Blog
Hello,
Our very own Trisha McGuire was fortunate enough to sit down with Sarah Crosland last week for a bit of a role reversal, who told her she enjoyed being on the other end of an interview for a change!
Sarah is executive editor of The Charlotte Observer‘s magazine division, which includes numerous regional lifestyle publications – SouthPark Magazine, Lake Norman Magazine and Carolina Bride – as well as special sections in The Charlotte Observer. Additionally, Sarah covers Charlotte as a Forbes Travel Guide correspondent, a Virgin Atlantic contributor, and on a freelance basis for various other national publications. Most recently, she has ventured into television, hosting weekly segments on Fox46 Carolinas highlighting Charlotte’s growing culinary scene.
Take a look at what Sarah had to say…
Q: What is your source of story ideas?
Oh, that’s a great question – there are so many places. I do receive pitches from public relations professionals and freelancers. Other sources are networking, communicating via social media, consuming other media and immersing myself in the community. I feel like, especially for regional publications like ours, it is critical to get involved in the community and actually go out and meet with the very individuals for whom I’m writing.
Q: How can communications professionals stand out and catch your attention?
There are two key things with me. (1) Understand my products because I can use the ideas; I do accept pitches and I am always looking for ideas. But, they do have to fit within the purview of my products in some way. I had several people tell me that I should do some sort of story on the local supermarket wars but I wasn’t quite sure how to fit that in the magazines. So, I reached out to another department at The Charlotte Observer and found vintage photos of the supermarkets and I was able to cover the story in that manner. That was definitely a result of someone bringing me an idea. (2) Persistence. I get so many emails. It may take more than one email for me to take note of a pitch and have it stand out in my inbox. If I’ve met someone face-to-face before, I will say that helps their email rise to the top.
Q: How are you evolving as a publication? What do you think is in store for the future?
We’re always looking for the next ‘thing’ that will attract readers, as well as new ways to present the information. For example, home design and the luxury home market rose to the top as interests that are trending with readers. While our products do offer some focus on those topics, we felt we needed a publication dedicated entirely to them. So, we decided to launch a new real estate publication in May that will appear in the Saturday paper.
Of course, digital is, and has to be, part of our long-term plan. We are continually evolving our web and social media presence. But, we don’t see print going away. Instead, we continue to develop print products that are even more user-friendly. In other words, we are doing things like decreasing the word count in many cases and offering readers more bite-sized pieces of information. And, we are more visual than we were in the past; we have found some amazing local photographers that have really taken us to the next level with their work and amped up the visual beauty of our products.
Q: How has social media impacted how you work?
It’s definitely a source of story ideas. Also, it’s great to have those contacts in the community and know what’s going on. And, we of course promote our products via social media.
Q: How do you feel like you and your team make your products stand out from the rest?
First – visually. We have evolved the products to have some beautiful photographs. Also, just having the right stories. That goes back to my belief in really being involved and connected in the community and having a pulse on what interests our readers. Lastly, having stories that really stand out as different. I’ve always believed in the saying from the journalism world that stories should ‘surprise and delight’ readers. I believe in that expression and I strive for it in all our publications.
Press Release
Sales Performance International (SPI), a global sales performance improvement firm, has hired Pivot PR to increase its brand awareness, credibility and thought leadership. For this effort, Pivot PR will develop and implement a comprehensive public relations plan, focusing heavily on media relations and content creation.
SPI is dedicated to helping the world’s leading corporations elevate their sales relationships and drive measurable, sustainable revenue growth and operational sales performance improvement.
“With my background so heavily entrenched in sales and communications, this relationship felt like a perfect fit,” said Drew Porcello, President & CEO of Pivot. “With the launch of The Collaborative Sale, SPI continues to produce compelling content that I think could be extremely helpful to sales professionals; we’re excited to be a part of the effort.”
ABOUT PIVOT Pivot PR (www.pivotpublicrelations.com) is a full-service strategic public relations agency located in Charlotte, N.C. Focusing on marketing and communication services, Pivot understands the business needs of its clients and creates and implements quantifiable strategic marketing solutions.
Press Release
The Charlotte American Marketing Association (CAMA) has appointed Drew Porcello, President and CEO of Pivot PR, its membership chair for the 2014-2015 term. In this position, Drew will be responsible for retaining its membership base and attracting new members. CAMA is one of Charlotte’s largest professional organizations focused on helping marketers connect, learn and grow.
