To be an effective communicator, you must know your audience. Whether it’s a large audience or an individual, being a publicist means you must be great at engaging with both.
Forming a personal and professional bond is key to landing media coverage in some of the most coveted outlets. Years of personal experience pitching various consumer tech products across multiple verticals, backed by a reputable agency name, has helped form these bonds that give our clients a leg up on the competition.
Not only do the media below have personal bonds with us, but they’ve also come to us as a valued partner. Below are some of our favorite media friends who focus on audio, with some helpful tips on their beat and key do’s and don’ts when trying to land coverage with them.
Lauren Dragan – Wirecutter
Lauren is a contributing writer and bonafide audio expert. She developed her auditory expertise while studying vocal performance and audio production in college. She’s still the voice for various big brand companies, and writes in-depth audio reviews for Wirecutter, while also taking care of her adorable son.
Do: Pitch her on any headphone products – Bluetooth headphones, sport headphones, wireless headphones and more.
Don’t: Pitch her products you don’t think will stand serious, rigorous testing. Wirecutter spends 40-50+ hours putting products to test in all sorts of environments with all kinds of testers, and compares them critically against competitors.
David Carnoy – CNET
David is an executive editor at CNET and a mystery/thriller novel author. He’s been at CNET for more than a decade. He covers some news announcements but focuses mainly on product reviews, which also come in the form of videos.
Do: Send him information under embargo (in advance of the launch) and invite him to media events for relevant product categories including affordable/mid-tier audio products, iPhone accessories and quirky and fun gadgets/gizmos.
Don’t: Send lengthy press releases and emails. He likes things quick and to the point. Bullet points with main features, benefits, pricing and availability work best.
Tim Gideon – PCMag
Tim has been writing for PCMag since 2006 and specializes in reviewing audio products – mainly headphones, speakers and recording gear. Although he is a critical reviewer, Tim is fair in his assessment of products and will kindly provide background into his thought process should you ask.
Do: Send him full press releases with audio specs and only high-res images with white backgrounds.
Don’t: Invite him to media events or send him product until it’s officially available for purchase, as he cannot publish a review until then.
