There is a PR agency in San Francisco called Hype House. Your first reaction is “old my god,” people who just come right out and say what they do is hype stuff to the media. But when you read what they are all about, they aren’t about Hype at all. They are just hyping themselves for attention.

I’ll admit first off that we might be called dinosaur PR, as in oh crap, we’ll soon be extinct while the youth of PR rule the world.

My wife, who works at the local library picked up a copy of Shankman’s book with the subtitle, “Outrageous PR Stunts That Work — and Why Your Company Needs Them.”

He sets the stage with this acknowledgment … “finally, mom and dad, thanks for …. wow, I don’t know where to start. It would Double the size of this book….” Is this guy seven years old is or this just hip-hype?

The first chapter tells you “who I am and why you should listen to me.” More hip-hype. He basically says he’s a PR genius. That he knows what works and that since the media in New York City listen to him because of a big PR stunt he pulled a few years ago you should, too. My take away message was that that NY media are a bunch of lapdogs who call Peter Shankman whenever they need anything. Reminds me of Sally Fields’ infamous Oscar acceptance speech, “You love me, you really love me.”

In the pages that follow, he demonstrates that he is understands the PR basics. He’s a journeyman, no doubt. The book is packed with good information. It just isn’t that fresh. I’m not criticizing him or his agency for their creative achievements. But in spite of all the exclamation points and hip hype, he lays down a million rules in the book — many of which seemed aimed at the beginning pr practitioner. Most actual PR people learned this stuff in college PR101.

So much of his advice is information we’ve all heard a gazillion times before. But I give him credit for wrapping it in non-stop hype and hyperbole, trying to make hot dogs and chips smell and taste like Chateaubriand. Afterall, how many books have I published (none) and who am i to judge? Well, 7 years as a newspaper reporter and 25 years in the business has given me at least a working knowledge.

Okay, Peter, if you read this, don’t take it personally. Just go to the zoo, chill out and be that “inner child” you say we should all be to achieve creative greatness. Better yet, read David Meerman Scott’s book “The New Rule of Marketing and PR” if you really want something different and fresh.

I don’t know, maybe we really are pr dinosaurs and extinction is near.

As a former crime reporter, I learned to write short, punchy leads. Anyone can. Despite having written more than 5,000 news stories and nearly as many press releases as a public relations (PR) professional, I still miss the mark on occasion. Through intensive rewriting — and often good editing by my business partner — we usually arrive at the near perfect release. Well, if not perfect, acceptable; maybe good.

I read an interesting statistic once that when a lead exceed’s 30 words, you lose 80% of your college-level readers. Ernest Hemingway’s books are filled with 10-12 word sentences, if you need proof that good writing needn’t be filled with tortured syntax and 80 word sentences. Short really is better.

Here is a sample of good and not-so-good leads. Both are actual leads, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent, so to speak.

The wordy, not-so-good lead:

Anywhere Community Hospital has added “healing environments” to three upgraded and remodeled surgical and medical procedure suites. It’s all part of a national trend to combine new technology and improved function with design and comfort, according to Jim Smith, Anywhere’s senior vice president of operations. By adding new lighting, flooring and painting, Anywhere has transformed its two operating rooms and the endoscopy suite into environments that are more soothing and comforting for patients.

Better:

Anywhere Community Hospital has tapped into a national healthcare improvement trend by transforming patient treatment areas into healing environments with special lighting, flooring and paint. “We’ve added soft lighting, carpet and warm colors to two operating rooms and an endoscopy suite to make them more soothing and comforting,” explained …. “Studies show such environments promote healing.”

Better because it’s most specific and gets to the point quicker. Even this could be improved. Before you write, you will want to ask your client what should be emphasized. Is it healing environments or national trend?

Perhaps even better:

Newly upgraded surgical and endoscopy suites at Anywhere Community Hospital will help you recover faster because of a healing environments created with new lights, flooring and paint, according to hospital CEO Joe Dokes. “We’ve tapped into a national trend showing soothing and comforting environments promote faster healing,” Dokes said.

