Country Home Ideas cover Vol. 13 No. 7
As one of the most important players in the PR game, insight from a journalist is priceless. So (as well as finding out her pick of inspirational blogs and some key dates for 2014) we asked Lauren Broomham, Assistant Editor of Country Home Ideas and Editor of Kitchen & Bathroom series, a few questions about what – and what not – to do in the world of PR.
Here’s what she had to say (take note!)Q. What makes you happy when receiving press releases or product suggestions from brands and PR agencies?
A. I love it when they make it simple for me, so it’s always great to see all of the information about the product contained in the press release including pricing, high-resolution images, plus the PR’s contact details so I can get in touch with them easily.
I’m also happy for low-resolution images to be sent through, as long as high-resolution can be provided quickly – there’s nothing worse than being told that the image which would be perfect for the feature you’re working on isn’t actually available!
Pages from Country Home Ideas Vol. 13 No. 7
Q. What would be your top tip for clients and PRs to NOT do?
A. This will probably sound a little obvious, but make sure you get the name of the person and the publication right – I get a lot of ‘Laura’s’! Try to include a little greeting at the start of your email, even if it’s a simple ‘Hello’ – it gets things off on the right footing and makes the recipient more open to your request.
Also, read any call outs carefully for the deadline and stick to it – if you need extra time to source an image or product, drop the person a line and make sure it will work with their schedule as sometimes there may not be much time before the story has to go to design.
Q.What are your biggest calendar dates for 2014 and when will you be working on them?
A. We are already working on our March issue, with a few important issues coming up including our Winter special (which gets underway in January) and our Parisian style issue in February. Keep an eye out for call outs as these will include more details about what I’m looking for in each issue.
Q. And, what’s one of your favourite blogs to read and get inspiration from?
A. Working on a decorating magazine while living in a tiny flat, I do enjoy reading Apartment Therapy – it’s got some great inspiration for smaller spaces, as well as kitchens, bathrooms and kids’ rooms.
