A curious PR tactic was in vogue today – I’m not sure if it’s new or if I just never noticed it before.
The plan is to offer me commentary on a story I have already written.
So the flak sees a piece on the Evening Standard website and emails with promises of insight from their client – an expert, I’m sure.
I can’t really see the thought process here.
Stories go up on the website, most often, after the paper has gone to press. So in every sense, we’re done and dusted with it.
We might be persuaded to change the online version if we’ve got something wrong, or just agree we could have been more nuanced, but mostly, that’s it.
We’re already thinking about tomorrow.
For the morning papers, that approach might yield some returns, since stories will go up on websites in the afternoon that are still in development for the paper, but even that looks like a long shot.
I remain curious about the amount of PR activity that is plainly wasted effort. I don’t mind the email offering me something too late. I don’t see what the point is….
**We’re back after a long (ish) summer break…..ideas/complaints most welcome….
