Tuesday: Hitting "recall" on that email is a waste of time. Also: Please don't throw away your eclipse glasses. And: A special offer on my fave new bow!
Yes, gift guides are happening + new job leads!
Good morning!
I hope everyone who was on the path of the eclipse yesterday had so much fun!
It IS kind of amazing to consider, at a time when we’re all so incredibly divided, that so many people were united, staring at the same sky, for the same reason at the same time. It’s kind of a great of realizing that we have a lot more in common than we sometimes feel like we do.
And, for those of you who invested in eclipse glasses…please don’t throw them away! You can donate them. (Please do!)
Ship your eclipse glasses to the OSDL offices to be donated to children in Latin America so they can observe the eclipse in August 2024. The glasses can be mailed to Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC, PO Box 50571, Provo, UT, 84605.
Another option is to donate them to Astronomers Without Borders, which will share those glasses with locations around the globe, so people there can observe eclipses safely. Their phone number is: 262-444-6217.
This day was special for so many people…continue to make it special.
Speaking of the eclipse, I was interviewed by Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch yesterday about my own take on all the collective interest in the eclipse — especially where food PR and marketing plays in. (Beware, it’s a bit of a hot take…). In other fresh content, for Food Network, I Tried Cup Noodles’ Most Mind-Boggling Flavor to Date - you have to hear all about it…
Keeping this email a bit short this morning because I’m preparing for a lunch and learn session I’m hosting over Zoom for a PR agency this afternoon (more on those sessions in the section below!)…but first, wanted to chat about something a little fun but actually pretty important…
I’ll let you in on a little secret: Nothing makes me want to read something like telling me I shouldn’t read it.
Call it a lifetime of journalistic intrigue, call it being a card-carrying and proud yenta, but nothing makes a gal like me eager to open a door or a window or an email like a closed sign.
The reason I brought this up this morning is just as I was opening my browser to send this email, I received a recall email alert for an email pitch that had been sent earlier this morning.
The email header read along the lines of: RECALL: XXX Announces YYY
(Redacted, of course. The announcement was recalled after all.)
But the point is: I may have thousands of unread emails in my inbox. But the first one I’ll read each and every time? The one that just received a recall alert telling me not to read.
Cue: A dozen people attempting to send me an email with RECALL in the header as a cute work-around…
Just a reminder that a sent email is out of your control, and at the end of the day, there’s no real way to go back and undo an email that’s already sent out. It’s not like deciding to delete a comment on a website or a like on a photo.
Yes, Gmail and Outlook and lots of other email providers do have “recall” email options. But if the recipient has already received or - better yet - already read your message, there’s no way to go back in time and erase that message. Instead, the recipient will just be told you want to recall — i.e them not to read the message. In fact, it’ll draw MORE attention to that email you don’t want read, because then both email and the recall request will be in that person’s inbox. So, imagine you are sending that recall because the first email had a really embarrassing typo in the header. You’ve just made it extra easy to spot!
As I never like to send these sort of emails out without offering something actionable - I offer instead a solution rather than that recall. Consider scheduling ahead or doing time delays on those big email send-outs.
Gmail lets you use an “Undo Send” feature, it works only a few seconds after you send an email, but that gives you time to change your mind (God, how I wish I had that in the days of instant messaging in my younger, more dramatic years!) and undo the email BEFORE it is sent.
However, there’s another option. Gmail also lets you schedule ahead emails. I use this A LOT when answering emails late at night or on holidays and weekends, when I don’t want to disturb the recipient at that specific time — I may write an email on Saturday afternoon but schedule it for Monday morning.
But the same scheduling feature can help in a different way. If you are working on a pitch to send out or an important email, perhaps write it as a draft first and save it in that folder, or schedule it to go out later that day or the next day. Give yourself time to go back with fresh eyes and scan for any issues you may want to edit, typos you want to correct, links you may want to fix — whatever. Save yourself that recall button (that doesn’t actually work anyway), and send out the email the way you want it to be received.
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from pitching to followups to events or press trips or anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
Had so much fun chatting head bands and bows with so many of you a few months back when I did my Valentine’s Day collab with RPZL that I figured we could keep the fun going in a bit of a different way.
You may have noticed that I shared some photos on my Instagram a few nights ago in a fun new bow — that’s the adorable new Clarke Pearl bow style. Right now, I am partnering with RPZL, exclusively offering 30% off either that bow — or my go-to fave hair brush (I actually own two — one at home and one that I keep in my carryon!) to anyone reading this, with code ALY30 at checkout.
This is a limited time deal good for one week only!
Reminder: I’m currently sourcing for FOUR Mother’s Day gift guides — and yes, indeed, the early bird does get the worm. Scroll down to the pending assignments section below to see that and everything else I’m working on right now (it’s actually quite a lot).
If you want to prepare to pitch for these guides, you may want to take a second to grab the recording of our Mother’s Day Gift Guide AMA Zoom Event from a few weeks ago. The video covers everything you may find helpful about pitching during any gift guide season, from helping your pitch to stand out, the importance of following directions and completing ALL deliverables, as well as better email subject lines to followups and photo submission best practices (trust me, this is one that will help A LOT of you), and SO MUCH MORE. You can catch more information on what we covered and how to access the recording here. This video is free, as a benefit to paid subscribers. Membership does indeed have its rewards.
