As traditional media struggles to remain relevant, and adjust to compete with new media by implementing social networking, video, etc., even the mighty Playboy brand is vulnerable.

The company is currently in a bidding war over its future.  Shares of Playboy increased by about 35% on Monday morning as Hugh Heffner bided to take the company private while competitor Penthouse simultaneously made a play to gain a share of the company.

I was intrigued by this blog article recently from Altitude about a pitch that the writer received that really hit the mark.  It was a good reminder of some of the basics and those magical qualities that we are always seeking in clients and their stories when it comes to pitching the media on a newsworthy story.  Some key pitch qualities that are absolutely necessary that I agreed with are:

-Concise

-Personal

-Focused

-Relevant

The writer also touched on what she called “The Sticky Part” — an interesting project.  It is our job to find the interesting element of a client’s business or event and make it appealing to the media, but sometimes that special element to make a story take off just isn’t there, and at Zenzi we have very high standards about what kind of stories we will present to the media.  When that special story is clearly there and really has those magical qualities that capture attention and make journalists come knocking down our door, wow, that is so exhilarating, and quite possibly my favorite part of the PR profession.  I also always love the challenge of finding a story that isn’t obvious and crafting a pitch to highlight the newsworthy qualities that our team has identified, and when that comes together and captures a journalist’s attention, that’s a pretty darn good feeling too!  Pitching has its ups and downs overall, but the successes and the journey that eventually leads to that great satisfying feeling and happy media contacts and happy clients is what it’s all about!  Following the basics such as some of those outlined in this article is definitely crucial to getting to that point.

10 March, 2010 | Written by Amber Naslund 47 Comments

I tweeted the other day that I got a really great pitch via email, and dozens of folks immediately wanted me to share it. But I won’t, partly because I don’t have permission, but mostly because it shouldn’t matter.  Read the article here.

During a 36-hour trip to Palm Springs, Erica Cerulo from the New York Times visits Chef Andrew Copley of Palm Springs restaurant Copley’s on Palm Canyon.

To better articulate our strategic positioning in the evolving public relations and marketing industry, SZPR has announced its new name and branding as Zenzi Communications.  Zenzi means crescendo, the culmination of carefully crafted notes, harmonies and dynamic sounds. The agency’s mission is to create a similar phenomenon for its clients.

“We believe the name Zenzi more accurately reflects our ability to articulate key messages so they resonate throughout the media marketplace,” said founder and CEO Sarah Znerold Hardwick. “We picked our new tagline, ‘Be Known,’ because one of our greatest strengths is helping clients continually stay in front of target audiences through multiple PR and marketing touch points.”

Established in 2002, Zenzi has grown from a leap of faith by a young entrepreneur to one of San Diego’s Top 10 agencies with clients from across the U.S. ranging in size from national consumer brands such as Dreyer’s/Edy’s Grand Ice Cream and Emergen-C to local leaders Keep A Breast Foundation, Torrey Pines Bank, Aptera Motors and the highly-successful San Diego Restaurant Week.

The new Zenzi logo is vibrant, bold and symbolic of constant progression and expansive motion. It highlights the agency’s key brand attributes—energetic, innovative, connected and results-driven.

According to Julian Duval, CEO of Quail Botanical Gardens, “Zenzi has been very important to the many successes we have enjoyed at the Gardens, with five record years of attendance in a row. Clearly this would not be the case if we had anything less than the expert and very attentive service Zenzi has consistently provided.”

Zenzi has been recognized by leading PR, marketing and business organizations for creative, distinctive and results-oriented campaigns, including PRSA Bernays Awards (Consumer Product Launch, B2B and Special Events), Best Communications Campaign in Stevie Women in Business Awards, Most Admired CEO Finalist by San Diego Business Journal, Marcom Communicators Awards and many more.

About Zenzi:
Zenzi is an award-winning national communications agency that helps companies of all sizes “Be Known” through local and national media outreach, grassroots events, community relations and online exposure. Our specialty is getting the word out in a hurry by leveraging multiple touch points. If you would like to increase market share, break into new industries, find investors or generate qualified leads, Zenzi can help. Visit www.zenzi.com for more information.

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In Denver, when bad driving habits hit the wallet…