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Marketing 101
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Written by Matt Handal
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A while back, I asked the SMPS roundtable which press release service was the best to use. I also asked whether these services were better than sending out press releases yourself. Joan Capelin of Capelin Communications (and the author of the SMPS Handbook chapter on this subject) responded with this answer. It is certainly worth repeating:
"Matt: Let me answer your question with another: Why rely on services - however excellent -- that do not focus on our industry and its shifting, dwindling number of print pages available? FYI, none do - the formidable PR Newswire and Business Wire included.
How long IS a press list that carries this industry's news? Not long enough to use a service's scatter-shot approach. Send out to the healthcare circuit, and you'll be sending your story to people concerned about their health, even though you wanted to reach a publication focused on hospital administration or the design of alzheimers residences.
Yes, some correctly-targeted places will carry it, and then the aggregator blogs will pick up the news that others have published [I'm sure illegally, by ignoring copyrights]. That gives the illusion that something wonderful has happened.
If someone doing publicity in-house can't pull together his/her own press list, then I counsel them to hire people who understand how this works - and what to do BEFORE AND AFTER the release is distributed, crucial strategy that your question evades.
But to answer you: We occasionally use PR Newswire when our clients request it. We have our own a/c, even if they have one. Even those that have an a/c often ask us to use ours instead, don't know why.
We otherwise spend the fortune that Cision costs to be sure that we are completely up to date in our information about available media, and then we first get started with our research. And since we are in regular touch with the media, we can fine-tune a release and press list to specific editors - which is the best way.
You know as well as anyone that no design or construction firm has the time, resources, or interest to maintain its own list well. Further, one of the "green" editors to whom I spoke recently told me that he puts firms on his spam list if they send him a release that doesn't apply. Arrogance or efficiency? You tell me. The point is that the firms never knew this happened, or were too innocent in the first place to anticipate this.
For an industry that will never move without consultants - engineers, conservators, LEED, soils, archeology, law, accounting, whatever - why they wouldn't think to go to a reputable, strategy-oriented public relations consultant to help them reach their goals for visibility and credibility eludes me.
Some of this is spelled out in the chapter that I authored in the brand-new SMPS handbook, where you also contributed a chapter. Anyone can call or e-mail me for further information.
Best of luck in your query.
Joan Capelin
Capelin Communications
212/779-4949
jcapelin(at)capelin.com"
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Marketing 101 
