Common Press Release Mistakes: When being bad isn't good

January 14, 12:14 AMSF Marketing & P.R. ExaminerSusan Harrow

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Simon Cowell thumbs down

A bad song doesn't make good publicity no matter how many times it's played. DaVido, a New Jersey Nightclub singer, tagged a "Guido Superman" by a blogger, wrote a song based on a conversation he was having with a "hottie" Starbucks barista. DaVido says, "And she was drinking a very strong coffee and she goes, 'Oh my God this gives me the java jitters.' And I said, 'Ah, that's a great, great idea for a song,' and she was really cute."

So he penned a platitudinous song with a forgettable tune and proceeded to pursue his dream of getting Starbucks to sell it on CD in their stores next to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Called "Java Jitter" DaVido thought it was his ticket to the high life. Not.

Not surprisingly Starbucks rejected the song. Which only fueled the ego of DaVido who hired a film crew, along with an entourage of singers and actors to sing the song in a local Starbucks. A few too many Frappuccinos later DaVido got thrown out of over 200 Starbucks stores (Starbucks forbids filming in their stores).

A Starbucks' employee blogged, "Starbucks is a place of peace. As the Starbucks police said this is not American Idol." I'm sure Simon Cowell would agree. He would likely invite DaVido to take his talentless tune to the trash. Another blogger asked if DaVido's teeth were real and still another commented that "If the singing thing doesn't work out -- you will have a long career with 1-800-DENTIST". I agree.

You can see what all the fuss is about and judge DaVido's talent for yourself here.

What can you learn from DaVido?

1. Bad Taste Tastes Bad.

While the video is kind of funny, it's tacky. Publicity that's in bad taste will brand you and you have a good change labeled as such -- in perpetuity. You can be funny without being crass. But take care when you're doing a publicity stunt that you don't brand yourself badly for eternity. Think through the consequences before you risk your reputation for a few minutes of fame.

2. Repeating a Bad Song Doesn't Make it Any Better.

Marketing guru Seth Godin says that winners actually know when to quit, and that DaVido clearly doesn't. Singing the same silly lyrics and melody isn't going to make anyone like the song any more -- least of all Starbucks. DaVido charging into over 200 Starbucks repeating the same tired act is the equivalent of faxing, emailing and calling the media with the same bad pitch or press release. The only thing you'll succeed at doing is alienating producers and editors.

Sometimes rejection is good. It can make you stronger in your convictions and purpose. But sometimes you need to recognize that you're barking up the wrong tree. And your bark is offending the whole neighborhood that is craving a little peace and quiet. Catch a clue DaVido!

If the media doesn't respond to your pitch or press release it's time to make a change. Pay attention to the media's feedback--or lack of it.

3. Buck the System.

I admire DaVido for trying to do it his way (Sinatra succeeded, but he had the goods). But to buck the system you often have to understand it. And clearly DaVido doesn't. There is no way that Starbucks is going to change their minds now and sell a "Java Jitter" CD along with some soothing Darjeeling tea after they've been publicly humiliated in their own stores. If you're going to buck the system you'll need to be clever enough to produce results that call into question conventional wisdom.

That's what my client Barefoot Books did when they pulled their books out of all the major bookstore chains. They discovered that they could become even more successful selling their beautiful books that focus on creativity, cultural diversity, imagination, and the environment in independent venues and directly to their consumers.

Once they made the decision to buck the system revenues went up 40%. They got called by Donny Deutsch's show, The Big Idea, to be on a show about successful businesses bucking the system. If you've got a creative way to do the same, you can become known as a thought leader instead of pulling some silly stunt looking for a quick caffeinated fame fix.

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