Another alternative:

Anywhere Community Hospital surgery and endoscopy patients are recovering faster because of healing environments created with special flooring, paint and lighting, says CEO Joe Dokes.

Or:

Can paint, flooring and lights really help patients recover faster from surgery? Anywhere Community Hospital CEO Joe yes, after recently transforming two surgical suites and an endoscopy treatment room into healing environments with sound absorbing carpet, soft lighting and pastel walls.

I’ve cranked out good news releases in 15 minutes and have labored over a lead for an hour or more. The key to great leads: don’t be afraid to rewrite.

During the 7 years I was a newspaper reporter, I estimate I wrote more than 5,000 stories. Since joining the ranks of public relations (PR) professionals, I must have written an equal number of news releases.

Despite my experience, I can’t say every release is perfect. I miss the mark from time to time.

Based on a news release a new client asked me to edit recently, which was written by her former PR agency (a good company), I’d say news release writing might be a dying art form. I guess they still teach kids how to write them, but if you read this 580-word rambling, repetitive tome I edited, you might have your doubts, too.

When an organization really has news to report, a 400-word (PRNewswire’s limit before extra charges) release, can pretty much summarize the story. If a reporter/editor/producer/webmaster is interested, they will call for more information.

Of course, we all know the basics: the news release needs to answer the who, what, when, where, why and how, use AP Style, include a contact phone number, and keep the lead to 30 words (preferably 25) or less.

In some cases, you’re better off calling or emailing a 25-word story pitch and perhaps following up with a phone call, assuming the reporter is receptive to such calls.

The Lewis & Summers rewrite was 280 words. Our client’s comment, frustrated at all the writing and editing that had taken place before our final version: “You did it.”

It seems rather obvious to suggest that a company media specialist study a publication to learn how to pitch the CEO. But you’d be surprised how few people consider it. They just want to pitch the story they want to pitch without regard to whether it fits in the publication or not.

For publications like Fortune or Forbes, there’s a formula. They want CEOs who have fallen hard, then recovered with a great new business or idea; a CEO who has created another billion dollar winner; a CEO who has gone from rags to riches despite great odds; the CEO genius turning the industry upside down. Just read the publications and you’ll see what I mean.

To be successful, analyze the publications, the columnists and writer interests. Then evaluate your own story offerings to see if you have a fit. Even then, with all the competition, you’re pitch may not score. But a good pitch may create credibility with the media person and open the door for future stories or interviews with your CEO.

Linking your CEO with an editor or reporter who covers your industry can be as simple as calling the media person and telling them your CEO would like to brief them on industry trends.

Okay, you’ve called and the reporter said yes. You can’t believe your good fortune. You feel like you’ve just hit a home run. Now what? Do your homework (actually you should do this BEFORE you call). In any case, these tips may help you prepare:

•Find out what the reporter has been writing and and what her/his interests are and assemble a briefing book for the CEO. You don’t want to CEO to be surprised about the reporter’s interests. Make sure you cite any potential areas of industry controversy or criticism that any good reporter is sure to bring up.

•Sit down with your CEO and discuss the upcoming briefing an the goals.

•Prepare background for the reporter: a page on the CEO and one on industry trends with more on a CD or reference to a website for details.

•Try to keep the briefing group small. Limit it to four: CEO, reporter, A PR Person and maybe another “content expert.” Even better: if your CEO is good with reporters, a one-on-one over lunch is OK. Having a PR person can be useful, too, recording reporter requests and helping the CEO with tough questions. But remember, reporters don’t want to hear from PR flacks, they want to talk with top management.

Over the life of our agency — as PR consultants and media relations specialists — Lewis & Summers’ methods have evolved with the rapidly changing media.

At one time, to establish a CEO as an expert, you put together a press kit with photos, backgrounders, speeches and credentials and mailed them.

Now, we help CEO’s establish blogs and make their materials available on company websites and have PDFs available for emailing. Another outlet is PRNewswire’s Profnet expert database, which is accessible to the news media.

