PRs generally have a healthier view of that than we do
Journalists don’t like to copy each other’s work, despite what you might think – or have been told (perhaps by the odd disgruntled, plagiarised journalist!) We all like to feel as if our ideas are original or mined from painstaking research in the darker recesses of the internet, or from assiduously working our contacts.
But sometimes, an idea in one publication can – without copying it exactly – create a spin-off idea. And that’s OK.
For a start, not that many people read multiple magazines and newspapers (physical or online). That’s just us hacks. I think PRs generally have a healthier view of that than we do. Secondly, the angle of an original story might be targeted at, for instance, teens and twentysomethings but turned around, the same subject is compelling for an audience of their parents’ age.
Similarly, an industry report talking to experts and professionals takes on a whole new life if it’s looked at from the other side of the story. For example, the terrific read from last weekend’s Observer into restaurant desserts (see below), made me think of asking consumers if they still like pudding. Do they make them at home? Is it, for them, still an integral part of eating out?
The takeaway from this is to study some data on each outlet’s existing and target audience and pitch accordingly. You might well get more than one bite of the cherry panna cotta.
What Lisa thinks…
“Full marks to Tesco’s PR to have a positive release in a tough week – the hero shots of these veg-forward dishes are great and very editorial, with good stats to back up the launch.”