Research is important right?
I'm not going to go off on one here about the importance of doing research. Principally, because the importance of carrying out research is so blindingly obvious that I cannot even be arsed to explain why.
There exists, in the world of communications, the abbreviation FMC. It stands for fixed mobile convergence. I'm not going to explain what it means or what the issues are, because what follows is so laughably under-researched, there is no need.
-----Original Message-----
From: bad.pr@noresearch.pr
Sent: 24 October 2008 15:25
To: the, Finisher
Subject: Find your own expert with FMC
Find your own expert with FMC
Farming Media Centre, launched this week by the Guild of Agricultural Journalists, enables journalists, editors and PR agencies to 'pick the brains' of the experts, improving understanding and reliability when agriculture and food issues are making headlines.
Its ultimate objective is to promote, defend and ensure accuracy in reporting views, opinions and facts on agricultural topics, by making experts and their knowledge easily available to anyone in the media.
There then followed a lengthy email about the importance of the Farming Media Centre.
What did this PR do? Did she type FMC into Google and decide that sending this press release to a telecoms journalist was a good idea because 'hey, FMC is relevant to telecoms'.
What exactly was the thought process?
Was there a thought process?
2 comments:
Interesting interepretation, but I think you're being harsh. I suppose telecoms journalists are, like agricultural journalists, specialists in their field (no pun intended). Does anyone outside of telecoms know the abbreviation FMC and what it stands for? Probably not (er, what exactly IS fixed mobile convergence anyway?). Just an experiment...if I type FMC into Google I also get 'flight management computer', 'forward markets commission' and 'fundamental modelling concepts'. Looks like telecoms doesn't have exclusive use of the abbreviation. In any case, why would this PR - who is clearly working on behalf of Farming Media Centre - search on Google for an abbreviation of her client's name in order to choose where to send it? No, doesn't make sense does it?
No, I think this PR wanted to send you this e-mail because she thought you might - at some point in the future - have a need to know something about farming. Let's say you want to write a story about how mobile phones have changed the face of modern farming...or how fixed mobile convergence (I've just looked it up on Google) could help those who work in the country because most of the rural mobile coverage is so poor). Who would be your first point of contact? I would say with Farming Media Centre, you'd be able to find someone to talk to immediately. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!
Absolute genius comment Anonymous. Love your work. Clearly, I wasn't thinking far enough out of the box when I thought sending telecoms journos press releases about farming was poorly targeted PR.
I stand corrected. Not for the first time either!
Post a Comment