Something Wicked This Way Comes — Are Blast-Happy PR Firms Propositioning Your Clients?

May 21, 2012

Something Wicked This Way Comes — Are Blast-Happy PR Firms Propositioning Your Clients?

By Susan Tellem, APR, Partner, Tellem Grody PR, Inc.

Here's a whodunit for you. How is it possible that in less than one week two of my clients — quite disparate ones (plastic surgeon and fire prevention) — have received almost identical prospecting messages from PR firms in New York City and Minneapolis?

The messages, one an email blast from Constant Contact and the second a voice mail, both claim to have special access to reporters, publicists, print media, television documentary producers, etc., who would benefit my clients.

Here are the opening lines from both:

"I routinely receive emails and calls from TV producers, guest bookers, and print journalists in search of guests for interviews and/or for participation in a program or documentary. I was called by a media consultant today about a TV pilot." It goes on to talk about needing a plastic surgeon for a segment.
I'm working with a group of publicists right now who routinely work with journalists from radio and TV and who are routinely looking for information about fire protection.

Did these people go to a seminar on how to get new clients — and everyone who attended starts blasting the pitch to prospects all over the U.S? Is this just a fluke? Have other PR agencies encountered the same pitch to their clients?

Here's my problem with pitches like this. The solicitation does not ring true. Doing a blast blindly by pitching clients through Constant Contact sours potential companies for all of us. It's confusing to clients who already have a PR company in place. Finally, my opinion is that it borders on unethical. I was taught that you ask a potential prospect if they already have a PR agency in place before you pitch or ask if they are thinking about hiring an agency. That way, you do not step on the toes of a current agency.

What do you think? Has it happened to you?

Susan Tellem, APR, RN, BSN, is a partner with Tellem Grody PR, Inc. and has 30 years of experience keeping clients happy and beating the drums for new ones. Follow her on Twitter @susantellem and sign up for the blog at www.tellemgrodpr.com.

Comments

PR Agencies Blasting Email to Solicit Clients

Submitted by Elise Schadauer (not verified) on May 21, 2012 - 9:13am.

Hi Susan,
Having a client solicited by a competitor is indeed frustrating. All of us, at one point or another, have had something like this happen.

I don't think the question should be if this approach is unethical--marketing and getting business today is competitive--but rather how connected to and trusted are you by your clients.

While Email blasts may be the latest method for soliciting prospects, I would venture to guess that only unhappy clients might respond to such emails since they are broader and less personal.

If you're providing quality service and keeping your clients satisfied, they are less likely to jump to a competitor. That your clients brought the emails to your attention shows how much they trust you.

PR Agencies Blasting

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 22, 2012 - 7:15am.

Hi Susan,
I haven't had the exact problem you've outlined in your article, but one that follows suite. Instead of an agency blasting my client, they listed themselves on Cision as a freelance writer covering the category that was my target.

Once I sent out a release, this particular agency, showed its true colors by going directly to the client and claiming they could get high-visibility product placements on TV and movies sets. They also offered to take the client on for temporary time at no charge. Needless to say it was a tempting offer that the client couldn't/wouldn't pass up - primarily because they were underfunded. Unfortunately for the client, they forgot the old adage - you get what you pay for - they haven't gained visibility, and are still pretty much where they started.

Since that experience, because of the unethical behavior of that particular agency, freelance writers have not included on my media lists.

Email blasts

Submitted by Mary Fletcher Jones (not verified) on May 21, 2012 - 2:04pm.

Constant Contact requires senders to use a permission based list. Under their terms of service, permission means the recipient has either purchased a product or service within the past 6 months and/or they have agreed/asked to received email from the sender. A business card or meeting is not considered permission. So, unless your clients bought something from this firm within 6 months of the email send, or they asked to or agreed to receive email from them, then the firm is violating the terms of service for Constant Contact, plain and simple. That can get them banned. Federal law permits a sender to email unsolicited email under certain conditions under the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. But Constant Contact does not permit unsolicited email sends.

I don't know that it's unethical for firms to market themselves to clients, but they should stick by the rules when doing so. A client should be free to talk to whomever they choose about their business, as long as they honor the terms of their contract.

Complain to the Email Service Provider

Submitted by Kathleen Gee (not verified) on July 17, 2012 - 5:59am.

I was spammed repeatedly by a PR jerk in New York City who has repeatedly abused a number of email service providers, including Constant Contact and Vertical Response.

Generally an ESP will ban abusive senders if you take the time to email a complaint to them (don't just flag the email as spam in your inbox and leave it at that.) Every email service provider has a complaint process.

Kathleen Gee
FreelancePR.com
Freelance Public Relations Services