What a 20 Inning Ball Game Can Teach Us About PR

Full Disclosure - I am a Mets Fan.  OK, now that we have that on the table, I witnessed a significant portion of the game this past weekend where my downtrodden and bad luck Mets took on Albert Pujols and friends, and unexpectedly held them scoreless for 18 innings before a runner crossed the plate. Surprisingly (and Happily) the Mets won.

As I sat back and tried to deconstruct the game, I got away from the actual batters and pitchers and my thoughts started turning to PR.

There are many takeaways from that marathon contest which can be applied to our field - some good "To Do's" and other things to avoid.

Let's take a look and draw a few comparisons. 

• Neither team was in the World Series last year, but are from major markets.  The Mets have been meek in their offense and defense, so, essentially their appeal (if they were a company) would be dismissed by a reporter for being too small and uninteresting. Quite the contrary.  Still, there would be reason to pitch them.  My mantra is there is ALWAYS a story.  Sometimes you have to dig way deeper than you expect to find it -- and it's not always the Fortune 100 / 500 / 1000 or 2000 that has the better story.  There are many small creative companies with solid business plans and funding and ideas that people need that have a great story to tell.  Again, look beyond the obvious. The game is played on the field, not on paper.
• After going many innings, both teams were short on pitchers.  In PR sometimes the junior-mid-level team need a boost and often call on senior-level professionals to do media relations. (Another full disclosure - personally, I still LOVE to pitch and never want to get away from it.  It's the # 1 bread and butter skill we all need to carry with us as we rise among the ranks). Tony LaRussa turned to having position players hurl the ball.  Did it work? Sort of.  The Mets weren't able to score off the arm of a second baseman (who hit a Grand Slam the night before).   Jerry Manuel went to his starters in relief.  Mike Pelfrey performed admirably well in the role.  Taking two different directions when the fork was in the road (As Yogi Berra advised, to take it), one "let's make do with we have and capitalize on it" was the winning approach.
• How often that happens in PR.  The preparation and strategy is thought out and after all the wheels are in motion, the press does not take any interest.  What do you do?  Recreate the wheel, the cog, the spokes and make it spin faster for the reporter.  No pun or slander to our fave word "spin."
• An oddity. Relief pitchers batting -- and with bases loaded.  If that was the way the game was decided, it is almost as if you see your competitor getting into a story after you set up the reporter with sources, ideas, client interviews and then see the final output nary a client mention.  Relief pitchers rarely get the opportunity to bat - don't let them beat you.
• The Mets wound up with "The Cover Story."  It took a lot of moving the pieces around and they did everything right.  Well, not EVERYTHING, but you forget all the speed bumps along the way when you see the media portray your company as winner.  The story is the Mets Beat the Cardinals in 20...Those bumps are now as smooth as the Auto Bahn.
• Be tenacious.  Make the reporter know how passionate you are about the client's product/business/service.  Both teams were tenacious to get on the board.  Remember, when the Mets scored, the Cardinals followed in the bottom frame.  Your competition is always pitching the SAME reporter.
• Know the rules and nuances of the game.  There are many advantages and edges you can deploy to get your client noticed.  Often it takes the reporter's hot button and doing some research.  The best baseball managers know the rule book and what they can stretch and what has little bounce in their moves - and their ability to present their case to an umpire.  They need to be convincing just like a PR pro to get the reporter on their good side.  It is incumbent for the PR pro to KNOW their client's business.
• Left On Base - There was a total of 35 men left on base.  Just one needed to score early and the game would have been won.  Think of the many pitches that go out that just sit in an inbox or worse - deleted or in a spam folder.
• And the last thing I can impart - this game is a reminder to always go the distance.  Never give up.  Clients put their faith and trust in us to persevere on their behalf.  Assume you are the owner and put as much oomph and pride in your client's account.  The end pays off.  See Angel Pagan sliding in the picture above?  That's the winning run.