Sometimes you must get disheartened, but I am here to bring you sunshine. Honestly. For one day only.
On one side you’ve got a bunch of bitchy hacks who are meanly disparaging of your efforts, even if deep down you know we’ll need you at some point.
On the other, an ill-informed client who can’t understand your failure to get them on to the front of the FT, with the exciting news of their new combined hat and cigarette lighter product. (Genius).
Most of what you send out, most press releases die on impact. Most don’t even get read (you knew that, right?)
But good work, even if apparently ignored has a value. Over time hacks get to know which outlets provide stuff at least worth reading, and which do not.
This gives a clear impression of the value of the client and the PR firm.
For example, Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell send out excellent stuff routinely. It doesn’t always, or even usually, get picked up. But it’s smart and timely. It tells us things we’re glad to know. So we read it if we can. The impression left of both firms is that they are handy to have around. That in turn their businesses must be strong.
The unused press release has a value.