Dr. PR selected a few questions posed by the PRSA community (source- PRSA-NJ). A common theme emerged among submissions, the importance of matching team experience to the specific PR Firedrill scenario.

A battalion of new recruits is not the ideal choice to lead a Special Forces operation. Those missions are reserved for highly trained specialists like the Marines, Navy Seals, etc.; matching the soldiers to the ever-evolving battlefield challenges.

With both empirical data and ample original content from reporters showing how broken the relationship is between the PR Pro and Reporter, the difference between success and failure lies in the ability to identify, deploy and trust the tactical teams to generate on-brand Earned Media coverage. 

Let’s dive into some of the more common challenging inquiries received.

1.        Client is radioactive, how can we generate positive Earned Media coverage?

2.      Leadership is applying pressure, need Earned Media wins, how do you “make it rain?”

3.      Embargo pitching has been met with zero response from targeted media, is there any hope in the final days/ hours before launch to secure a “breakthrough?”

Beyond the lack of unbiased mentors in PR, Media Relations is downright challenging; and only getting harder.  Trusted companies that PR pros rely on like Cision (State of the Press Release), MuckRack (State of PR), Propel (Media Barometer), PRNews (Media Relations Dirty Little Secret), PR Daily (7 tips from an editor on getting Earned Media) and SpinSucks (How to Design the Perfect Pitch) have been saying the same thing for years. 

Whether you choose empirical data or more anecdotal, the relationship between PR pros and reporters is broken; causing an increasing number of PR Firedrills that agency and brand marketers have to combat.

Enter Dr. PR, who is ready to take on any and every PR challenge that you or your colleagues are faced with. There is no issue that is off the table for exploration; the only goal Dr. PR has is providing a solution to your challenge. If it faces you, others can learn from the experience too; let’s explore openly. 

When Dr. PR responds, the recommendations are rooted in best practices learned from other brand marketers (in-house and agency) AND reporters; getting to the heart of solutions through sharing experiences. 

To showcase some of the scenarios, we will share some of the popular PR Firedrill scenarios that plague our industry, further damaging our relationship with reporters. We will openly explore PR Firedrills that emanate from the Client-, Agency- and even Reporter-side; providing successful options to consider.