Many law firms could benefit from favorable press coverage about their legal cases. Of all the law suits your firm handles, which ones pack the biggest PR punch?
There are bound to be some cases that naturally cry out for media coverage and others that you may not want to get any publicity. When evaluating whether a case is suitable for media outreach, consider these criteria:
1.) Is there a reasonable chance that generating news coverage about the lawsuit will influence the outcome of the case? In other words, could media coverage advance your position?
2.) How important is the case in terms of: recoverable fees, potential for raising your firm’s visibility, and setting precedent?
3.) Is the topic newsworthy and/or likely to be compelling to the media? Think about if the issue has received previous media coverage. Will the suit affect a large number of people? Is there built-in controversy in the case’s subject matter? Also consider if the case has another sort of public appeal, such as a case involving a well-known landmark or consumer protections.
Media coverage can be a powerful tool in your arsenal of legal strategies. Choosing the right cases to promote can make a world of difference. These questions should help legal teams identify for which lawsuits to pursue media coverage. As always, we hope you’d consider Public Good PR a useful resource in your media outreach around legal matters.
May 24th, 2010 in
Legal,
PR Tips |
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Hello! My name is Robin Singler. As I have recently joined the Public Good PR team, I thought I’d introduce myself and share some thoughts with you about who I am, what I do and why.
My journey into the realm of media relations began as I entered the non-profit world in my beautiful but isolated rural mountain community. I fought on the side of local opposition in McCloud, CA against Nestle Waters’ horrific proposal to truck millions of gallons of pristine water from our springs. After serving on the media team with that effort and seeing the positive impact individuals can make in their local communities when focused on a common goal, I made a conscious decision to continue focusing my energy on projects that bring meaning to my life.
I cannot over-state the impact this has made on my life, and joining Public Good PR is a big part of that. Now I can continue to craft messages, conduct research and engage with reporters about a variety of wonderful causes that need a little support from the experts!
It is an incredible blessing to earn a living while lending my energy towards promoting the causes of all of the good people out there working for the public good. In today’s mainstream media climate of negativity, scandal and impending doom, it can seem like the good guys and causes are nowhere to be found, and that’s where Public Good PR comes in; shining a spotlight on the stuff that makes the world a better place for all of us.
I continue to lend my skills to causes that positively influence residents in my small community, and learning the ins and outs of public relations through my work with Public Good PR will only allow me to better serve my community in the future by helping them to shed light on their stories and passions. Thanks Sev and Nina!
March 10th, 2010 in
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A hearty congratulations goes out to our client Renewable Funding for its impressive media coverage over the past couple of weeks regarding its Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing model. Renewable Funding works with local and state governments to set up PACE programs, which enable property owners to make energy efficient building retrofits through a voluntary property tax assessment.
Recent articles have appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Scientific American named the PACE model one of the top 20 ideas that can change the world, and the Harvard Business Review called it one of the top 10 breakthrough ideas for 2010.
Property Assessed Clean Energy…coming to your community soon.
When Sev Williams set out to publicize the good work of worthy causes in 2001, he started a one-man operation known as Severn Williams Media. Now, almost a decade later, our team has grown and we’ve honed our areas of expertise (media relations, strategic communications and planning, and print and digital materials development). So we decided it was time to follow the branding advice we dole out and pick a name that tells our story: Public Good PR.
We’ve been on the side of a lot of Davids fighting some pretty big Goliaths over the years. We helped the small town of McCloud say “good riddance” to water bottling giant Nestlé Waters North America by telling their story through an aggressive national media outreach campaign. We told the country about the second-largest crib recall in American history via Good Morning America and The Today Show. And we turned a wonky policy-heavy report about the crisis facing California’s native fisheries into front-page news in the San Francisco Chronicle and a favorable editorial in the Los Angeles Times.
So if you’re looking for ideas about how to generate media coverage, improve your visibility, or communicate more strategically, give us a call. Or drop us a line. Or tweet us a tweet.
We look forward to another successful year providing public relations services that forward the public good.
