It was refreshing to see Susan Getgood acknowledge a “good” story pitch from a PR person (courtesy of Mir Kamin). I mean how many more blogposts can we bear maligning PR “pros” who blindly send their misguided and unsolicited story ideas into the overflowing e-mailboxes of beleaguered journalists?
How many PR blacklists need to be created before we get the hint? When will the PR puppeteers who direct their junior staffers to spam and conquer actually mandate that their charges study the target journalist’s editorial DNA before hitting the send button?
As for the “good pitch” that Susan received from a most commercial enterprise, Outback Steakhouse, I had to chuckle. The pitch trumpeted the 20th anniversary of Outback’s biggest-selling menu item — the Bloomin’ Onion (“15 million sold each year”).
Promoting anniversaries are a tough sell in and of themselves, but one for the Bloomin’ Onion? It reminded me of a call I received a year ago seeking help in attaining media attention for the anniversary of the invention of the Yukon Gold potato. At least that was a little less promotional.
But back to that onion. I happened to go to an Outback for the first time two months ago, and ordered one of those bloomin’ things for the table. When it arrived, it looked fairly edible…that is until one of my dinner companions made this comment:
“Did you know that the Bloomin Onion has the most calories and fat content of any item on any fast food restaurant’s menu today?“
“No, I didn’t know that,” I answered as I pushed aside the plate of artery-clogging vegetaria.
So to the publicist charged with promoting the Bloomin’ Onion’s 20th: please wish it a happy anniversary — with all its 2210 calories and 134 grams of fat. And I truly hope your firm has a policy that allows employees to opt out of client work that they find healthfully objectionable.