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Which angle is best?

AdwomanAdwoman subscriber Posts: 2
edited January 2008 in Public Relations
Hello everyone.  I am new to this forum.  There is some great insight here and I was hoping someone could help me.  I recently conducted a client satisfaction survey in which we got very high marks in several customer service areas.  The survey also revealed how clients feel about their current financial outlook and some other general opinions about the industry.  I plan to send a press release.Question: do I lead the press release with the fact that our company ranked high in client satisfaction/loyalty or do I lead with how clients feel about their financial outlook (that it was good despite such a turbulent year)?  I plan to send to local press and some financial trades as well.Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Comments

  • PRProPRPro subscriber Posts: 25
    Hi Adwoman,
     
    Welcome to the forum! As far as your angle goes, what do you think your target audience would be interested in most and the reporters who cover that target audience?
     
    Most reporters are going to be more interested in how you helped others (before-and-after stories, personal stories, case studies, etc.) rather than something along the lines of "how well you rank or provide services."
     
    Take some time to research specific media members and then you`ll know what each one will be more likely to write about. Then you`ll have a great understanding of what to pitch.
     
    Hope this helps,
    Melanie
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
      Question: do I lead the press release with the fact that our company ranked high in client satisfaction/loyalty or do I lead with how clients feel about their financial outlook (that it was good despite such a turbulent year)?  I plan to send to local press and some financial trades as well.
    Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.
     
     
     
    Hello Adwoman. First of all, welcome to the forum. Second, I wouldn`t use either angle. They`re both weak and boring. Don`t get me wrong, there`s nothing wrong with customer service, but I personally don`t think that it`s an appropiate or effective lead. If I saw that lead, I would say to myself, "They have good customer service. So what?" You can do better than that.You need to hit readers hard with a compelling WIIFM ("What`s in it for me") headline, and carry that over to your press release copy. Think benefits, benefits, benefits!
     
    Dale King
    DKing1/18/2008 3:22 PM
  • PRProPRPro subscriber Posts: 25
    Dale is right. Remember to keep your benefits top-of-mind for the best copy/pitch possible.
    Melanie
  • AdwomanAdwoman subscriber Posts: 2
    Thank you so much for your input.  You sort of confirmed what I was thinking, but I`m also still confused.  I do think there are some benefits here.  Which do you think readers & editors would be most interested in as a lead- in:1. The top 3 issues most likely to impact people`s investment decisions over the next 5 years.2. Nearly two-thirds of clients feel secure about their financial situation despite such a volatile year (oil prices, subprime mortgages, etc.).  40% of these people feel better about their finances from 3 years ago.3. 75% of clients rely on their investment advisor most for making important financial decisions.Thanks again for your help!
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    You`re quite welcome. Adwoman, what you`ve listed aren`t benefits. They aren`t features either. They`re just meaningless, blase` statements.  Read my article Features and Benefits: What`s the Difference? That should get you pointed in the right direction.
     

    http://tinyurl.com/393hd6

     
    Dale King
     
    DKing1/18/2008 3:40 PM
  • AdwomanAdwoman subscriber Posts: 2
    Thanks for the article.  Great site, by the way.  I still believe there is merit in letting people in the financial industry know what is on investor`s minds.  We all love to read research results from Forrester, Nielsen, etc.  Most of it IS meaningless, but we can`t help but not compare ourselves to others.  So...I will keep digging for an angle here.  Thanks.
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Thanks for the article.  Great site, by the way.  I still believe there is merit in letting people in the financial industry know what is on investor`s minds.  We all love to read research results from Forrester, Nielsen, etc.  Most of it IS meaningless, but we can`t help but not compare ourselves to others. 
    So...I will keep digging for an angle here.  Thanks.
     
     
     
    Well, I`ve tried to point you in the right direction, but for some strange reason, you still insist on looking for an angle. All I can say is best of luck to you. I`ve done all that I can do.
     
    Dale King
    DKing1/19/2008 9:01 AM
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