Yeah, that's the most appropriate pic I could find...
Since moving to London, I’ve attended my fair percentage of blogger/press events, in addition to piece most accept been bright in addition to run past times helpful in addition to informative PRs, in that location has been the strange occasion when I’ve felt similar I was instant fiddle to the journalists at the event.
Normally it doesn’t overly bother me in addition to I hold off that journalists who write for national consumer publications would become preferential treatment. However, a recent province of affairs actually irked me in addition to I idea it worthy of a post/rant to come across if whatever other bloggers accept felt or experienced the same.
So I was invited to a lot of ‘Christmas inwards July’ press events this month. For those non inwards the know, July is the fourth dimension of twelvemonth when big brands inwards the basis of beauty, home, fashion, etc. showcase their festive products, amongst a sentiment to providing cloth in addition to content for journalists to write upward reviews most them inwards the stitch to Christmas. It’s inwards July to conform the long Pb times of magazines, which are oft written months inwards advance.
Anyhoo, since the growing phenomenon of blogger power, the likes of me are invited into the mix too. So I took upward the invitation to i un-named event, squeezing inwards the fourth dimension betwixt run commitments.
I browsed i of the stands, which I accept to hollo was manned past times a construct rep, non the PR people who organized the event. I was instantly asked who I write for. So far thence normal, but afterward giving my spider web log details, I was asked to write downwards my e-mail address, fifty-fifty though I already did this when signing in. Not to hollo that the PR squad behind the outcome clearly had my details as they’d invited me inwards the outset place!
I brushed this off, but thence or thence other lady appeared from behind me, in addition to asked i time to a greater extent than for my spider web log name, in addition to whilst I was talking to or thence other host, she asked me to spell it thence she could tap it into her telephone in addition to facial expression me upward in that location in addition to then!
I was surprised in addition to aghast, in addition to couldn’t assist but experience that had I come upward from a mag or newspaper, I wouldn’t accept been subjected to the same verification.
In fact, I retrieve aid an outcome final twelvemonth aimed at move writers in addition to bloggers. And my journalist friend - who doesn’t fifty-fifty write most move - but needed to tell where he was from, in addition to past times virtue of writing for a national, escaped farther scrutiny. I on the other manus had my draw of piece of occupation concern cards mulled over as the reps wanted to ensure that I was worth talking too.
It’s pretty ironic considering that individual is to a greater extent than probable to read a spider web log amongst a dedicated move department for a finish or hotel review, than they would a paper where in that location may survive a i pager on the subject. We mightiness non boast the same reader numbers, but nosotros may good accept to a greater extent than engagement.
Also, as a PR myself, the publish i dominion is to process all writers the same. So whether it was individual who wrote for the local newspaper, a national editor, or a blogger, you’d survive as nice. If I needed to create my homework on them, I’d facial expression them upward beforehand, non whilst talking to them. It’s disappointing that this basic draw of piece of occupation concern regulation isn’t held past times all.
Like I say, most PRs I’ve dealt amongst at events accept been brilliant, in addition to the ii occasions I’ve mentioned are oft construct reps, but I’d survive dandy to take away heed from whatever bloggers on this.
Have you lot always attended a press outcome in addition to felt sidelined or overly scrutinized? Share your thoughts inwards a comment below.