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Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 22, 2006
On behalf of the Bad Pitch Blog, I want to wish you and yours all the best during this holiday season. So until next time, keep those bad pitches coming. tags public relations PR media relations media good pitch bad pitch bad pitch blog Slick here. I’m all about the c-word and the 3 ho’s. These guys are a bit more politically correct. Anyways, they tell me I’ll be working over the break, but who knows. Slick’s gotta eat.
Bad Pitch Blog
JULY 4, 2006
2006 Stuttgart uploaded by magnetisch Based on the popularity of the last post , I’m linking to a presentation outlining the lifecycle of a media relations pitch. tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog Check out the back story here.
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Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 1, 2006
Shel Holtz forwarded a blanket pitch sent to him that brings several basic lessons to mind. This is one of the lamest pitches I’ve seen in a long time. BTW, this is the follow-up after I ignored his original message.” -- From: PR GUY Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 8:17 PM To: SHEL Subject: Re: CLIENT podcast Sorry. Our first episode premiered on February 15th, 2006, and was downloaded over 2000 times. Blanket pitches are focused on output and billable hours.
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 18, 2006
In a short period of time, the Bad Pitch blog has seen a lot of crappy media relations. But this is a first—a pitch so bad the reporter outed it on Flickr. His Flickr post, outing this off-target pitch, is a case in point: Now there''s a natural way for women to be chic, confident and cool during a hot flash. But that’s not why this pitch gives me pause (Yeah, I went there. Not sure what Flickr is? No cookie for you.
Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 31, 2006
But the Bad Pitch blog tries to provide timely, relevant content. The more you edit, the better your pitches get. Creating tight, effective pitches will become second nature. Pitch Less: Yep, mass pitching is for ass clowns. The more focused the pitch, the better your results and the less you have to make. Internet speed kills pitches, leaving spam in its wake. New Year’s resolutions are crap.
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 17, 2006
Turns out that PR folk are not the only ones who send bad pitches! As we know, our HR colleagues pitch all day, every day. When they recruit, they’re pitching. When they announce inevitably negative changes to benefits packages, they’re pitching. Can you imagine: You pitch aggressively by phone and e-mail, and the reporter finally responds to you…only to find he’s blocked?!? This from someone at RLM who isn’t as wily as I am.
Bad Pitch Blog
MAY 31, 2006
We''ve started a Bad Pitch Buffet of sorts. This includes our signature dish: "Three Strikes and You''re Out-ed." - Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 20:04:05 -0700 (PDT) From: NAME To: BAD PITCH BLOG EMAIL Subject: live campiagn intro to bloggers Dear I just recently started a blog called the BLOG NAME. But luckily we maneuvered through and can summarize why the pitch sucks. My pitches should focus on you, not me. Multipurpose pitches ensure none of your ideas stand out.
Bad Pitch Blog
JULY 24, 2006
Pitches seem to be reaching an all-time low. It’s getting so bad that two people recently lost their jobs over pitches they distributed. Gawker tells us of a racist pitch so misguided that its sender is lucky if unemployment is the only consequence of her actions. The pitch is so negative you have to wonder if the client is considering legal action. tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog | Gawker | Napster
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
This news release posing as a pitch was forwarded by a Philadelphia-based reporter to "Trebuchet," a fan of the Bad Pitch blog. As if this weren’t bad enough, Trebucht tells us: The pitch had two, unrequested photos attached. One look at the client’s web site and the pitch seems all the more out of character and insulting. Get empty bottles from the winery and create a pitch brief enough to go on a large label that you print and apply.
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 7, 2006
This represents an elegant yet simple solution to submitting your pitch to blogs. tags | public relations | PR | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog | media relations Josh Hallet at Hyku has created Instant PR. We suspect you’ll be seeing this type of push-button solution used across more and more blogs each day.
