Tuesday: April Fool's Day is here, and my inbox is bonkers.
Reminder: The Best April Fool's pitches are when we're all in on the joke.
Good morning!
We live in an era of a major misinformation problem, and it’s one that’s led to some seriously dangerous situations, so here we are it’s April 1, and in honor of April Fool’s Day, everyone is sending out their cute-but-probably-not-true launch announcement social media posts and pitches and it’s really hilarious but also confusing.
Some of these pitches are well-timed “nope! not a trick! it’s actually real!” type emails, while others are totally just a joke, and sometimes, even as someone who has been doing this for 20+ years, it’s hard to tell. But it’s all in good fun, right?
Right???
I realize that April Fool's Day is all in good fun, and I'm all for being pitched silly food mashups that aren't actually happening in the name of a fun time. The trouble exists when things are posted online that people don't know aren't true, and that leads to confusion and misinformation.
Personally, I've always felt the BEST April Fool's Day pitches are the ones that are pitched with a wink-wink-nudge-nudge -- we're all in on the joke. Remember, media is a realm that has an entire existence based on truth and credibility -- whenever we veer away from that, that's when we get into trouble.
So, let's talk about the right and wrong way to handle April 1 -- but also, avoid social media information regardless of the date on the calendar.
1. The product fake-out - I think that an April Fool's fake product launch is actually a great time to test out that sort of outlandish product idea to see how well received it'd be in reality. No one ever thought that pumpkin spice mac and cheese or mustard ice cream would exist in reality -- but ultimately, it did. April 1 can be a fun way to test a social media response to something that maybe isn't happening YET, but could happen. It's all about making people curious and making them laugh but not acting in a way that will lose their trust. This is a big opportunity to be different and experiment and shake things up a bit. That's fun!
2. It's all in good fun, so make people part of the fun, like with a dedicated hashtag for the day. (Humor is the best way to connect with people after all!) The point of this day is not to to mislead people. It's to drive brand recognition, and stay top of customer (and media) minds.
3. Remember we're in a time of fake news, and that being a REALLY big and scary legitimate no-joke issue. We want to share weird and fun jokes, but not mislead or lie to people. It's a really careful line to balance on. Keep things fun and light and easy -- a launch that no one thinks is real (like in 2013, when Google pretended their searching could search for smells). It was successful in that it made people laugh but also didn't spread dangerous misinformation or fake news.
4. Keep things light. Remember it's not fun if no one gets the joke. Keep things light and carry out in good spirit, avoid anything that is in bad taste or could ultimately have a negative impact on your reputation (OR your relationships!)
5. Don't make your press materials part of the joke. This is very important because it's important that the pitch(er) and the pitch(ee) are both in on the joke and it's more of a wink-wink, nudge-nudge, as I said before. Don't assume that people will know it's a joke just because of the date on the calendar. Include a disclaimer in your pitch, and maybe giggle about the joke in a press release, but don't make the press release part of the joke. You don't want to risk someone publishing a story as true when it's not. It's a lot better if they are fully aware it's a silly not-real product release that everyone thinks is funny and presenting it that way.
5. There's a serious risk of people thinking something is real and there being dangerous consequences. (Remember THIS story of everything that happened when a bank as an April Fool's joke said they were going to start charging to see a live teller?? Or the joke about the LA freeway being closed for repairs??) If a joke can hurt anyone or disrupt their lives, don't use or, and if you are going to use it, make sure those that may be affected are in on the joke. Remember, being edgy means playing close to the edge...that means it's easy to topple over. When Taco Bell pretended to buy the Liberty Bell, some people actually believed it was true, and it caused a lot of drama and chaos!
The most important things to keep in mind is to do NOTHING that causes harm to anyone or violates their trust, and do nothing that will harm the image of your brand. Use the day as a breath of fresh air in social media interaction and marketing and to have some lighthearted fun,
The attempt should NEVER be to hurt or mislead people...but to have some lighthearted good times. Have fun out there this week - and be careful!
Job leads
Edelman is looking for a Media Supervisor to join their earned media team. More info here.
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Thank you for helping get the word out!
We had an amazing turnout at our recent Mother’s Day gift guide pitching workshop — and there’s a full recording available for paid subscribers. If you are interested in me sending you the video link, drop me an email. Thanks so much for your support and happy gift guide pitching!
Related: We loved how many of attended you took the time to attend our webinar event last month, covering the upcoming ShareASale to Awin migration. We covered an overview of the migration process and timeline, pricing of networks, and choosing a network for your specific client needs. If you missed it, we do have a recording available for paid subscribers. Email if interested and I’ll share how to grab that recording as well!
Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?
Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)
Newly published or freshly updated
Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.
Forbes.com: 17 Spring-Inspired Cocktails To Enjoy This Easter
Forbes.com: 15 Sustainable Cocktails To Enjoy During Earth Month
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device
Yahoo Life!: Best pedometers of 2025, tested and reviewed
Yahoo Life: The best black tea to brew in 2025, according to testers and experts
Travel & Leisure: I Found the Perfect Walking Shoes to Prevent Sore Feet During Travel — Score Styles on Sale Up to 62% Off
Apartment Therapy: The $3 Cleaning Gem I Use in Almost Every Room of My Small Apartment
Today.com: Do drugstore wrinkle creams really work? Experts weigh in
Food Network: Popeyes Is Bringing Its Most Popular Sauces to Grocery Aisles.
Southern Living: KFC Is Bringing Back Their Most-Requested Side—But For 2 Weeks Only
Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I'm Traveling by Plane
Apartment Therapy: I Asked Pro Travelers to Share Their Packing Tips for Spring Break
RetailMeNot: How to Save Money on Groceries in 2025: 10 Tips That Actually Work
Southern Living: The Unexpected Reason I Always Travel With Duct Tape—And You Should Too
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.
Here’s what I’m working on:
Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.
Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.
Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.
Southern Living
Southern Chefs Share The Best Cooking Advice They Received From Their Mom - really excited about this piece I’m working on as we lead up to Mother’s Day. For this one, I’m looking for one cooking tip/method/hack they learned from their mom/grandma (or any important female role model in their life) that informs how they cook and run their kitchens to this day. Even better if they happen to have some classic kitchen photos of them and their mom to share! Would love to hear from some notable celebrity chefs based in the south or from the south originally for this one.
Food Network
For FoodNetwork.com, I’m rounding up national restaurant chains offering food deals/freebies/promotions in honor of tax day/tax season. If this is you, please tell me what the deal is, how to claim it, and any disclaimers. Would also love imagery or links to social media posts advertising the promo if you happen to have it. Thanks!
Forbes
I’m rounding up Kosher for Passover treats/snacks/beverages (must be certified as SPECIFICALLY kosher for passover and not just regular kosher certified - a reminder that these are completely unique certifications and this differentiation is crucial for anyone observing the holiday. Please email me if you have anything!)
I’m also looking for Passover-themed cocktails, as well as spring-themed and Mother’s Day-themed, that are on the menu or will be over the holiday in either restaurants are bars. If you have anything, please send me all the following info:
Name of drink/where it’s found, city, state, URL
description
quote from chef/bartender
image (and who to credit)
…and Mother’s Day gift guide assignments are coming soon. Maybe as soon as this week. So keep your eyes on this space!
<3
aly