Ballou PR 2012 New Year's Resolutions

January is the month of resolutions, so we’ve decided to set ours out in the form of commandments which we feel are good for anyone doing communications. Here they are:

1. Thou shalt remember that six things sell in the media. Sex, death, scandal, celebrities, money and humour. Keep that in mind when writing your releases and you’ll be on the right track. 
2. Thou shalt always use the preferred means of communications to pitch a journalist. We will try to make journalists’ lives easier however we can, if Twitter works – great. If it’s Facebook, fab. Texting? No problem.
3. Thou shalt not send out boring press releases. We’ll work to obtain journalists’ attention in innovative ways. Our pitches will be concise, pertinent and tailored to each publication.
4. Thou shalt read what a journalist has written previously before sending them a pitch. We know, we know, we promise this every year, but this year, we’re going to try really hard.
5. Thou shalt not share thine own news before it’s sent out. We’re looking at you companies for this. You’re ruining your own coverage and your PR’s day.
6. Thou shalt not assume people care about thine new carpet. Stop believing your own hype and look at what’s actually on the news agenda; that’s how you’re going to get coverage.
7. Thou shalt not covet your competitor’s news. Yes, they may be in the FT this week, but you were in it the week before. Focus on your timeline, not theirs. Remember copying won’t get you anywhere. Be bold, be different and stand out.
8. Thou shalt remember that the world is round and that online means everywhere. Remember, that an embargo has to work for all the countries you’re announcing in. If it’s a UK launch, don’t announce it in the middle of our night. And don’t give it is an exclusive to an online US title, as well as a UK one… neither will be pleased.
9. Honour your own customers. Try not to announce their news for them, use them as an important reference source, and don’t complain about them in public forums; especially not in interviews.
10. Thou shalt make time for PR. Probably the most important from our point of view, but if you want your campaigns to be successful, invest time in the team. Give them content, provide them with spokespeople. The more you give, the more we can do.