Six months ago, as our country shut down in an effort to quell the virus, the media entered a breaking news cycle that has yet to let up. And amidst this, publishers and networks are grappling with another reality: declining ad revenue. In fact, in the first half of the year, overall ad revenues fell by 7.2 percent. In response, newsrooms are shrinking, remaining staff are flexing to cover more editorial beats, and contributing writers are in greater demand.

During check-ins with reporters, producers and hosts these past few months, we heard a common message: to earn coverage, pitches need to be creative, timely and on-target, and once you send, be patient. A response could take weeks, possibly months. After all, media professionals are juggling work and life just like us.

With all this in mind, we took a critical look at upcoming media outreach efforts across our clients. We asked ourselves: What outcomes matter to this client or brand right now? Who would find this story interesting? And, where does this story idea really fit?

With revised strategies in place, we began outreach—and were met with success. Here’s an inside look at how we earned three really meaningful placements for both B2B and B2C clients in the last month.

Mystery Tackle Box by Catch Co. hooks USA Today

Pandemic fishing is on the rise with license purchases up 30 to 50 percent in many states. However, when moving beyond traditional worm bait, options can be overwhelming. The Catch Co. Mystery Tackle Box solves for this, sending subscribers a curated selection of lures to achieve better results on the water—without visiting a store.  

Securing a favorable product review and recommendation from a traditional news outlet was a top priority. Accomplishing this, however, was not so traditional. That’s because a new crop of media sites recommending products and retail deals has popped up, many of which syndicate to big national outlets. Knowing this, we targeted our pitch to Reviewed.com, a syndicated site that publishes to USA Today, MSN and dozens of daily newspapers. An e-commerce editor bit at our idea and included Mystery Tackle Box in a roundup of the best subscription boxes for those who need a new pandemic hobby.

The takeaway for marketers? There are new ways to gain entry to national news sites like USA Today—it’s critical to stay on top of contacts, outlets and trends to understand where the best opportunity lies.

The win? In addition to providing a stellar third-party endorsement, the placement earned 93 million impressions across syndications. Catch Co. And Mystery Tackle Box amplified the coverage across owned social channels, furthering reach and engagement among angler followers.

The Daily Beast dips into Sweet Baby Ray’s new Chicken Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray’s may be best known for BBQ, but its other sauces have similar cult-like followings. This summer, the brand wanted to earn some love for these other fan-favorites--like Chicken Sauce.

Earning foodie recognition from a well-followed national pop culture and lifestyle news site was the goal. The Daily Beast fit the bill—especially with the addition of its Hungry Beast section. But how to win over a food columnist? Knowing sites like this are leaning more on contributors (versus on-staff writers), we dug deep on writers’ personal sites, Twitter and Muck Rack profiles to find the right fit. I found a writer who had shared about a popular mayo once and encouraged him to make this condiment review "a thing.” He was down for the challenge.

The takeaway for marketers? It’s all about finding the right writer. And once you do, offering a super customized pitch that shows you know what they’re into.

The win? A full-length feature written by a Chicken-Sauce-enamored food columnist—complete with a fun animated graphic featuring the product—on a site that draws over 5 million unique monthly visitors.

Martha Stewart taps Maritz Motivation for travel tips

As a behavior insights consultancy, Maritz Motivation knew the pandemic would greatly impact how people feel about everything from shopping and dining out to travel. Offering timely thought leadership on this topic to consumer publications was important, especially as it sought to build visibility beyond trade media.

But at a time when it seemed every organization had something to say on the topic, how do you get heard? You head to the (online) water cooler. Recently, private groups—often on Facebook—have emerged where journalists and PR professionals can connect to seek sources and pitch ideas. Membership is tightly managed and often comes with a fee. It was here that we found an editor searching for insight on how Covid-19 is changing the travel industry. We offered a subject matter expert and recent travel data, and landed an interview.

The takeaway for marketers? Meet media where they’re spending time. This could be a private, paid-entry Facebook Group, Twitter or Reddit. Standard media lists can only go so far today.

The win? A Maritz Motivation executive was featured as a lead source—backed up by company-generated research—in a feature article on travel. With over 2.7 million unique monthly visitors, the MarthaStewart.com coverage was a big consumer media score.

No doubt the media landscape will continue to evolve—what’s working today won’t necessarily work a few months from now. Yet, one constant remains: media relations is about real relationships forged between writers and PR professionals. So, if you’re a brand seeking a partner to help share your story with media, know that we’re here to help. Approach us anytime.