As PR professionals, we work really hard to present our clients in a relevant and newsworthy manner to the press. At BLASTmedia, we do this by researching the press and building relationships with our contacts so that we know undoubtedly when our client's news is something of interest.

Unfortunately, as with any industry, there are the few bad seeds that ruin it for the rest of the bunch. Perhaps you're familiar with the Bad Pitch Blog, a great site that focuses its attention on all of the wrong-doings of PR people. This site is an excellent way for PR people to see exactly what NOT to do - and if you every read a post and aren't sure why something was inappropriate, you better find out or risk finding yourself there as the next feature.

Recently, the Bad Pitch Blog posted this hard-to-believe press release on the Back-Up - a bedside shotgun rack. It is not the ridiculousness of the product itself that makes the release so lacking of decency. Take a look and see for yourself!

While it's great to be reminded of the basics through these examples of bad pitches, we would also like to point out that media people are not always free of guilt in the press-PR relationship. We occasionally receive humorous emails from editors, freelance writers and/or reporters who don't see the connection, aren't used to being pitched, or are just plain 'ole grumpy.

I'd like to share this gem of a response I received earlier this week:

"Ashley, my dear, while you were busy popping off your bulk emails all over hell's creation, did you happen to notice that we folks at XXXX XXXX Magazine hang our hats in Canada?

That's that huge land mass to your north. A separate country, no less.
You just might have noticed it. (Let me give you a clue. It's where all your bad weather comes from.)

I doubt very much that Client X is going to pack its polar bear repellent in order to perform the installation of (say) a sound system in Medicine Hat, Alberta. What think you?

Anyway, thank you for your amusing email.

Cheers!"

No sir, thank YOU for the amusing email! Everything about this response gave us a big laugh at the office - but most importantly I should note that the client in question DOES in fact provide services in Canada... even Medicine Hat, Alberta.

A word of advice: if you're ever unsure whether or not one of our clients is available in your area, all you have to do is ask!

Also, if you can recommend a reliable brand of polar bear repellent... that would be super!