Pitches that miss the mark

I got a hilariously off topic pitch from a PR firm today to the Financial Aid Podcast.

“Financial Aid Podcast Feature Topic – New Proposal Offers Free Cell Phone Headsets To Motorists Ticketed Under New Cell Phone Ban Law”

Christopher,

Here’s some information for a timely and interesting feature topic. The release below details how one company is launching a creative way to help educate motorists about the new hands free cell phone bans being implemented in more and more states nationally.

We would be happy to arrange interviews help in any other way further. If there is someone better to send this to can you please forward this to him/her or provide me with the contact information? Thanks and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Name withheld to prevent accidentally promoting this firm

I’m not sure where to begin evisceration.

First, the journalism outlet – the Financial Aid Podcast – is an internet radio show about financial aid. Has nothing to do with driving, cars, telephony, headsets, mobile phones, or hands free cell phone legislation. This isn’t just off-topic, it’s off-industry.

Second, how did you even find out about me? Yeah, I’m on lists like HelpAReporter.com and such, but if you’re pitching based on that subscriber list, Shankman’s going to toast your ass.

Third, when I read the actual release out of morbid curiosity, you as a PR firm missed the point of your client’s release. It’s actually an interesting story of sorts – the company is doing some cool stuff that might be worth talking about, instead of the generic, bland copy you sent along as a cover letter to the release. You need to hire a better copywriter.

I’d be tempted to add the PR firm’s address to the PR spammers’ wiki, but honestly, I don’t want to give ANY ink to the firm, positive or negative, and I kind of actually want to keep getting their press releases, just to see what additional, wildly off-topic releases they send to me. They’ll never get published, but at least they’re good for a laugh.

Of course, if I were this PR firm’s client, I might be questioning the ROI of using this firm. Just sayin…

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