DEAR PUBLIC RELATIONS COMPANY....

I have read a few of your media releases recently and it seems you are a little confused as to how one of these simple documents should be structured. Perhaps you have not been in the industry for long and simply weren't aware of a couple of the following points (although, I have only been a public relations professional for three years and all of the PR students I know are familiar with the following guidelines. Ah well, maybe we are the exceptions to the rule...) Or maybe you weren't given the media release 'talk' when you were younger. Let me point you in the right direction...

1) The journalist you are sending these releases to receives a million, squillion emails a day. You need to capture his or her attention within the first few seconds of them glancing at the story or all is lost. A title that takes more time to figure out than the Da Vinci code is not going to go down well. The journalist probably won't even bother opening the document.

2) Every student in PR school is taught that the first paragraph must sum up the story. Even if you can convince our lovely journalist to open the file, stuffing the first five paragraphs with meaningless fluff will not compel them to read any further. I appreciate your attempt to alter the way all good media releases have been written since before the beginning of time but it's just not working is it?

3) Typos, typos, typos. Is it really that difficult to send out a media release without it being smattered with bad spelling and grammatical mistakes? I've heard that in-depth proofreading- by both yourself and other people in the office- can be helpful....

4) Media releases should always be sent out under the client's name, not the name of your consultancy. The aim is to get coverage for the brand you are representing, not for yourself.

5) Issuing your release after 5pm is not a particularly sensible idea. Mornings are the best time to get in touch with journalists. Otherwise, it is quite likely that your release will end up in a big black hole and it will never be read. Although, seeing as you do not adhere to the previous four points, maybe that is a blessing in disguise.

If you are still a little muddled, do not despair. There are plenty of 'how-to' guides on the internet or you could ask a PR student for some advice? Maybe you should have a read through this guide before you next attempt to put together a media release.

Warmest Regards,

A Fellow PR Company

CELEBRITY MEDIA RELEASE BLOOPER

There is highlighting your client's good points and then there is....well, telling big old porky pie lies.

The UK based Infinite PR, which is headed up by ex-Public Relations Director at EMI, Murray Chalmers (who clearly should have known better!), has just issued a stinker of a media release. The release opens with the following words:

'Now I lie here in the wet patch in the middle of the bed,

I'm feeling pretty hard done by, I've spent ages giving head.'

Nice. This adorable little couplet is followed by the claim:

'Lily Allen, the Wordsworth of the MySpace generation......'

Hang on a second. Lily Allen? Wordsworth? I've heard about embellishing the truth but this is just ridiculous! I'm sure poor old William is turning in his grave. If you don't know who Lily Allen is check out this YouTube video of her performing- poet certainly isn't a word that comes to mind.

I really don't know what to say. Even a PR Junior Account Executive knows that media releases should consist of solid, newsworthy facts, not the overemotional statements that run throughout this entire release.

If you want to read more about this particular blooper, check out this Guardian article. They even phoned Murray to ask him exactly which of Wordsworth's works he thought Lily's songs were most like? Very funny.

ANOTHER STUNNING LAUNCH EVENT: ORAL SURGERY ASSOCIATES WELCOMES THE FIRST 3D X-RAY MACHINE TO AUCKLAND

On Friday, 10th October, Intermediary organised another glamorous launch event. I really enjoy putting these occasions together- I think that if I wasn't in PR, I would be quite tempted by pure event management! This time it was to celebrate the opening of oral surgery, Oral Surgery Associates, at the brand new Ascot Central building, Greenlane.

The unveiling of the revolutionary 3D imaging device and the launch of the brand new specialist oral and maxillofacial surgery offices drew more than 130 dentists, doctors and industry professionals from across the region.

Oral surgery Associates has received a great amount of support from the dental community. Prominent dental companies including Sirona, Nobel Biocare and Henry Schein Shalfoon all made contributions to the grand opening.

Click here to see the original launch media release