Thirty Years in Ten Lessons — Lesson #2 : Finding the Story

I have always loved people’s stories.  I listen to others talk about themselves at parties far more often than I share.  I ask a lot of thoughtful questions.  If you do so, you will see that people actually love to share their stories. 

And because every brand has a story, too, that keen interest in getting to the kernel of the story has served me well in my PR practice.

Getting to and telling a brand’s story

Very often a public relations effort, such pitching a profile story or a contributed column, is the catalyst for a client to discern what their story really is.  Since launching Nina Dietrich, L.L.C. 30 years ago, I have learned a few things about how to get at the story and help clients best tell theirs.

1. Focus on more than the company mission and its services or products.  Ask leaders about their “why” and “how.”  These factors  often meaningfully unearth their points of differentiation from the competition and reveal where they truly excel, their values, and what really matters most to the company. 

2. Ideally, ask these questions not only of the marketing department head, but also the CEO, someone from sales or business development, an equity partner, and a mid-level employee.  Also inquire  why they joined the company and, just as importantly, why they stay.

3. Sometimes, when meeting with a client about story ideas to pitch for them, their insights into trends, business context, and other angles don’t always come forward easily.  The client might be quick to say they don’t have anything newsworthy to discuss. And very often, due to confidential nature of their business or other issues, they cannot discuss  yet, we simply need to steer clear of what they are working on.  So, I ask, “What are you talking to your clients or customers about on a daily basis?  What questions do THEY have that you can answer?  What are the day-in, day-out issues you are handling for them or that are challenging your industry?” 

   These are great bellwethers for what is on people’s minds because there are exponentially more potential clients or customers with those same questions or needs.  This always opens up the conversation and I am hard-pressed to remember a time when these questions didn’t help us identify topics we can craft into a pitch. 

4. Know your audience for the story you want to tell.  Read the media you want your story to appear in to understand what kinds of stories they publish, how they approach the story, whether they seek opposing views, and today more than ever perhaps, what is their “bent.” 

5. Be strategic about your pitch.  Know the reporters you want to work with.  Get your arms around their editorial priorities and beats. 

   When I first started to work in PR, we used to take reporters out for long lunches to get to know each other and discuss possible story ideas. With remote work, tighter deadlines due to online media, and in general, a much more pressured news environment, those social/business interactions don’t happen all that often anymore.  Even getting someone on the phone these days can be a challenge. Despite these hurdles, if you familiarize yourself with a reporter’s editorial priorities and you have a good story to share and know how to share it (which we will cover in a future blog), you will break through the clutter. 

   Perhaps the most impressive media placements I ever secured (including a front page New York Times story, a multi-page feature in Fortune, and a cover story in BusinessWeek) were all the result of targeted, succinct pitches to reporters that I had researched and whose coverage I had followed, but with whom I had no prior working relationship.

Which all leads me to ask, “What’s your story?”

Thirty Years in Ten Lessons — Lesson #1: The Client-Agency Partnership

Strong client–agency relationships are the bedrock of a successful PR initiative. At their core are honesty, transparency, and the willingness to communicate openly—even when the conversation is uncomfortable. I truly believe that one of the most important responsibilities we have as an agency is to tell our clients what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear. Our counsel is the value we bring.

Sometimes that means advising a client that their bylined article needs more work, or that a storyline they’re convinced will make headlines simply won’t resonate with editors. Clients may still choose to proceed as they’d like, but as long as their direction doesn’t conflict with our ethical standards, we follow their lead -- but only after ensuring they’ve heard our best guidance first (and in some cases, making them aware of the potential risks).

Accessibility is another pillar of a healthy partnership. As their agency, we need access to our client’s thought leaders, ideas, and internal developments in order to do meaningful work on their behalf and help us collectively work toward our PR objectives. Clients, in turn, expect access to senior agency leadership as a sign of commitment and investment in their success. PR isn’t a nine‑to‑five discipline; crises, opportunities, and breaking news don’t wait for business hours. Clients take comfort in knowing that we are prepared to respond when it matters most.

Finally, clear direction is a necessity. As an agency, we must maintain open lines of communication with our clients about planned initiatives, progress, and results. Clients share equal responsibility for articulating expectations, providing clear direction and sharing relevant developments in their business, industry or environment. When both sides commit to honest, consistent information exchange, the relationship becomes not just functional, but enduring.

Thirty Years in Ten Lessons

This year, Nina Dietrich, L.L.C. is celebrating 30 years in business.  Since forming the firm in 1996, I have had the privilege of working with dozens of really smart, engaged, and interesting clients, as well as a treasured team of professionals. Some of our client relationships have lasted for nearly three decades, which, while certainly unusual in our industry, is a testament to the quality of our work, mutual trust, and unbounded exchange of ideas and candid feedback we enjoy. 

Our three decades in this business have taught us how to adapt and expand our capabilities in an ever-evolving business and media environment.  What better way to celebrate this milestone than to share with you the most important lessons we've learned in our series we’re calling “Thirty (Years) in 10 (Lessons)". 

Thanks for reading.