Some things haven’t changed: to get national media attention, you need a dynamic CEO who is a big personality, recognized expert in their field, or has invented some society changing service or gadget.

First Things First
You need to do your homework first. Find out who are the editors and reporters covering your industry and target them individually. Try to match their interests to your CEO’s area of expertise. Making your CEO a future source can be the start of a relationship that will eventually help build the CEO’s credibility.

Don’t expert too much: the reporter might call on your CEO a half dozen times for “not for attribution” or backgorund analysis and the CEO never appears in print. It’s part of the game. Be patient.

A few years ago, Lewis & Summers organized a three-city media tour for Stanley Myers, president of SEMI, the global trade association for manufacturers of materials and equipment needed to manufacture computer chips.

Most media focus at the time was on SIA, the trade association for the chip designers, like Intel. When a reporter wanted a quote, more often than not, they called SIA president George Scalise, rather than Myers.

To add SEMI to the mix, we set up industry briefings for Myers in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., including the technology team at USA Today.

Interviews at the Boston Globe, New York Times or USA Today don’t come easily. You need an important CEO, a CEO with something informative to say, and if at all possible, some good ideas for future industry stories.

Remember, the only way someone like Hiawatha Bray at the Globe, Steve Lohr at the New York Times or Geri Tucker at USA Today will meet with you is if they think they can gain insights for themselves and their readers or get leads on good stories.

This week, Gary and I are helping manage the press room at Semicon West, the global trade show in San Francisco for the world’s chip equipment industry.

A few years ago, we surveyed Semicon reporters about press kits. The majority urged: “don’t load us down with all that paper. One editor he usually fills up a suitcase on wheels full of press kits, then lugs them back to his hotel room where he tosses 98%.

So, what do you do?

Says Laura Peters, Semiconductor International: provide the information electronically via email or on a memory stick.

Okay: put the information on a CD or thumb drive and hand it to them at the show or mail it ahead of time with an embargo date.

Our advice: save yourself and your company the wasted paper and the expense of printing color sale sheets, photos and press releases.

We noticed a big drop in the number of press kits delivered to the press room this year. Down by two thirds over the past three years. And, of the kits we looked at, about third are filled with sales sheets and no news. Reporters want news, not sales collateral.

I imagine the first thing a person would say if I told them I had just sent pitches to 10 travel editors in envelopes that went into the U.S. mail with stamps is: “this guy is a dinosaur.” I can hear a burst of laughter as they yell out, “sounds like they should be called Dinosaur PR.

Ah, but could there be wisdom in this approach? Yes, indeed.

For the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, we created a “press kit” with whale festival coffee from a local vendor and photos, stories and background burned on a CD. The result was that most of our targets gave us coverage of the annual whale festival.

Our reasoning is simple: editors don’t want to take phone calls. Their emails are bursting and overflowing with pitches. Headlines coming in from wire services are non stop.

What could be better than to have an actual box with goodies or envelope with information land on your desk?

My pitch is for the Grey Whale Inn in Fort Bragg in an effort to boost occupancy.

Reserve your final judgment. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

As the publicists for the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce in Northern California, we have developed specialized email distribution lists of local (Mendocino and two surrounding counties) media and travel and feature editors at major newspapers and magazines across the U.S.

Sometimes this just isn’t enough. Since we have no budget for national PRNewswire or BusinessWire releases, we look to bigger tourism partners for help.

All of our releases go to the California Travel and Tourism Commission, whose PR team issues news releases, special interest packages and pitches stories to media all over the world. It is a synergistic relationship that has paid big dividends in expanded coverage and more tourism for our area. Since we compete with tourist giants and neighbors, Sonoma and Napa Counties, we need all the help we can get.

Another powerful partner: California State Parks News Office. Since we have more than a dozen state parks, state beaches and state preserves in our 100 miles of coastline paradise, we look for every opportunity to package local events that include activities in local state parks. The result: the State Parks News Office sends our releases to more than 300 media who have asked to be on their news distribution list.

Lesson: if money and staff resources are tight, look for promotion partners who can help you spread your message. You don’t have to feel alone in the desert.