When you start getting press releases from PR agencies to your blog does that mean that you have "arrived", or does it just mean that clients and agencies are (finally) understanding that bloggers can get a message out quite fast and quite wide at relatively low cost. Ensuring that the story or angle being pushed can get coverage and also make sure then that it gets picked up in search more?
In recent weeks, I have noticed that I am starting to get more releases and stories from PR agencies. This may also (of course) just mean that someone has created a list of blogs by topic and is selling the lists and so does not mean very much at all!
Or (as in the case of the one I am about to comment on), is a message that may get longer life and a more diverse coverage than in traditional media - especially as part of the material is a bit "rough" to digest..
One of the recent releases I got was from Shiny Red PR for their client Pfizer, which is encouraging people not to buy prescription drugs online - warning that many may be dangerous and harmful by containing things like rat poison. At the heart of the campaign is a stomach churning ad that shows a man pulling a dead rat out of his mouth. The ad has been limited to very late night TV on limited channels in the UK due to its content.
It also struck me that this is also why targeting blogs works when you have something that may have viral potential due to its graphic and controversial nature, and where mainstream media would not want to show it in peak times.
The ad itself is not pleasant, and possibly a bit obvious versus subtle but it is very well made and has convinced me that buying prescription drugs offline is to be avoided should I ever toy with the idea.
But interesting thought on how and when to use bloggers. I have also received many releases about brands doing every day things, and not yet found a hook or reason that has sparked me enough to blog about it. And so maybe another learning is that to engage bloggers, versus spam them is to have a story or some hook that gives a good reason to write about your brand. And it is not likely to be just to say how lovely it is, as paid media can do that where you control everything.
You also need to accept that bloggers may not write what you want them to...(or is bad publicity better than none?!)
What do you think? leave a comment on the blog
Watch the ad on YouTube by clicking here, or on the blog posting:
Visit the website: http://www.realdanger.co.uk/
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