“As a Charlotte small business owner, I want to be sure I’m always giving back to the community that so kindly supports my company,” said Porcello. “I’m honored to be a part of the premier marketing association in Charlotte; my goal is to help new, potential and existing members maximize their experiences with the organization.”
The American Marketing Association (AMA) is a professional association for individuals and organizations who are leading the practice, teaching, and development of marketing worldwide. AMA is the only organization, with 75 chapters in the US and Canada, that brings together marketers, across all specialties, to collaborate and inspire one another.
Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C., – Pivot PR, a full-service public relations agency in Charlotte, N.C., has hired Trisha McGuire as its Vice President/Director of Client Services. Trisha, a seasoned public relations counselor, will serve as the main point of contact for Pivot’s clients guiding each from strategic planning through program execution.
Trisha brings over 10 years of experience in developing and managing business-to-business (B2B) and consumer marketing programs for a variety of sectors including chemicals, construction, food, health, financial and consumer products. Regardless of industry, service or product, Trisha is adept at translating clients’ business objectives into success. She is an expert in all areas of communications, from strategic planning, media relations and crisis planning to event promotion and content creation.
Most recently, Trisha was a Strategic Marketing Communications Manager at Momentive Performance Materials Inc., a global specialty chemicals manufacturing company, where she managed consumer and B2B communications programs.
“Her experience in both the corporate and agency arenas positions her perfectly for this role; she is a skilled practitioner who is always on the cutting edge of public relations trends and theories and also knows first-hand how to maneuver the corporate world to get results,” said Drew Porcello, President & CEO of Pivot PR. “And, I think our clients will enjoy Trisha’s passion and energy. She is consistently lauded for her professionalism and pleasant demeanor.”
Trisha holds a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communications, as well as Spanish, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently a member of the Public Relations Society of America. To learn more about Trisha’s background or Pivot PR’s services, visit www.pivotpublicrelations.com.
If you’d like to introduce yourself and congratulate Trisha you can email her at trisha@pivotpublicrelations.com.
Blog
Hi folks,
I had the opportunity to meet with WCCB news director Angela Robbins and she was nice enough to share some of her thoughts on the Charlotte media landscape and relationship between PR and media professionals. Check it out!
Q: How are you evolving as a TV news station and what can we look for in the future?
A: Finding ways to integrate the new digital technology into the news gathering process. Even with some inherent technical challenges, IP delivered video seems to be the future for broadcast news operations. We see more user generated video sources and social media platforms providing material to our newsroom. Our personnel will continue to master the new techniques and combine with the existing traditional technology to produce a more immediate and personal product for the viewers.
Q: What’s your biggest challenge at WCCB?
A: There is no “one” biggest challenge, but our industry is facing such fragmentation that accurate ratings measurement has become more and more complicated. With audiences using so many new devices and streams to capture television programming, calibrating an aggregate total of viewers is difficult to achieve. Audiences can now receive us over the air, through cable, satellite, DVR, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Game boxes just to name a few. Advertisers look for audience reach and if a station can be received in so many different ways, we must have a way to receive credit for a “total audience” figure.
Q: Why should people watch or pitch to WCCB over other news stations?
A: Viewers trust WCCB to deliver the big stories of the day. We see that every day and especially during major news events. Our audience composition contains the key demographics that advertisers covet. Our team of journalists is committed to top-quality newscasts from our state of the art Studio A – one of the most glamorous studios in the region. WCCB News Rising is a fresh alternative in the mornings. We’ve got the news, weather and traffic covered by an ensemble cast that is high on personality and fun. Check out the “Snark Report with Derek James” and “Wilson’s World.” At 10pm Morgan Fogarty leads our team with the news of the day and thoughtful franchises like “Defend Charlotte” and “The Get with Morgan Fogarty.”
Q: How can communication professional stand out from the crowd and make sure their news is being covered? Any tips, do’s or don’ts?
A: Getting to the decision makers is the key. In our newsroom, it’s our assignment editor and the managing editor. They receive hundreds of requests each day. If you’ve emailed and touched base by phone – you’ve covered all the bases. We appreciate it when people give us a little room and refrain from repeated calls and emails.
Now a couple questions for you: What are your thoughts on Angela’s responses? Are you pitching WCCB now? Will you be doing anything differently after reading this Q&A? We’d love to hear from you!
Hello,
