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The Antenna (Our Lifestyle PR Blog)
The Importance of Awards

The Importance of Awards

James Britt, October 2009

A few months ago I was sitting with one of my staff working on our entries for the 2009 MPRC Golden Arrows when a friend walked past  the conference room. He stopped to ask what we were doing. I told him and his reply was, huh, like that really helps your business. I've thought about that comment a lot. I kept thinking he could be right. It does take a lot of time to put an entry together, at least two hours. It's sort of fun though, providing us with an opportunity to look back at the accomplishments of the year, something that otherwise I doubt we would take the time to do.

This year, for the 2009 awards, we filed four contest entries. Almost an entire day's work. At last Thursday's  MPRC annual meeting and Golden Arrow award presentations, we brought five prizes back to the office. Four Gold Awards and the top prize of the night, Best of Show.

In the past four years, gBritt has earned eighteen MPRC Golden Arrow Awards. We're very proud, not just because of the awards, but the tangible and intangible value they deliver.

If you've gone through the award process, you get it. At worst, you end up with terrific case studies to use in new business proposals and content for your site. At best, current clients really enjoy knowing their PR firm is award winning and maybe most important of all, it feels good. It's an energy boost, which we all need. G and I started some time ago looking for bright spots every day. It started out as a joke after a deluge of negativity this fall. Standing at the MPRC award ceremony with Amanda, Debra, Liz and Gillian, when they named gBritt PR as Best of Show, we saw one major bright spot.

Since starting gBritt eight years ago, we have earned awards from MPRC and kind words from our clients and from the groups with which we volunteer.  It feels good to be recognized for our hard work, dedication and focus on supporting our clients in all of their endeavors.

One last thought, a very important one. My kids (11 and 9) still really don't understand what we do but their excitement and pride on our behalf is also an honor. So failing everything else mentioned above, if it helps demonstrate the value of working hard it's good for my kids, and absolutely worth the effort.
 
So Much of "That"

Please Stop Using so Much of “That”

Gillian Britt - August 2009

During a recent staff meeting at gBritt, Gillian brought up a blog post she found with ten words to avoid when writing. The words (and phrases) included “award-winning,” “pleased to,” “thrilled,” and “excited” – words that are overused and pretty much meaningless.   We discussed other words we try to avoid when writing quick and effective copy – they included “really,” “a lot,” and versions of “to be.”
One of my favorite words to avoid is “that.” People often unnecessarily use “that” when writing. However, “that” is often a filler word. It slows down the reader without adding anything to the information.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a quick tip I learned in college to make your writing a bit livelier. Consider it a magic trick – called “The Disappearing That.” Below are a few sentences I’ve recently read on various websites and newsletters:

  • Recent polls show that many people across the country believe that we need to fix our health care system.
  • We heard that there is going to be a big fundraiser next week so that the hospital can buy more equipment.
  • It should limit the amount that families have to pay, so that they can afford the costs.

Now, take away the “that” and read it again. Does it still make sense? Yes. Does it move a little quicker? Yes.

Next time you write, take a step back and check your “thats.” You may notice (that) you don’t need them at all.

Happy Writing!
 
Reporters Are People Too

Reporters Are People, Too

April 2, 2009

By Debra Tenenbaum, Account Executive

I feel fortunate to have the Maine Bar Foundation as one of my clients. My job is to share the stories of the Foundation as well as the legal service providers the Foundation supports in Maine. These organizations are doing some really amazing work in our state. From Pine Tree Legal Assistance and Maine Equal Justice Partners to Legal Services for the Elderly and the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the people from these organizations make sure all people in Maine have access to justice regardless of income, age, or background. The people from these organizations are experts in everything from domestic violence to foreclosures to elder abuse, and family court.

However, one subject they weren’t all too familiar with was how to deal with the media. So, on Monday, April 13, I organized a Media Day for the providers to learn about more about reporters and what they need to tell their stories. The first lesson they learned was that the media IS accessible and interested. This was made apparent simply by the fact that reporters and editors from some of the most respected media outlets in the state took time out of their day to come and talk with us.

Our panelists were:

Sharon Deveau Handy, assignment editor for WMTW-TV
Sara Donnelly, managing editor at Mainebiz
Judy Harrison, reporter for the Bangor Daily News
Trevor Maxwell, reporter for the Portland Press Herald
Susan Sharon, deputy news director at MPBN

Shenna Bellows, executive director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union was also at the event to talk about using social media as a way to advance a cause. Blogging, Facebook, and Twitter can be useful for organizations who want to encourage advocacy, share news, or even fundraise using a different outlet that traditional media.

Our panelists offered their thoughts on what makes news and how to share it with reporters. Of course this is information anyone could use when working with reporters – not just legal service providers. And so, for those of you who are wondering how to contact a reporter to tell your very important story to the public, here are some of the big messages of the day.

Know Your Outlet: You need to understand the difference between TV, radio, and print stories. If there are no visuals, chances are, it’s not a good TV story. If it involves more in-depth interviews with people, radio may be a good fit. Also, know the territory of the places you’re pitching. Don’t pitch a newspaper a story outside of their coverage area. Don’t pitch a business editor or business magazine a features story.

Use Real People: Real people make a story relevant to readers/listeners/viewers. Use a single person’s story to illustrate a broader issue. Offer interviews with real people (not just company officials) when you pitch a story.

Consider What is News: When pitching a story, consider the question “Why Now?” What is it about your story that makes it important to be told now? Does your story relate to current trends? Is it another angle of a story that is in the news already? Is there a particular milestone or special date that makes the story more important now?

Make it Easy To Tell Your Story: When pitching your story, email the facts. Put the most compelling part of your story at the top, offer interviews, offer visuals (if you’re going for TV or newspaper), and offer some statistics if you have them. Most important, be available to the reporter after you send your pitch. Make sure he or she has your phone number (and cell phone!). Understand that they are on deadline. Also, understand that you will not get to see the piece before it is printed or aired. You’ll just have to trust the reporter to do his or her job.

Reporters are People Too: Don’t be afraid of reporters. They are people too. The fact that they work in the news field means they are curious about the world around them and want to know more. Feel free to call them or email them. Just remember that they may be on deadline and unable to chat. Be respectful of their time and just ask them if they have a minute. If they don’t have time, find out when they would be available.

At the end of the day, our panelists emphasized that the vast majority of the stories that are written or aired are based on phone calls or emails made by people like you and me.  So don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or send off an email. Your little idea may be the next big story in the news.
 
Creating a website is hard work

Creating a New Webiste is Hard Work

Our new site is up and online, with a few holes. We’ll quickly be filling the holes by adding a ton of new and valuable content. This is an exciting online switch for us; we now have a tool that allows us to fully and constantly represent our clients and our own brand online, with style and speed. Someone once said "The more you know, the less you need to show". This is  not true in our business. We will use gbritt.com to articulate the depth and breadth of gBritt client coverage in on- and off-line media.

Like all PR firms, we spend our days taking care of our clients. This website project was a good exercise in taking care of ourselves.

We should thank Stacy Kim at Three Circle Studio for help designing the site (plus our new logo and generally helping strengthen our identity). Stacy is at threecirclesstudio.com. Also we need to thank Jake Halpert for programming our site (he’s at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Also we need to thank you for taking a minute to check in and read this entry... we welcome any feedback that you think might be helpful. Send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .