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A creative blog by Tracy Larrua on The Whole 9

Tracy (or Trace, as friends call her) Larrua lives and works between Hawaii and L.A. A seasoned pr/marcom specialist who has worked primarily in the hospitality and entertainment industries, she enjoys teaching her “Get The Word Out” pr workshops and volunteering her time with non-profits. When not glued to her sassy MacBook, you can find her relaxing at the beach, enjoying live theatre, or at a BBQ with friends.

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Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

July 7, 2008
14 Comments (see all)

No… I’m not referring to washing your hair, but “Lather. Rinse. Repeat.” is an inside joke that refers to doing something over and over and over again, i.e. the art of research.  That’s right.  Research done over and over again, but in the good ol’ fashioned way.  I for one, do not rely on computerized media databases because they are not always correct, people move around often, and/or sometimes retire.  The reason I bring this subject up is because while having a great idea or pr pitch is one thing, getting it into the right journalistic hands so that they can tell it to the world, is quite another.  So, try this:  The next time you’re at the mall or killing time while waiting for your car to be repaired, saunter (yes, I said saunter) by a bookstore and plop yourself down in the periodicals section… for awhile… and a) peruse the masthead of several publications and get to know who is on staff or contributing, and b) read it cover-to-cover and make note of any cool articles that you like, and finally c) make note in your little i-phone of the person who wrote it.  Get to know the writers and their style.  It could be the beginning of a great working relationship, as well as the beginning of your own very personalized database;-)

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  1. stacy

    This is a great tip. I was given similar advice before ever making my first pitch, and it’s still one of the most valuable things I’ve learned in journalism.

  2. leighton

    great advice- I’ve been keeping a file for a while now and it has been a great tool. I also remind people to remember the author of the great book you are reading. After all, they are the artist who is keeping you entertained, and deserve the recognition for your recommendation.

  3. trace

    Hi Stacy & Leighton! Thanks for your comments. I just try to share what I was taught by the many amazing mentors I’ve been lucky enough to have in my lifetime. In the this day and age, automation isn’t king in every situation. Example: I had a pr intern once update a specific media list for a couple of days. Although at first she thought it was a complete waste of time (making phone calls, going through masthead’s, double checking emails, etc.) at the end of the day, she returned with so many updates that she too said, “Uh… just fyi but there are a lot of updates- and some of these folks? Well, they aren’t even at their company anymore…” Yes, great revelation Virginia. The point is that you can’t just wish that your press release or pitch is going to land in the hands of someone, but rather you want it to be a direct hit, showing that you know what that person writes/contributes to, when their deadlines are, what their specific beat is, etc. Later in the game (that is if you have the opportunity to) when you get the chance to develop more of a working relationship versus an email one, it only gets better. You learn more specific things that are their ‘buttons’ so to speak. And in the end, you become the go-to person for info. Aloha for now… Trace.

  4. Hernando Conwi

    Good advice. Speaking of “direct hits”, there’s a reason the military places special forces troops out front to call in the targets. It works. And HumanInt (as in “human intelligence”) is the in buzzword at CIA these days…

  5. johnnyappleseed

    I love this tip! I am currently expanding my business and am always looking for ways to spread the message.

    It’s the simple things that you never think of. I’m gonna start researching my fellow eco-bloggers and see if their is a way to collaborate!

    what are some of things you would advise a new comer to do in regards to interviews with the press?

    -Appleseed

  6. flirtcoach

    I love that you’re passing on tips like this. I’ve been lucky to get a lot of PR in the last 11 years.

    I kept a list of journalists who write freelance for lots of different mages.

    If I’d have done it differently, they’d be in a contact management database with all the info you suggest we search for and I’d be sending them a personalised mail each time something right up their street occurred to me.

    That said I was really good at suggesting ideas to journalists. I even invited one who’d used me in a piece to attend my course as a gift cos she was single. I liked her.

    She was so pleased she decided to get commissioned for it and wrote a 3 page piece on the course.

    I got that journalists love you to approach them with IDEAS…

    Keep up the good tipping Stacy

  7. flirtcoach

    oops, seeing Stacy and Tracey in the same page sent me loopy. Keep up the good tipping Tracey and well Stacy eats out a lot so that’s for her too!

    smiles
    peta

  8. trace

    Aloha All, and Mahalo for the great comments! You know, in the end, its all about the relationship. And you can’t get there until you get to know who it is you’re truing to relate to (now, if I can only use those magical powers in the dating world, but that is a different, and much funnier blog).

    Note to Johnny Appleseed: In regards to interviews, I always sit with clients first and go through some media training (sometimes, in front of a camera). I would never put anyone in front of the media unless they are pre-trained to think like them, and to get an idea of how to answer questions, how to expand on subjects, etc. And Peta: Yes- journalists rely on folks like me to feed them story ideas. No story idea, no story, no writer, no editor, no article, no magazine. It’s the supernatural food chain of the media world. I used to laugh at folks who would complain and say, “If I get one more freakin’ press release from a publicist…” and guess what, that person calls on me all the time with “So… do you have any good pitches for me? What’s going on out there? I got a deadline to meet.”

    If you’re like most folk out there who are either finding a way to build a profile for their business, or finding a way to continue keeping their profile up in order to grow their business (in regards to media), just remember that it is like any other relationship. It takes a little TLC, some time, patience, care, and paying attention to. My database is do detailed that I have notes on some journalists as to their birthday’s, kids names, pets names, food they like/don’t like, hobbies, last vacation they went on, and so on. Believe me, taking the time to build this is like gold and they will thank you for being cognizant of their world the next time you pitch them your next great idea!

  9. poorgood

    ah, tracy! repeat. do it again. then…maybe copy your previous action. i agree. and especially with writing. but the repetition that artists must truly understand and submit to is that of getting down to it every single damn day no matter how un-creative they feel. that is all that matters. yes. you give me renewed incentive.

  10. trace

    Thanks Jim- Yes, I think also what is important besides repeating in order to stay en pointe, is to stay inspired. Whatever it takes to stay creative and keep that head open to new ideas everyday… that is key. You no doubt have new inspiration with the Kyd, fer sure; -)

  11. flirtcoach

    HI Trace, fully agree with you about the value of PR. It’s not just getting it either. It’s working it.

    And I also discovered an avenue that was good for me when I was into what I was into. And I called it ‘associative PR’.

    This was where I would write stuff, booklets tips, quotes do radio shows to associate flirtiness with the product.

    I was on the lower rungs, and that didn’t suit my free spirit. But I totally recognise that PR is still a wonderful addition and there are so many ways people can attract it if they’re prepared to follow good advice.

    So Trace… looking forward to your next set of power tips!

  12. Lorena Rivera

    hi trace,

    as a dreamer, artist, and intuitive…. i have to admit, research research research is not my thang… maybe it sounds a bit contradictory … but when u have a million ideas, visions, and concepts running through your mind, it becomes strenuous to focus sometimes… but after reading your article, i will definitely make the effort!!! thanks again!

    you rock, chica!!!

2 Trackbacks

  1. By Database Management » Blog Archive » Lather. Rinse. Repeat. on July 7, 2008 at 2:48 am

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