
An array of “Blushing Baubles” sparkled across USA TODAY’s Fashion page last Wednesday, including a pink and white Swarovski crystal rose gold ring by one of our clients, David Lundahl. It could have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising to gain this kind of publicity for Lundahl, but our brand advocates, Serge Gurin and Erin Haggerty made the placement with just a few phone calls.
I sat down with Serge and Erin to learn more about their success and how they did it.
How do newspapers differ from magazines?
Serge: Newspapers, being short leads, are focused on the season at hand. Therefore everything we pitch has to be fast breaking. Additionally, newspapers are less inclined to simply put product placement—it has to fit a larger story.
Erin: Newspapers also work on a much shorter lead time than magazines. Normally editors only work about two weeks out. Also, national newspapers generally insist that products be sold online so that people everywhere can purchase them.
What are newspapers specifically looking for?
Serge: As above, dailies are looking for stories more than products. They want to know what is going on in the world that the product is a part of.
Erin: Newspapers, similar to magazines, appreciate good packaging. Bright, bold colors that will photograph well generally get the most attention. Most newspaper pitches are very time sensitive. You need to be aware of the local happenings and holiday schedules so that your pitch fits into what they are working on.
What is the best way to peak an editor’s interest, especially at a daily?
Serge: Do your research. If you have a product that you want to pitch, find 3 or 4 other corollary products that match and create a trend piece. For example, if you have a product that comes in topaz, find celebrities and influentials who are wearing products that come in topaz. Then source complementary products that use topaz and script up a story on how topaz is the hot new stone.
Erin: Find out what the editor is working on and make your product fit into it. Also, create unique pitches that they haven’t seen used in other places before. Editors don’t want to cover the same trend everyone else is writing about. Give examples of other companies, products, etc. following the trend to show that you aren’t just pushing your product.
How long does it take for a pitch to come into fruition?
Serge: It depends on the story and the daily. Some stories hit immediately if it fits the angle the writer is working on. Longer trend pieces with larger outlets such as the NYT and WSJ can take up to 6 months to pitch—just like a glossy.
Erin: Anywhere from 1 day to several months. If you are pitching a story to an editor they may need to think about it for a while before deciding whether to do it or not. Unlike magazines, newspaper dates get changed all of the time depending on the current news. A story may be slated for May and not run again until June because they only run 1 fashion page (for example) per week.
What obstacles do you face in getting products placed in short leads?
Serge: The product must be available in the region of the daily. Websites are acceptable, but if you have a product sold only in NJ, you can’t pitch an LA newspaper. Additionally, short leads are not interested in things that are happening in the future. Save the holiday pitches for when it’s actually a holiday.
Erin: Distribution is a large obstacle for many companies and products. You need to have national distribution as well as good images. Newspapers generally do not photograph your product so you need to provide top quality stock photography. Also, newspaper editors are extremely busy meeting all of their daily deadlines so reaching them to pitch a story or follow up can be a big challenge.