Category

Media Strategy

Media Relations, Media Strategy

How to Maximize PR for your Lawsuit

Journalists, virtually without exception, enjoy writing about lawsuits. There are any number of reasons: Lawsuits by their nature involve conflict, and the media likes to write about conflict because readers like to read about it. Lawsuits involve two sides, and it’s always interesting to present a set of facts in two different ways and let the reader choose. Also, lawsuits almost always trigger a news event mostly because of who is involved, especially if it involves a high profile celebrity or public company. That means when an attorney plans to file a lawsuit, it’s advisable to seek counsel from a PR professional to maximize media exposure of the case. Here are five guidelines for doing so. Make sure your client wants media coverage. It is not advisable to file a complaint that your client doesn’t want to discuss with the media or doesn’t want you to discuss with the media. It may…

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October 16, 2018 * by CherylBame
Media Strategy, Writing Advice

Does Your Complaint Tell the Whole Story?

One of my favorite PR assignments is to promote a complaint that a lawyer has just filed in court on behalf of a client. A complaint is the way that most litigation is kicked off in both federal and state courts and a major point of interest for the media. In the law, a civil complaint is a written document that contains the allegations against the defendants, the specific laws allegedly violated, the facts that led to the dispute, and any demands made by the plaintiff. Any lawyer’s first obligation is to the client, so a complaint needs to present the client’s case in as effective a way as possible. But too often I read complaints that put me to sleep. Ones that leave me confused. They can be repetitive and full of legalese, avoiding any possibility of selling a compelling story that would have a strong impact on the audience, including a reporter who has no background in the…

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August 7, 2018 * by CherylBame
Events, Media Relations, Media Strategy, Public Relations, Public Relations Strategy

You’re Invited to Promote This

At the Legal Marketing Association conference in New Orleans in early April, the PR Pre Conference hosted a panel, “You’re Invited to Promote This.” The discussion centered on how law firms can generate their own PR from events they host or produce. Moderated by Elizabeth Lampert, president of Elizabeth Lampert PR, Carrie Brunelle from Baretz + Brunelle; Royal Simpkins, director of branding and communication at Bryan Cave LLP; and Anne Gallagher, director of global communications at Jenner & Block LLP shared their experiences with event PR. The speakers pointed out that just like most PR matters, this type of promotion is far from an exact science. A firm can spend a good deal of money and time promoting an event or a theme and can gain a commitment from a reporter – but the reporter might fail to show up or to pursue the lead because of factors that are out…

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April 23, 2018 * by CherylBame
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December 7, 2016
Media Relations, Media Strategy, Uncategorized

If Legal Services Were Like Burritos

  I get Nation’s Restaurant News’ daily newsletter to monitor what is happening in the food industry which got me thinking about the differences, and similarities, between the legal and food industries. While I don’t represent the food & beverage industry, plenty of my lawyer clients do. My PR colleagues in the restaurant business think their jobs are getting more difficult for any number of reasons. The most important one is that the industry is undergoing a bit of a shake-out, with more restaurants pursuing fewer diners. In some ways, the legal industry has the same phenomenon: more competition for fewer marquee clients and a blurring of real differentiation across a wide swath of firms. The Washington Post reported earlier this year that “there are fresh signs of trouble for established restaurants. Based on sales and guest count data from some 22,000 restaurant locations, BlackBox Intelligence says same-store traffic to these…

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November 10, 2017 * by CherylBame