To Be (Quoted), Or Not To Be
For better or for worse, much of corporate America still measures the success of any PR effort based on the number of impressions or mentions it generates. (We would argue that it’s a flawed metric, but that’s for another blog post.)
Typically, companies are fighting to earn a spot in a story. If you want to land media coverage, you need to have something interesting to say. And if you want to be quoted, you need to be, well, quotable.
It sounds so simple. But if you read as many press releases as we do, you quickly realize it’s a lot harder than it seems.
So we turned to some of Lot Sixteen’s resident media relations experts to find out what makes for a good quote. As former journalists, they have firsthand knowledge of what makes for something a reporter can use in a story versus a quote that’s going nowhere except the trash file.
Here are the 4 C’s of quote-writing they suggest companies keep in mind:
CONCISE. Be succinct. If you pad your quote with too much fluff, your point may get lost entirely. Lot Sixteen Senior Director Jeremy Dillon, a former E&E News reporter, says “short and punchy” is key – “If it’s longer than 2-3 sentences, I’m out.” It’s even more important in a broadcast setting, where “you get anywhere from 8 to 20 seconds for a soundbite,” says Lot Sixteen VP Natalie Cucchiara, who spent more than a decade as a producer for NBC News and “Meet the Press.” Extra points if your quote fits on a chyron.
CLEAR. Drop the sales pitch. Resist the urge to self-congratulate or plug a particular product. And save acronyms and industry jargon for your marketing brochures. Quotes that are too self-serving rarely land. According to Natalie, the goal should be “a line that is easily digestible and understood – something that can land and stick with people.” Read: If your quote includes anything along the lines of “we are pleased that our innovative, customer-centric, EQZP-certified solution demonstrates our ongoing commitment to continuous innovation for customers everyday,” you’re probably doing it wrong. Even ChatGPT could do better!
CONTEXT. Think about the unique perspective you can offer to help decipher an issue or a challenge. E&E News and CQ veteran reporter and Lot Sixteen VP Geof Koss shares, “If a statement touches on the crux of an issue, reporters are more likely to use it” and “forward-looking insight on next steps helps advance a story.” And while Lot Sixteen VP Ryan Nickel is not a former reporter, he’s drafted his fair share of quotes as a longtime Senate communications director. His advice: “I usually told my teams to start on a quote this way: 1) Capture the heart of the challenge in a punchy 10,000-foot way; 2) Describe the solution similarly; 3) End with what needs to happen in the future.”
CONVERSATIONAL. Be real. Geof reiterates that a good quote is always “conversational and relatable.” But a lot of executives (or at least their PR teams) have a hard time speaking like a human when it comes time to pen a press release or statement. Natalie emphasizes that it’s even more important in a broadcast setting, where “you have to be authentic and convey some emotion” if you want to make the final cut. Ryan sums it up with a reminder that “often, you’re in competition with many other sources, and authenticity and creativity can really help you rise above the rest.”
And if you’re still having trouble drafting executive quotes that get picked up, call us. We’d love to help.