Job Leads
CURICH|WEISS is looking for an Account Manager with 4-5 years of experience to join the Food, Wine & Spirits division based in NYC. The accounts would be a variety of wine and spirit brands that lean into the lifestyle sector (celebrity brands, RTDs, spirits). You can contact Zach Groth directly at groth@curichweiss.com for more information.
CURICH|WEISS is looking for an Account Manager and Account Executive to join the Travel & Hospitality division. This team would work on a variety of luxury properties located in Hawaii, Portland, Aspen and more! Contact groth@curichweiss.com for more information.
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.
This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.
This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!
Food Network: I Tried Cup Noodles’ Most Mind-Boggling Flavor to Date
Wine Enthusiast: 10 Passover Wines to Make Your Seder Shine
Southern Living: My Recipe for Air Fryer Green Beans (these are so good!)
Clean Plates: The Healthiest Tomato Sauces You Can Buy at the Grocery Store
RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget
Today.com: These drugstore wrinkle creams are approved by experts, and they start at just $10
Clean Plates: How to Clean and Organize Your Fridge for Spring
HerMoney: The Best Timing For Hotel Bookings - How To Save On Your Stay
Forbes.com: Boutique Spot In Tuscany Schedules Intensive Food-Centric Series Hosted By Celebrity Chefs
Forbes.com: Patrick Mahomes And Travis Kelce Partner On Upscale Kansas City Steakhouse
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
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.
Clean Plates
I’m working on a story pegged for July 4th/BBQ season, geared toward all my fellow Trader Joe’s lovers out there: Products at Trader Joe's RDs love for summer cookouts …I’m not going to file this story until May, so we have LOTS of time, and I’d like to focus on newer products coming out this spring that would be great for summer grilling or a summer cookout - obviously with a component that RDs are a fan, and why. So if you have a RD that will want to comment, please reach out!
RetailMeNot
Budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter: As you all know, I write a lot of content for RMN related to budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter. I’m going to be working on a monthly column on the subject of cooking/eating well on a budget, and I’d love you to pitch me products/ideas to consider for it - maybe a new meal-stretching product that is a good deal at a grocery store, an awesome product to try that may cut my meal prep time in half, other themes as far as saving money on food/cooking/eating and doing it in a way that is smarter.
For my next Saving Stars column, I am going to chat a bit about my air fryer and how it helps me do a lot more in a small space - it's one appliance that sort of does the job of a bunch (from roasting and baking and "frying" to reheating and so much more), and even share a personal recipe or two that I like to make, which are themselves examples of budget stretching and saving. But I plan on incorporating a shopping aspect with some budget-friendly air fryers but also some very useful air-friendly friendly kitchen accessories. So, pitch, pitch, away!
Forbes
I’m sourcing for FOUR Mother’s Day gift guides! Here’s what I’m currently working on:
The Best Gifts For Her Foodie She Shed: So many women love to have a private retreat away from the constant demands of the household, be it to read, craft, or to use as an office. This can be anything from garage or outdoor space to even an actual shed - but the take on this is that if a foodie was using her she shed for all things food and bev. Whether a breakfast nook to enjoy her coffee in peace, to maybe a spot to have a girlfriend or two over for wine and cheese. I’m looking for fun gift ideas to outfit her foodie-centric she shed.
The Best Gifts For The Mom Who Loves To Grill: Grilling is so often like a dad-sphere, but I know a lot of women who love grilling, too. (LIKE ME) Why do men get all the fun? For this one, I’m open to being pitched grills, grilling accessories and also items to put on the grill.
The Best Complete Dinners You Can Have Shipped To Her Door: I’m looking for complete meal kits or readymade meals she just had to pull together or reheat and can have a full beautiful gourmet dinner ready without even having to leave home. Note, I’m NOT looking for restaurant takeout. This is strictly items that can be shipped/ordered online nationwide.
The Best Gifts For The Mom Who Really Loves Salad: To balance all those MEAT guides, y’all. For this one, I’m looking to be pitched along the lines of veggie boxes, salad kits (that can be ordered online/shipped), cool grow your own herb kits, salad dressing cruets, fun salad bowls and tongs, and all that.
To pitch for ANY of my gift guides I’m currently sourcing for, please include:
Name of product
Link to retailer where it’s currently in stock and available, no pre-sale links please
Description
Price
LINK to high res image (please make sure to remove restrictions so that I can access image, and also make sure the image will not expire for a few weeks, so it can be accessed when necessary. Also please try to avoid large galleries and JUST send the image being requested, no others…it’s the best way to assure the image used is the one intended!)
Counting down to Passover coming in just a few weeks, I’m looking for brands doing fun new products, spirits, wines, etc for Passover (note: They must be both Kosher and Kosher for Passover - and no, this isn’t the same thing - check out my recent post explaining how to know the difference when pitching.)
I’m also looking for Passover-inspired cocktails you can find at bars and restaurants. This one is trickier because I realize for this one a lot of submissions will probably come from places not kosher for Passover or even kosher — that’s fine for this story (but not the other one). This one, I need name of drink, where served, a description, a quote about it, (how is it inspired by Passover?), and an image of the cocktail.
Looking forward, also rounding up Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby and Mother’s Day inspired cocktails (for these also, I need name of drink, where served, a description, a quote about it, and an image of the cocktail.)
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!)
Virtual (and now in-person!) consulting sessions...
Looking for a consult as you plan your next event or trip? Or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback? I’m available for PR team virtual meetings to answer questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts.
<3
aly