloggers are being offered cash incentives.
Now, there are LOTS of bloggers who will only consider these kinds of reviews if a cash incentive is available. However, while it’s technically a blog, TechCrunch writers and editors consider themselves more akin to journalists than bloggers, meaning they don’t practice “pay to play” editorial coverage. As the reporter in this case put it, “We’ll run banner ads all day long – that’s none of my concern – we just won’t let ad dollars control our coverage.” In other words, they’ve built a wall between the editorial and advertising departments.
Traditionally, PR included earned media — unpaid — while a media buyer lined up the paid ads. Increasingly, PR budgets include paying for coverage, including native advertising, content partnerships, or paid reviews, for example. It’s a new area for PR people to navigate, and requires a delicate balancing act.
So, what’s a PR pro to do? Here are three starter tips to help you accomplish your goals, without getting yourself, or your client, in trouble:
- Research the outlet. In this example, LG landed in hot water because their agency account exec didn’t do her homework. Otherwise, she would have known that this reporter wouldn’t respond well to a pay-to-play proposition. If she had money to spend on TechCrunch, she should have contacted to the ad sales department. Many blogs contain media kits or advertising guidelines. Read those very closely. Know who is responsible for publishing editorial content and who oversees advertising. On smaller blogs, this person may be one in the same. But, larger sites most likely have different people for these very different responsibilities.
- Differentiate between editorial and advertorial coverage. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where TechCrunch would have written an article about LG’s new phone. So, why did the PR person feel the need to offer payment? Before reaching out to the outlet, determine what kind of story you’re proposing. Is it something that would logically fit within the scope of their standard editorial coverage? Or, are you proposing something else? If it’s not a natural editorial opportunity, that’s when you should consider native advertising or other paid opportunities. Likewise, if you’re pitching a more traditional blogger (not a TechCrunch or Mashable), realize that if you’re seeking access to their community through various content integrations or partnerships, that’s likely a paid situation.
- Think beyond media relations. Feel like you need to pay for coverage to hit your client’s goals? That’s not a smart PR strategy. If you’re trying to secure coverage by offering payment because the client has unrealistic expectations, it’s time for an honest conversation with the client. Talk with your client about the goals and then devise a strategy that will actually meet the objectives. Media relations is only one tool in the PR person’s toolkit. Get creative and propose other measurable tactics to support the initiative.
What other tips would you offer PR people who are balancing paid and unpaid media opportunities?
UPDATE: I just came across a post on Ragan about whether you should — or shouldn’t — pay bloggers. If you’re interested in this topic, it’s worth a read.
•••
Like what you’re reading? Follow Heather on Twitter or subscribe to the blog.