Thursday 27 March 2008

How not to recall a press release

Poor Dubaiworld Media/World-View Communications/World View (make your mind up?). It was bad enough that they sent out yet another dull press release this afternoon with the covering message:

Please find attached a Press Release titled “Russian delegation meets Dubai World officials, discusses scope of co-operation” for use in your esteemed publication.


They then sent out an email a few hours later with what we believe to be a recall message (just for reference, 7.30pm is a bit too late to start trying to withdraw stories, if they were going to be printed in the first place and even if my publication is an esteemed one).

The subject line read:

KILL KILL KILL !!! Russian delegation meets Dubai World officials, discusses scope of co-operation


On further reading, we realised they meant for the release to be withdrawn, not the delegation to be "taken care of" ...

The body of the email reiterated the point with : KILL KILL KIIL PLESAE kill this media release (their typos not ours).

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is f'ing brilliant!! please do tell who is behind this PR firm? who works there? ...classic crap PR from Dubai!

Anonymous said...

If only they'd said "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"

Anonymous said...

Faster pussycat - tee hee hee!! Perhaps when a release is fit for release they can then pretend to be a cop on The Bill and write in the subject line: "ALL UNITS! GO! GO! GO!"

Anything to liven up the chronically dull tidal wave of shite press releases that fill my esteemed inbox.

Anonymous said...

This is classic hahahha!! Almost as good as the "Cumunicate" one! Please don't jump down my throat but can I ask- what qualifies a good press release in your eyes?

Anonymous said...

Few things are more admirable than people who speak a second language, or multiple languages but press releases, PR statements and advertising copy absolutely need to be mother tongue perfect, have good spelling and grammar and be well written. If they aren't they just get treated as a humorous diversion, or nuisance.

Anonymous said...

A good emailed press release has a clear, concise subject line, gets to the point within three seconds of reading, does not ramble on for longer than one page if there's a Word doc attached, does not have pointless, boring or out-of-focus pics attached, does not involve pics of people cutting ribbons, and is actually relevant to your publication.

It'd also be nice not to get press releases addressed to "Sir" or "Sirs" when you are not in possession of a penis and requests to "please publish this press release" should be punishable by a smack on the bottom. Except that there are publications here that do publish press releases verbatim.

Anonymous said...

Emirates Business runs about 15 to 20 press releases verbatim every day if not more

Anonymous said...

There's a lot of disparaging talk about Dubai based journalists and much of it is fuelled by the notion that the press here publishes verbatim press releases and PR pieces. So, in defence there should be an organised effort to out this practice whenever it occurs. This is a good opportunity for DMO to host a campaign. Start matching press releases to published articles, list them here, let's see who is doing it and ask for accountability and request that if press releases are published verbatim they should be attributed to the PR agency of origin.

Anonymous said...

What a clever wheeze, 08.25!

Then we could publish all the PR companies that get paid for copying their clients' brochures and passing them off as their own press releases.

Anonymous said...

A good press release is NEVER followed up by a phone call asking 'Did you receive my press release."

Anonymous said...

????

How do I post a story on the main page?

This month's issue of Commerce magazine carries a five page interview with Martin Newland in which not only is this website namechecked, but he talks about censorship, Conrad Black, why he resigned at the Telegraph, and how he came to be in Abu Dhabi. He also talks in detail about his plans for the new paper. I think it is the first interview he has given since he's been here.

It also has an interview with the current Editor in Chief of Gulf News in which he talks about why he is not worried about the competition the new paper will present (he thinks all of the talent in Abu Dhabi will be gone in a year because they won't be able to deal with lack of free speech). He also talks about the other papers that have come and gone, and why the Gulf News will always succeed.

Just thought you might be interested.

Anonymous said...

Spare me from the "Did you get my press release?" phonecall.

"Did the email with the press release bounce back to you? No? Good, then obviously I got it, you moron."

Anonymous said...

Is there a web link to that Commerce magazine and the Newland article.

Anonymous said...

One of the reasons I'd never cross into PR is arrogant pricks like 1950.
Why do PRs follow up press releases? Because it gives them a better chance of getting in. If it didn't work they wouldn't do it.
You may find it irritating, but it doesn't make them a moron.

Anonymous said...

No, 00:24, the follow-up call doesn't give a press release a better chance of getting in. It just pisses people off. The follow-up call is generally the horrible job of some underpaid underling at the bottom rung of the PR company's ladder. It is not some amazing, groundbreaking PR strategy that guarantees amazing coverage.

Anonymous said...

0024 here. I agree it isn't some magic bullet. But follow up phone calls can fractionally increase the chances of something getting in.
I can think of times when someone has jogged my memory on a release I'd meant to look at and hadn't.
If it didn't work, why do you think people do it?
I do worry that many journalists are so arrogant they think that an entire profession (PRs) are, without exception, more stupid than them.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the comments...I was the one who asked what makes a good press release...so I spell everything correctly, don't hassle with phone calls, one pagers only...cool am on the right tracks!
Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Don't forget a gift basket.

Anonymous said...

I wish PRs would stop couriering press releases and CDs when email with a few pics attached would do fine. It's a waste of paper, it can't be cheap for the to keep sending couriers and it just clogs up the office with crap. Not all PRs are morons, but the Dubai PR world seems to have a hihger ratio of morons to competent people than other places.

Anonymous said...

I'd be interested to know which PR companies people here respect, and which they think are crap. I'll happily start the ball rolling by naming Jiwin as the worst. The other day I called them and asked to speak to whoever handles the Dubailand account. The receptionist told me to call 181. Sadly, that's not a joke.

Anonymous said...

Jiwin is an embarrassing joke of a PR company staffed by people who should be enjoying long and happy careers as speed humps.

Memac Ogilvy is good, the in-house PRs for Al Tayer are very helpful and co-operative, Strawberry PR is good but Watermelon PR is dreadful.

When I called the Dubai tourism government department to find out if they had a PR and ever sent out information on activities or events, I was told to look up www.timeoutdubai.com instead.

i*maginate said...

"Strawberry PR is good but Watermelon PR"

Gotta be having a larf. Are these real companies?!

Anonymous said...

Not sure what the deal is with fruit-themed PR companies. Strawberry also PRs Dubai Lime. Would they also like the Orange telecommunications account? Except that might mean offering consumers here a third choice for their phone and internet and that'd be outrageous. And they'd only have to block sites anyway.

i*maginate said...

Anon, perhaps even better would be if watermelon and strawberry were to merge and become 'fruitcake', and then take on the orange account.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone dealt with Gurian PR yet? I hear they really stink

Anonymous said...

Fruit is fresh and healthy and good for you. A few years ago (during the tech boom) design and PR company names were all about blades and razors (cutting edge I suppose) and colours like blue and red, often joined with a biological entity, especially fish and insects. Red Blade, Blue Ant, Razor Fish etc. except more likely rED bLADE, blue_ant and so on.

I worked for a company that spent many thousands in consultancy to brand and position a new product and the name they came up with was ... Red.

Anonymous said...

Oak Consulting is an excellent PR agency. Have always found them very prompt in their responses and their releases are bang on.