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Press Release PR Pitch Stupidity

I write about strategies to turn fans into customers and customers into fans. I also share ways to use real-time strategies to spread ideas, influence minds, and build business.

Worst Practices  |  Press Release Content  |  Public Relations

I get many unsolicited PR pitches sent to me via email. Nearly all of them are untargeted broadcast pitches, usually in the form a press release. I almost always delete without reading.

Recently I got a press release with a subject line that was interesting to me. I read it because I thought there might be something in there worth sharing.

Alas, I can’t share because the company that sent it are a bunch of idiots.

Some legal eagle insisted on this notice at the bottom of the press release:

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and privileged material from [company] and is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any review, use, distribution or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by email and delete the message and any file attachments from your computer. If you wish to be removed from this email please click here. Thank you.

Press Release PR Pitch Stupidity

Can you believe this?!

Sending a press release and then putting a notice at the bottom saying “sole use of the intended recipient” is ridiculous. That legal mumbo-jumbo means I can't share the news.

You lose.