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When to walk away from a pitch

Writer's picture: Alexson CalahanAlexson Calahan

Media relations is one of my favorite parts of being in public relations. I love the rush of securing coverage, the impact a well-landed story can have, and creating something big and bold with my clients and journalists so that we all feel like we won. On a good day, media relations has me feeling like some kind of genius/belle of the ball/mover and groover extraordinaire.


Then, there are the bad days of media relations. The ones where you get ghosted even on an angle you spent hours researching and aligning. The ones where your eager, little eyes perk up at a quick response only to see a one-word reply: "No." The ones where you secure coverage, but the message is wonked beyond all belief or the CTA failed to make the story.


Just recently, I was working a media relations plan for a client and found it simply wasn't getting the traction I had hoped for. I worked with them and we ended up pivoting to tactics that relied less on media and more on 1:1 connections, but it got me thinking: When do you, as a PR person, call it quits on a pitch?



Obviously.


Here are three reasons that have nothing to do with your skill in public relations (or your clients' media-worthiness) that you might want to step back and reevaluate:


  1. Timing: It's January 2025 and between wildfires, post-holiday slog, a lack of sunshine, an inauguration, bitterly cold weather and blizzards in unexpected places - humaning is exhausting. This is true for our journalist friends as much as it is for us. If your clients don't align to the hair-on-fire topic of the day (or, sometimes, the soothing opposite), it just may not be their time to shine yet. The world may never slow down enough to offer the perfect timing, but there are better times than others.

  2. Storytelling: Reexamine the story you are pitching. Can you easily articulate what makes it compelling to the outlet's audience? Can you rattle off lessons learned or practical applications from it? If the angle you are pitching is too esoteric, it's time to take a beat and refine what the story offers before pitch-slapping more innocent journalists.

  3. Goal change: This happens. When the pandemic first started, the organization I served went from engagement and advocacy goals to putting all efforts into just keeping the core audience alive and informed. It can happen without a big external shift, too, though. With one client, we found that their developing social presence was driving the most action, so we decided to pause media outreach and double down on social content and positioning.


    I'm not too proud to admit when it's time to adjust the sails. Being willing to change and flex is the exact quality that leads to some of those great media relations wins. Believe me, your PR folks have faceplanted a few times, too. It's best to have an honest discussion around it and move forward.


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