Bad Pitch Blog
MAY 9, 2006
A DC-based communications blog received the latest bad pitch. We’re calling it the Spectre of Doom pitch. Subject: Kiefer Sutherland foils terror plot at shopping mall From: SENIOR AE To: SENIOR AE Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 6:11 PM The most recent episode of "24" on FOX had terrorists releasing nerve gas into the ventilation system of a fictional shopping mall. This pitch does take nerve. and “US malls” in the same pitch.
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Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 20, 2006
We''re one month old and Technorati tells us the Bad Pitch blog has already inspired a few folks into action. Perhaps BadHack should give the credit to legendary Spin Bunny instead of the Bad Pitch blog? Good Pitch Blog As we’ve said before, we need all the help we can get to stop bad pitches. The Good Pitch blog joins the fray. Good Pitch reminds me that some folks take our name at face value. So Glinda is up next with a good pitch.
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 2, 2006
We knew Glinda would be back as soon as we glanced at this pitch from The McGinn Group’s Nellie Lide. Thanks, Nellie [Sig File] - In addition to the wicked-short length and link to the news release, here’s why this good pitch gets a Glinda, our badge of honor. Her pitch shows it. No Blanket Pitches, No Cold Calls Nellie sent short notes to nearly 100 bloggers she was familiar with to some degree.
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 1, 2006
Want to stay up to date on the Bad Pitch Blog but not interested in RSS? Check out the sidebar and you''ll see we now offer Feedblitz. Just enter your email, hit enter and you''ll be signed up to receive our posts in your email inbox shortly after we hit publish
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 23, 2006
From: NAME on Behalf Of John James Nicoletti Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 2:50 PM Subject: ANAHEIM MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL URGE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT Please contact me with further questions regarding this release. From there, we''ll remind everyone that a news release does not double as a pitch. Too many facts can turn your pitch/news release into an act of desperation.
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 9, 2006
Just in time for the weekend, we bring you a good pitch for ParkerGrace sunglasses. Subject: A Shady Pitch Hi, FIRSTNAME. I hate to think that I''m pitching summer stories and it''s snowing outside. :) But, I wanted you to have information on ParkerGrace sunglasses as you get your calendar ready. Megan Licursi, Principal MLMC CONTACT INFO - This pitch is well-crafted. But the real reason this pitch gets the Glinda is the subject line.
Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 12, 2006
As the blogosphere continues to skewer bad pitches, we''re also linking to the angst and the advice on how to create good pitches. pitch? Moron Publicist of the Month: KFC’s Flack Gawker In the aftermath of this outing, the Bad Pitch blog has learned that, while he was probably fried, this publicist was not fired. PR Smackdown III FastCompany Now Fast Company’s blog presents pitches to its readers and asks them to vote for the best one.
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
Enough Already Repeat after me " A news release is NOT a pitch." A news release is background material that supports a pitch. Your pitch should focus on telling a specific editor why the news is relevant to her readers. tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog | Valleywag | Techdirt | Amy Gahran | news release
Bad Pitch Blog
APRIL 26, 2006
This pitch might remind you of Sex in the City. It reminds the Bad Pitch blog of Clueless. From: NAME Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 7:09 PM To: FRIEND of BPB Subject: Long time no see Hi, I''m just getting around to organizing all of the business cards and contacts that I''ve collected since Thanksgiving 2005. But let’s set that aside and simply evaluate this from a pitch perspective. This line *might* work in a bar, but to start a pitch with it defies logic.
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 20, 2006
It''s only fitting that the Bad Pitch Blog was itself pitched by a public relations person less than eight hours after it was launched. In this case, it was a good pitch from Blake Barbera at the Wet Feet PR Blog. Here it is: -- Subject: CES - pitch analysis Body: Hey there, I came across your new blog through Media Orchard. Not sure if you guys have had the chance to read Sam Whitmore''s analysis of PR pitches he received during CES, but it is worth a look.
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 22, 2006
The Bad Pitch Blog is hitting the road and spreading the word about what NOT to do to achieve media relations success. tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog | Ragan’s | Strategic Public Relations Conference | PR Rehab We’re presenting at Ragan’s 10th Annual Strategic Public Relations Conference in Chicago from September 21-22. There is also a Wiki for the event, PR Rehab.
Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 30, 2006
When we did the Yarn Bus for Flying Fingers, we were already in a massive pitch mode for the previous six months, having landed everything from local TV to morning shows, about edible yarn, only at Flying Fingers. 4) BPB: What are some of the big problems you see that get PR people singled out by media and blogs like the Bad Pitch blog? Pitching something that has NOTHING to do with what the reporter writes is the biggest one.
Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 20, 2006
Check out his good pitch and stay tuned to see why it doesn’t suck. -- From: GOOD PITCH Sent: Wednesday, May 5, 2004 5:28 PM To: Jonathan Wilde Subject: Story Idea: What if Darth Vader was a Maxim Intern Dear Mr. Wilde, Can you imagine the mayhem of having Darth Vader on the Maxim staff? Sincerely, GOOD PITCH -- This pitch elicited a response in 8 minutes. Why does it glister as good pitch gold? 6) It shows how things can change between the pitch and the payoff.
Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 28, 2006
Bad pitches are like snowflakes. And our next pitch is in the danger zone as it represents the second time this person has pitched Canuckflack. As a result, he/she might also become the second person outed on the Bad Pitch blog. We usually fillet consumer pitches here. Yep, both pitches from this person included an attachment. This pitch abuses a very valuable and effective form of media relations: source filing. No two suck alike.
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 31, 2006
If you want to generate more coverage for your client, pitch less. Spend the time applied to ripping a list, spamming the hell out of it and then dialing for dollars on real media relations—well-informed, customized pitches to specific outlets that will be interested in the news. Note to Self: Find the person at Bacon’s that updates Media Map profiles.
Bad Pitch Blog
JULY 6, 2006
From: Dave Overton Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 12:27 PM To: Beucke, Dan Subject: [NEWMANPR] - Why the demise of Ken Lay? So we find it silly to outline why this particular pitch sucks. And if you don’t know why the pitch sucks after reading it you have bigger problems to deal with--like a freakin’ career change. The Bad Pitch blog stands by its position on dead pitches. Check out "Mommy, We Get Dead Pitches" for the full scoop.
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 20, 2006
Welcome to the Bad Pitch blog. We’re tired of the public relations industry taking the blame for a minority of its members that pollute communication channels with bad pitches, poorly written news releases and useless phone calls asking "did you get the release?" It’s our hope that the Bad Pitch blog will entertain the true victims of this practice, the PR industry, and it will help the guilty parties improve.
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 20, 2006
Until then, the URLs above will allow you to add Bad Pitch blog to your newsreader. The feed for this site is available via Atom [link] or via RSS [link] I need to pop the hood on this site and fiddle with the html code. I''m looking forward to customizing the home page and adding a blog roll amongst other things. Enjoy! UPDATE : We''ve been chickletized. Be sure to sign up. It''s one click away now
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 11, 2006
I''ve been out of touch lately. To make up here''s one that, to coin an oft-repeated phrase, needs no real intro: Came from a pissed-off business editor who was ultimately laughing. I added a few notes and had some fun. Subject: Newest Feminine Hygiene Innovation Dear Editor, The DivaCup™ represents the first breakthrough innovation in feminine hygiene in over 50 years! Please see attached a New Products Release, Press Release and Photo for your review. A Fact Sheet is also included. [RL: RL: !!,
Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 20, 2006
As pitches good and bad are sent to us, the Bad Pitch bloggers realized a need for a badge of honor. Your comments are creating a great dialogue and fueling our efforts here. Please keep them coming as everyone is learning. To counterbalance Slick, we opted for the wholesome, nostalgic choice. Meet Glinda, our badge of honor and Slick''s Archenemy. She''s dusting off her slippers and will be stopping by very soon
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 25, 2006
Our next bad pitch plays off Richard’s example below and will be known as the UNVITATION , thanks to Seinfeld. Reading this pitch was charity enough thanks. In the few days we’ve been doing this blog, it has become clear to me that we need to back up a few steps and address even more of the basics here, including a breakdown of the lifecycle of a pitch. We’ll explain why it stinks at the end.
