January 07, 2019

You can't rewrite yesterday's headlines

January 07, 2019/ Warren Weeks

Interview regret…

It’s that nagging feeling, right after you’ve given a media interview, that you didn’t quite nail it. That you could have done a better job.

If only I had answered that one question differently. Did I say ‘um’ too many times? Could they see that I was sweating? They’re not going to put that last thing I said in the story, are they? If they do, our competitors are going to have a field day with it. What’s my boss going to say?

Cue anxiety. Self doubt. Interview regret.

January 07, 2018

Want the media to pay attention to you? Think more like a journalist!

January 07, 2018/ Warren Weeks

"Is there any way to make your association's good news story more appealing to journalists?" Someone asked me this question after my talk on media relations at the CSAE National Conference in Newfoundland. Here's my take on getting reporters to pay attention to your media pitches... FYI, I reference my sister a few times in this clip. Just for context, so you know who I'm referring to, my sister is Carly Weeks, a health reporter at The Globe and Mail.

January 04, 2018

Advice to media relations pros: "Never stop learning"

January 04, 2018/ Warren Weeks

The media landscape is always changing. When you think you've seen it all or when you think you're done learning, you'll be putting yourself and your clients in a vulnerable position. Keep learning. Pay attention to the changes from things like social media. Continue to adapt to the changing media environment.

March 31, 2017

Persistence

March 31, 2017/ Warren Weeks

I did a talk in January on the importance of doing videos for your business. For years, I've been telling companies and clients this but I refrained from doing it for my own business. The biggest reason is that it's outside my comfort zone. I prefer to be the guy behind the camera. But I asked everyone in that room to create a video and I promised to do one myself. So here it is. If I had to do just one video, this had to be the topic. Persistence. I truly believe that's the main reason I've had any degree of success in building a business over the past 14 years. The link to the video is in my bio. Thanks for watching and please share it with anyone who needs a nudge or a kick in the butt to pursue their goals.

August 03, 2016

Don't trust your spokespeople with a media training tourist

August 03, 2016/ The Art of the Great Media Interview/ Warren Weeks

Being asked to prepare a company's spokespeople to deal with the media is a huge honor and it's a big responsibility. One way or another, as a media trainer, your ability (or inability) to coach these people will impact the quality of their company's media coverage, their brand and, to an extent, their professional legacies. Because there's so much riding on the outcome of your media training program, if you're serious about preparing your executives to deal with the media as effectively as possible, you need to stay away from media training 'tourists'...

December 18, 2013

Advice for PR and CorpComms grads

December 03, 2013/ Warren Weeks

I received a tweet yesterday from @AntoineSarpong in the PR program at Centennial College asking for advice for PR and communications grads. Getting that first job in your chosen profession can be a big source of anxiety. I wanted to reply with something a bit longer than 140 characters. So here, in good old long form, is my advice for the PR and corporate communications grads of 2013:

July 08, 2013

Three steps to better media pitches

July 08, 2013/ Carly Weeks

The Internet has brought the world many wonderful things: the ability to instantly share a photo of your dinner with everyone you know, viral cat videos and never-ending news about celebrity antics. One downside? Way too much information. Now, imagine being a reporter...

July 04, 2013

Media relations is like a BBQ

July 04, 2013/ Warren Weeks

Who doesn't love a good barbecue? The sizzle and smoke-infused goodness of your favorite meat on the grill. The tantalizing texture and flavor of grilled peppers, onions and buttered asparagus. And, of course, the palpable anticipation of family and friends as they await a meal, expertly cooked under the open sky. Few summer activities can rival the awesomeness of a barbecue that goes according to plan. But you might be surprised at how often things don't go according to plan...

April 09, 2013

How to write a news release that won't get deleted

April 09, 2013/ Warren Weeks

Ah, the news release... The rotary phone of the modern PR industry. Still able to perform its intended function but, for all intents and purposes, a relic from another era. Is the news release dead? Perhaps not. But it sure is looking a little long in the tooth...

February 27, 2013

Unlock your inner Lombardi

February 27, 2013/ Warren Weeks

Vincent Thomas Lombardi is one of the most revered coaches in the history of sports. He guided his Green Bay Packers to five National Football League (NFL) championships in the 1960s through a combination of hard work, tenacity and exceptional people skills. Lombardi’s coaching tenure was so dominant that the NFL renamed its championship trophy after him...

January 20, 2013

Crisis communications tips from The West Wing

January 20, 2013/ Warren Weeks

Crisis communications is one of the most stressful jobs around. And while there's no shortage of great courses, textbooks and videos out there to help you hone your crisis communications skills, there's no teacher like good...

July 18, 2012

The 3 drivers of news and how they can lend power to your pitches

July 18, 2012/ Warren Weeks

There are thousand of media stories generated by reporters around the world every day. And while those stories might cover thousands of different topics, they can ALL be traced back to one or more of the three drivers of news:

June 29, 2012

5 irritating habits of reporters when calling PR pros

June 29, 2012/ Warren Weeks

There was a huge response this week to our post about the Top 5 Mistakes PR Pros Make When Pitching Journalists. Among the responses we received was this great one from a PR industry veteran, who highlighted some of the more irritating habits of some journalists...

June 27, 2012

5 mistakes PR pros make when pitching journalists

June 27, 2012/ Warren Weeks

Guest post by Carly Weeks, health reporter with The Globe and Mail.
If you were applying for a job and spelled the contact person's name incorrectly, inserted the wrong organization name in the cover letter or didn't have any of the qualifications specified in the job posting, you probably wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get called for an interview...
Read More

June 02, 2010

The Most Irritating PR Person in the World

June 02, 2010/ Warren Weeks

I know. That seems like a pretty bold claim. But you have to see this video for yourself.

July 13, 2009

Two PR jobs in Toronto

July 13, 2009/ Warren Weeks

Cramer Company International
Our friends at Cramer Company International are looking to fill two PR positions in Toronto:

The first job is a senior agency role, doing food-related PR for one of the firm's national clients. The salary is $85K plus.

The second is a three-week media relations contract with an agency located in downtown T.O. Focus area is food and consumer goods. Must have experience working in an agency, doing food-related PR and conducting media relations.

For more info, contact Roxanne Cramer at 416-929-2629 or roxanne@cramercompany.com.

The Art of the Great Media Interview

The Art of the Great Media Interview

Search