Sev and Nina
Severn Williams, Principal
Nina Erlich-Williams, Principal
Public Good PR
www.publicgoodpr.com
When do you use a press release instead of a media advisory? What is the goal of a story pitch or a position statement? It is important to use the proper written format when communicating with reports. Here are some tips to help:
Press Release: Press releases are the traditional and most common form of announcing news. To be effective a press release should be about ‘breaking’ or time-sensitive news. Examples of potential breaking news stories include launching a new product or service, announcing results of a survey or study, staff and leadership changes in your organization, the expansion of your business or organization, etc. Press releases should always have a catchy headline and make a compelling case in the first paragraph.
Press Advisory: Press advisories are used to invite reporters to an event in relation to a news story. They do not provide the whole story but instead ‘tease’ reporters with enough of the story information that they are encouraged to appear at the event . A press advisory should provide answers to Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Is your announcement something that would make a good photo opportunity, such as receiving a donation in the form of a large check, a ribbon cutting ceremony, or children enjoying a sponsored program? If so include information about the visuals at the event to appeal to TV.
Reporter Pitch: When you have a good story that isn’t breaking news, consider using an email pitch. Unlike a press release, a pitch is more of a ‘letter’ to a reporter suggesting a story idea or source. One advantage to sending a pitch is that you can reserve exclusiveness for the reporter. It is best to keep your pitch short, around 2-5 paragraphs, and be sure to emphasize why your story is compelling early on in the text. If possible, offer other resources such as experts in the field, case studies, contacts, visual tools and graphics. Any way that you can make the reporter’s job easier will help get your story placed.
Position Statement: A position statement is a response to breaking news and is commonly used by advocacy groups and in political circles. Position statements should be 2-5 paragraphs and should always provide contact information for further comment. One goal of issuing a position statement is to have the text appear as part of an article or story, so write the text as a long quote from your spokesperson.
We hope these tools help you get the coverage you want; let us know how it goes once you give them a shot!
January 27th, 2010 in
PR Tips |
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During tough economic times, it is more important than ever that nonprofit organizations, foundations and socially responsible businesses maintain and grow your visibility in the community. Here are 10 tips to help generate media coverage, even on a tight budget:
1. Talk about grants. Giving and receiving grants, especially large, can be great topics for a press release.
2. Announce milestones and key organizational moments with a well-crafted press release.
3. Tell the story behind a program. You may have a great opportunity to land a local feature story.
4. Release a report about community priorities, shifting demographics, or local opinions.
5. Submit Opinion pieces. Op-eds provide excellent opportunities to publicize your message in your own words.
6. Report on leadership changes. Announce the arrival of new staff and board members.
7. Tie media outreach to holidays with a local angle related to your group.
8. Use smart media lists. Keep a current spreadsheet with contact information for local reporters and media outlets.
9. Follow print stories with TV outreach. Have a “spokesperson available” to offer expertise for follow-up to newspaper stories.
10. Advertise on cable TV. Cable TV allows ongoing exposure for a relatively modest investment.
January 27th, 2010 in
PR Tips |
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Like it or not, nonprofits and others working for the public good are using Twitter to their advantage. The potential of connecting with potential new donors, existing members, and others that can support your cause is just too good to pass up. Here are a few tips that can help get the ball rolling. And while you are at it, follow us at Twitter @PublicGoodPR:
#1 Set up an account…and make it clear in your bio who you are and what you do. That willl make it easier for others to decide if they want to follow you.
#2 Tweet regularly. Make tweets interesting by sharing relevant information such as facts, quotes, links to articles, videos, updates on the status of your organization, current news, holiday info, etc.
#3 Follow others to be followed. People who you follow will often follow you back, espcecially if what you are saying is interesting. Begin by finding others with similar ideals.
#4 Use twitter as a tool to drive traffic to your website, blog, and to encourage readers to take action.
We love providing PR tips, answering questions and growing our network on Twitter. In less time than you think, you can do the same.
Many law firms could benefit from favorable press coverage about their legal cases. Of all the law suits your firm handles, which ones pack the biggest PR punch?