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 19, 2006
You’d think this was common sense, but we’ve been buried by really bad pitches as some shameless PR practitioners do whatever it takes to get a media placement. Transitions and Tie-Ins Take Time The Bad Pitch blog dug into the topic of pitch tie-ins and transitions with its first guest, David Parmet. Another bad pitch practice seems to be reading a post or two of my blog and spitting it back to me,” says Parmet. Yet, their pitch has nothing to do with my blog.”
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 22, 2006
The Bad Pitch Blog I don''t even know where to start. Every day I''m faced with a decision: do I "tell on my peers" or just ignore the fact so many people who do PR just plainly suck. Today I''m reading the NY Times and the faux-cynical gossip columnist ( Public Lives , and I’m sure the ‘v’ is extraneous) is talking with cheeked tongue about a super-hyped Bodog.com party [ [link] ] where everyone, I mean everyone, was invited.
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 5, 2006
Yet he still manages to read and react to bad pitches sent his way. From: EMAIL Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 9:22 AM To: PHIL Subject: Traditional Dating Sites Overshadowed.- Please let me know, NAME Media Contact Russian Love Match URL PHONE NUMBER - OK, why would a PR blogger be a good target for this pitch? Let''s assume the pitch was sent to someone that actually covers online dating. The pitch still sucks thanks to its lead paragraph.
Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 14, 2006
Seasonal tie-in pitches. Why so many BAD Valentine''s Day pitches? We received several Valentine''s Day pitches for consideration, but the best one hails from the Windy City. NAME ONE & NAME TWO publicists to the most beautiful men on earth This pitch sucks because it could have been very good. These are all seemingly minor details; but pitches are like resumes--one typo can kill your chances. We have little idea what they are pitching us on.
Bad Pitch Blog
APRIL 4, 2006
We even receive pre-emptive notes asking for insight into a pitch before it goes out the door. We''re all about stopping bad pitches before they start. If this should be posted in your site’s polar opposite, the Good Pitch Blog, my apologies for the intrusion. I’ll be pitching trade media in the hopes of scoring an onsite interview or two for this researcher. I haven''t actually had a great deal of experience pitching for tradeshow appointments, unfortunately.
Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 18, 2006
The Bad Pitch Blog is awarding Glinda, our good pitch badge of honor, to The Morris + King Company for turning ProfNet’s value add into a publicity opp for their firm. NEW YORK, NY—December 19, 2006—The Morris + King Company (MKC), one of the country’s most innovative and accomplished public relations and integrated marketing firms, today issued the first-ever “Best ProfNet Queries of the Year” list. Nov 17, 2006 05:00 PM 1. bad pitch media PR ProfNet public relation
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 20, 2006
Send us your bad, long-winded and irrelevant pitch examples to badpitchblog at gmail dot com. Categories include: bad writing, mass mail, bad beat, and good pitches. Yes, we also want good examples to show the stark contrast between good and bad pitches. THREE STRIKE RULE The author of the bad pitch will remain anonymous until they have sent out three separate pitches that are all deemed to be bad.
Bad Pitch Blog
MAY 7, 2006
We discussed the media relations lifecycle, briefly touching on blogs and how to pitch them—if at all. One example discussed was a pitch I made to Erick Schonfeld at B2Day , Business 2.0’s Here is the entire exchange, including the end result and how to improve the next pitch. PITCH From: Dugan, Kevin Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 9:58 PM To: Schonfeld, Erick - Business 2.0 Got Pre-Pitch? So I knew no one else would be pitching this outlet.
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 25, 2006
"I, personally, think outing bad pitchers is exactly what is needed right about now." --Anonymous comment We''re not going to get all Sally Field on you, but the initial response to the Bad Pitch blog tells us we''ve struck a nerve. National media are sending us some of the bad pitches that they''ve received. Why isn''t the Bad Pitch blog a wiki? And not all offenders have plastered the Internet with their pitch like a lost dog flyer to telephone poles (most, but not all).
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