Hi Everyone,
I’m back and feeling refreshed after a much-needed vacation with my husband Steve. As a CEO it’s hard to focus on relaxation on vacation; wondering how your team is doing without you. Upon return, I found them flourishing. On my first day back, they proved once again what superstars they are. I am so proud of my team!
Anyone who would have visited the EMSI offices Monday, August 31st would have thought we are a news agency, and not a PR agency.
Here’s why: the news hit, barely after 9 a.m., that entertainment giant Disney had just bought Marvel Entertainment (purveyors of characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man and The X-Men) for $4 billion in cash and stock. In a vacuum, the news was nothing more than a pop culture footnote. But to EMSI client Michael Uslan – executive producer of the Batman franchise of movies and a pop culture maven – it was an opportunity. The EMSI team moved quickly to write pitches, draw up talking points for the client, send out emails and make phone calls to key contacts. It was like a newsroom come to life, only in reverse. Instead of writing the news, we were serving it.
By the day’s end, Michael was interviewed by USA Today and the Christian Science Monitor (articles below), and he appeared on BBC America, BBC World, First Business and Fox Business News. The positioning was simple – after 33 years in the comics and film business, Uslan’s commentary would be more insightful than the usual cast of talking heads on TV.
And it was. But don’t take our word for it. Follow the links below.
- National Television Appearances
- BBC World
- BBC US
- Fox Business Network
- First Business
- Talk Radio Interviews
- WOR – The Joey Reynolds Show
- WABC – Curtis Sliwa
- National Print Coverage
- USA Today
- The Christian Science Monitor
- BoxOffice.com
- Kansas City Star
None of this work was done at the request of our client. As his PR agency, we caught the news, we saw the opportunity for media and positioning, and we advised the client to make some time for us that day. The client didn’t have to do anything but show up. He was armed with talking points we prepared and interview confirmations that were precise and complete. That was just one day’s worth of media coverage – and we’re still booking more interviews today.
So, it begs the question, when the big news story in YOUR industry hits, is your PR agency doing this for you? If not, or if you don’t have any agency representing you to the media, you may be missing national media opportunities like this. Please feel free to call my partner, Steve Friedman, and spend a few minutes on the phone to find out what we can do for you. You can call Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 202, or email him directly at steve@emsincorporated.com.
So my advice this week has to be, if you have a PR agency, make sure they’re following the daily news on your behalf! And, if you’re handling your own Publicity, make sure you’re looking for news opportunities to position yourself as the expert guest!
Warm Regards,
Marsha
