Risë Birnbaum and "the buzz"

SIN CENTRAL

Guilty pleasures -- everyone’s got ‘em but not everyone is gutsy enough to admit ‘em.  Well, must be the hot summer sun here in DC or too many bus fumes, but here’s my list (not in any special order):

Burgers – ya gotta understand I’m a relatively healthy eater, but happen to have this thing for juicy cheeseburgers with tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo and mustard.  And with each bite I take, I just slather on more Hellmann’s.  Maybe I’m a condiment junkie disguised as burger addict.  Add the fact I was brought up Kosher and it doesn’t quite compute.  

Vegas – what’s better than a few all-nighters loaded with craps, clubs, good eats and then an affordable room that could sleep 12?  Actually the bathroom sleeps 12.  

Fast cars – I know they’re definitely not “green,” but I’ve been a car lover all my life and ‘til now have liked cars that (sadly) guzzle gas like a 1960 Corvette.  But, I am eyeing the new Tesla.  

Any movie – doesn’t matter if it’s Journey to the Center of the Earth (with Pat Boone) or a Sundance award winner, I will literally watch anything on a big screen where they also sell popcorn.  I am that discriminating. 

Reality TV – Def taken with every show from “The Fatsos of Marin County” to “Watch Me Eat Bugs.”  Made up the titles, but you catch my drift.   Moose – Love my 15 year old maltese, moose.  Talk to him, sing to him and if anyone saw me they would take me away in a net and lock me up for life.

Hamptons – OK, so I know it’s a bit of “my Porsche is bigger than your Porsche” out there, but beaches are beautiful, friends are long-standing and cocktail hour is from like 4pm to whenever.  

Facebook –No, I’m not a 23 yr old (but have one) but it is such a kick to connect with “kids” I was friends with and barely said a word to in high school.  Unfortunately most look like my grandparents these days.  

Online dating – as a single mom with a college grad on the west coast, it’s a good way to fill time while scouting
out the landscape.  And if Jon Hamm’s twin brother happens to be online within 50 miles of DC, so much the better.

-Risë

HOOKED ON REALITY

Not sure what’s wrong with me.  I work hard, travel, have a daughter, friends and a loving maltese (Moose), yet I’m addicted to reality shows.  I should probably tattoo Bravo or Food somewhere on my body or at least see if they’re publicly traded.

I come home from work, make Moose and myself dinner and then start clicking away.  Anthony, Bobby, Heidi, Isaac, the NYC preps and the Real Housewives (no matter where they’re from) have become my new best friends.

Yes, I read the news and even have a stack of magazines (unlike Sarah Palin) and paperbacks on my nightstand, yet I am drawn like a magnet by the guy who eats goat guts and the doc who lets himself get bitten by bugs head to toe.  I’m amazed by the spoiled brats in NY who constantly talk sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll (wonder which colleges are actually accepting them).  And I get hungry when Flay does his throwdown and nauseous when Adam scarfs down 12 pizza with extra cheese.  Yet I stay glued to the screen.  Kinda like a train wreck.

What is it about reality shows that reels me in?  Don’t I get enough reality watching one disaster after the next every day in the news?

I’m trying my best to figure it out and I think it’s watching real people do outrageous things that turns me on.  It happens in the news, too, but by the time I see the news it’s usually over and done.  With reality TV you’re not quite sure what will happen.  So, I find myself rooting for Adam to down the last pastrami sandwich with fries or the NYC prepster to toss his hair and say something totally obnoxious or the hotties in Miami to go clubbing all night.  When they do something like that, I feel a touch more normal.  Is that normal…who knows?  All I know if that when Anthony Bourdain goes to Vietnam and rants about the food and the booze, I wish I could be by his side.  So, while Tony gets plastered, I stay plastered to my plasma. 

Will I be able to free myself from my reality habit?  Probably, but it might take a 12-step program and RA (reality anonymous) meetings. And at the moment, I’m just having too much fun.

THE HANGOVER

I was really psyched to see this film.  My 23 yr. old daughter in Hollywood said she laughed so hard her jeans split and I really needed a good laugh.  Friends my age even said it was a kick.  Talk about word of mouth.

So, I bought tix online, went with friends and waited for the jokes to fly…and waited…and waited.

Do I like Brad Cooper?  You betcha.  Were the sight gags good?  Yup.  But when the credits ended and the flick was over I realized I never really laughed all that hard.  I tried to figure out why and realized that this newest comedy directed by an 18 yr. old was just a series of sight gags around a very thin plot.  And I def could have used more plot and less gagging.

My idea of a funny movie is Bachelor Party with Tom Hanks or one of the Vacation movies with Chevy Chase.  There’s more “there” there and those guys are really funny.

