How to Read Like a Publicist: A Design Milk Case Study
One of the first pieces of advice we give designers, brands, and businesses who want to start pitching their work is to actually read the publications you want to pitch.
This seems so obvious but we can’t emphasize it enough. To create successful pitches and secure media placements, you need to get really familiar with individual publication’s content, story angles, assets, article editors, etc.
That said, how you read is just as important as what you read. In this post we're reviewing a feature our sister company, Wolf PR, secured for Sabai, a sustainable DTC sofa company. Our goal is to show you what reading the media looks like from a PR perspective. You can use the same techniques to research where your work fits and where you want to pitch.
1. Look for recurring features.
Here, and in the italic description, we immediately learn Circular by Design is a new regular recurring feature about design and the circular economy. It covers things like low-waste products or goods made with sustainable materials. Is your product a fit for this theme?
2. Pay attention to tags.
One of the main tags is 'Home Furnishings', so pitch your sustainable rug collection, but not your eco-friendly boots.
3. Note the frequency of recurring features.
Circular by Design is a Fortnightly column, which means it will be published every two weeks. This is great news, because that means there will be about 25 features per year. If it were a quarterly feature there would be fewer opportunities available to pitch for.
4. Know the editor.
This is the byline, or who wrote the piece. This information is very important, more on this point after the last slide.
5. Be sure your photos fit your audience.
Sabai is a millennial focused brand and their photos are produced to connect with that audience.
6. Know your story.
The article is formatted as a written interview and they're telling the founder's backstory. Be ready to tell a compelling story about how you got started in design. Riff off this question, how would you answer? What you write may become the beginnings of your pitch.
7. Be sure your story is compelling.
The interviewee describes where she and her co-founder are from, how met in college, the first project they worked on, and how they became inspired to start Sabai. The editor is going to want to hear an engaging story about how you got started.
8. Take process shots of your work.
Process shot. This is one of four that are included in this article, which is focused on how the sofa is made. If you're going to pitch for this column, you'll need process shots that emphasize how the design and construction process relate to the circular economy theme.
If you are finding this post helpful we think you’ll get a lot out of our 5-Day Pitch the Media Mini Course
9. Anticipate questions.
Here they've asked how your product relates to the circular economy. Write this response before you pitch, show it to some peers and make sure it's clear and compelling.
10. Know where your brand is going.
This section touches the sofa's sustainable characteristics now, but more importantly what their plans are for the future and where they still need to innovate. This is also great to know. You don't have to have the perfect product, but you need to have a suitable answer that describes how your product adheres to the column's requirements, namely how it fits into the circular economy.
11. Take A LOT of media ready photos.
The article includes 15 photos in total including lifestyle, detail, and production shots. You'll need a wide range of photography to choose from to pitch to this column.
For more photography inspiration check out our Pinterest page, which includes individual boards for everything from tech gear to accessories to textiles, consumables, furniture, lighting, self care products, and more. Also, see our interview with lighting designer Erin of Lorekform where she talks photography strategy and setting up a shoot.
If you want to know exactly what makes an image media-ready check out our photo guides.
12. Have a headshot.
This is Sabai's headshot. Make sure you have one if you're going to pitch this column.
See our Pinterest board dedicated to great founder photos.
13. Know the editors work.
It may be a the bottom but this is THE MOST important paragraph for PR research. It's here that we get to know the editor. She contributes to several other notable publications where she writes about "purpose driven craft and design." If you are unsure if your work would be interesting to her, be sure to take a look at the rest of her writing before you pitch!
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