The four musketeers in Hangover are like four guys who shouldn’t be together in the first place and you don’t care much about.  Add a tiger in a bathroom and a few chickens, a naked Asian gay guy, a pissed off Mike Tyson and a saggy senior butt and I just gave away most of the story.

Do I like the new genre of comedies?  I really liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall, so the answer is yes.  But, that had a beginning, middle and an end.  The Hangover just gave me a slight headache and made me resolve not to do shots ever again.

TIME OUT FOR GOOD NEWS

 

If ever there were a time for a “time out” it’s right now.  I’m talking about a time out from the news.  How much bad news can anyone take? 

As a former network news correspondent I know first hand how headlines are crafted and stories are chosen.  Sadly, I know that if tragedy gets “bigger” the story gets “better.”

Now, the entire country, if not the world, has a migraine from a steady downpour of bad news with no Advil in sight.

I work in an agency with two large screen TVs and constant background noise about “a new stock market low” and “the largest unemployment number since the Depression.”  How are we going to get out this depression if everyone is depressed?

I say the newscasters should suck it up and start finding something positive to talk about.  I’m not talking about making up the news, but rather finding some nugget of news that is hopeful and delivering that news to audiences starving for it on a regular basis.  I give Erin Burnett a lot of credit.  She’s this sharp-as-a-pistol former Goldman Sachs-er on CNBC and NBC who both calls it as she sees it yet manages to always include a ray of hope.  Go, girl!

I hate being cynical cause it ultimately doesn’t get you very far, but if network correspondents were paid less and worried more for their jobs they just might think twice about how the news they shape impacts their audience.  Will that news begin to instill confidence or rip the last shred of confidence we have out from under us?

Do I have confidence in this country?  I do.  But, I think everyone, including the news-givers, has to buckle up cause it’s going to be a bumpy ride.  Obama is a good guy/straight talker/deep thinker.  We need to give him the chance he needs to re-route this runaway train.  But, we also need the news that we constantly hear and see and twitter about start to change so that we finally believe there’s actually light at the end of the tunnel. 

The Right Stuff

It’s been a non-stop party here in DC, the Inauguration epicenter, for the past week.  I’ve lived here for almost 25 years and never seen the City so teeming with revelers.  It was like New Year’s Eve but 1,000x brighter and with no Dick Clark (though Dick might have been here, too, ya never know).

More police cars and tinted-windowed Suburbans than ever before and at least 3 police cars per corner downtown and more as you moved closer to the Mall.  Got the feeling if you sneezed you’d be down on the ground and handcuffed.  Just picture Jack Bauer with gun out screaming “stand down” and that’s a taste of what was waiting for anyone who crossed the line.  Security was that tight…and with good reason. 

With the temperatures dropping (about 15 with wind chill) everyone who spent the days outside aiming for the Mall dressed for the part.  Ski jackets, woolen scarves, mittens of every size and color.  Multiply that by a few million and you had a rainbow of outerwear.

And every night was party time everywhere you turned.  From the hard-to-come-by tix to the hippest events to the “hey, come over for salsa and chips” last minute invites, the cheering throngs were looking for any reason to par-tay.  I stopped by one of the swankier hotels in town the other night for a burger in the lobby/bar and caught Ben Affleck, John Cusack, Tom Brokaw, John Kerry, Al Roker and Matt Lauer, a stargazer’s dream.  Not many celebs left in Hollywood lately.

Another cool ripple from this new first couple is they intend to go out on the town on a regular basis and not hit the pillow at 9:30pm the way W did.  And that all helps make DC a much more fun and glam place to live and visit.

But, as soon as the newly-minted President has had a chance to get some much needed sleep, he’s got tons of work on his plate.  Picture the e-mails you get after being out of town/touch for a few days and multiply that by about a gazillion.  Obama has miles and milestones to go before he sleeps…two wars, economy, jobs….  But I know a calm, smart, thoughtful leader is just what the doctor ordered (along with a really solid Cabinet).  And I think President Obama has already started reigniting a sense of confidence in this new America with the tangible hope that a new world order will blaze into existence (the sooner the better).

Risë

No Turkey For Me!

I guess you could call me a “healthy eater.”   I don’t love desserts and think twice about the number of fries I steal from someone else's plate (usually someone actually at my table).  I also eat a variety of foods – from pasta with veggies and salmon to a cheeseburger with everything on it. 

So, it’s Thanksgiving, and the Holidays, and turkey is naturally front and center.  I’m heading to NYC to meet with family and friends and turkey was sure high on my list…that is, until I saw the Sarah Palin/turkey slaughter plant video.  It was like something out of an SNL skit.  There’s Sarah near the camera to our left and not too far behind her on the right, in clear view, is a guy in a white coat taking bound, live turkeys and stuffing then head first into like this wood chipper metal bin.  Every now and then he would turn to the camera while Sarah was going on…smiling and saying what a pleasure it was to be there.  Turkey feet were twitching and blood was pooling and there I was…glued to this scene that looked like something from SAW V and really trying not to gag.  Was this a local TV reporter playing a joke on Palin?  Was it a PR person who just forgot to advance the scene for the shoot?  Who knows?  But the moral of the story for me is that I’m off turkey for the time being and have changed our Thanksgiving reservation to an Italian restaurant.  Pasta with basil and olive oil is looking pretty good to me about now.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!
Risë

If you want to see it for yourself, here it is but I warned you:

MATCH POINT

If you were like me, your remote was stuck on one channel and you were literally glued to the Wimbledon duel between Nadal and Federer Sunday.  I was at the edge of my seat watching every serve and volley, drop shot and overhead.

This was a match between the best of the best and even though I saw the Borg-McEnroe match in person at Wimbledon in 1980 when McEnroe won on the 4th of July, this was in a league of its own.

It also pointed out to me that the phrase “never give up” never rang so true.  Here are two champions at the top of their game and both were still giving it their all. 

The same holds true for business.  If the economy is impacting you, it’s time to rally and literally give it your all to not only survive but thrive.  PR is something that all companies need, but may not fully understand.  It’s up to you to educate prospective clients so they understand how critical it really is and then to work your tail off to achieve great results.

As for the Wimbledon finals, even though Nadal won, they’re both winners in my book because neither gave in and both played their hearts out to the bitter end.

And even if you have to change strategies or tactics along the way, that’s cool.  The more you “play” the more you learn, and the harder you play, the better the chance you’ll win.

How do you maximize radio placements?

"There are many ways to maximize audience reach and impressions on radio,” says Joan Carrese of zcomm. 

When pitching Radio News Releases and PSAs, customize your story to each market.  “zcomm researches and includes statistics in pitches to localize stories and, whenever possible, uses a local spokesperson to add a credible, community angle,” adds Carrese.  Stations across the country prefer stories with a local newshook. 

If you are targeting multi-cultural demographics, such as the Hispanic audience, produce both and English and Spanish language release for stations in markets with large Hispanic populations.  And Spanish language outlets are pitched less than general market outlets, so they are more receptive to news releases, interviews, PSAs, podcasts and radio contests.

For Radio Tours, send an audio clip of a dynamic spokesperson with a written pitch and when appropriate make sure the stations are streaming your interview on their website for value added.  Take advantage of a great spokesperson and produce a series of audio Podcasts about your message to download on aggregators on the web, in addition to a client’s website. 

Finally, remember to personally pitch often and pitch well.  “A short, informative and newsworthy personal call and email increase the odds that a media contact will like your message and say yes,” says Carrese. 

How can I optimize my Satellite Media Tour?

"You’ve heard all the noise about the FCC crackdown on SMTs – and it’s true,” acknowledges JoAnn Mangione, vice president of zcomm, Bethesda-based broadcast PR firm.  “However, a little tweaking of our approach to SMT planning can still reap the big audience numbers.”

First, put your money where your mouth is – invest in a well-known spokesperson and stick with health, entertainment, topical issues and non-profits.  Topics related to special observances such as American Diabetes Month, are helpful as are charity tie-ins.  Full disclosure is very important; so build trust with producers by telling them up front who is sponsoring the SMT.

Use your studio time wisely, don’t forget to incorporate radio bookings between TV interviews to pump up audience numbers and think about extending the length of the tour to increase station participation.  Finally, repurpose the interviews by creating a series of videopodcasts and/or audio podcasts.  Consider streaming part or all of the interviews on your website, and on related or partner websites and make use of viral marketing.

“An SMT is still a smart media tactic,” say Mangione.  “Let stations know your awareness of the FCC’s regulations and give them what they need to be comfortable airing your client’s message.”

How to use the news?

It’s not always easy to develop a news angle that resonates with editors and producers, but there are simple ways to increase the odds.

Risë Birnbaum, Founder of zcomm in Bethesda, MD and former ABC Network Correspondent, says be a news hound.  “Have the TV on and check online news sites whenever possible for stories that relate to your clients,” suggests Birnbaum.  “If you can leverage breaking news with a client story, you’ve got a better chance of placing your story.”

One example Birnbaum gave was the recent breaking news of Kanye West’s mother dying after plastic surgery.  “We have plastic surgeons as clients and immediately pitched them to health producers.  Because they were so good, the TV producers asked if we could provide them as regular guests.”

Another way to “work” the news is to customize it for your clients.  “If there’s a study on heart disease and you’ve got a heart drug client, try to pitch the story with local statistics on heart disease because radio and TV outlets love local news,” says Birnbaum.

“If it’s a slow news time, then suggest some client-sponsored surveys, developing offbeat questions and answers which tend appeal to the media.”

And keep sending clients relevant news stories.  You’re doing them a favor by keeping them updated at all times.