Tuesday: Learning the important difference between "sample" and "gift" - and why it matters.
Also: New job lead and new pending assignments!
Good morning!
Manifesting today being the best day — and I hope it is for you as well. Last night, I set up my spring window herb garden (it’s a globe of basil theme this year; six different varieties of basil…!), and tonight I am attending a press dinner at a spot I’ve been dying to try for a while.
Hint: Caviar martinis are involved!
But back to biz: Yesterday, I got an email from someone I haven’t communicated with before. I’m not sure if she was new to that particular agency or new to that account, but it went along the lines of…
“Hi, Aly. We’d love you to try out our sandals. Samples are available. Please tell us where to send!” Followed by “We’d be happy to gift you this pair. When can we expect to see this featured in a story?”
I wrote back to this person and gently broached the topic of how samples for consideration and products being gifted are completely different terms — and those terms really shouldn’t be used interchangeably because not only do they come from a different place of intent — but are given, we assume, with different sorts of goals and expectations.
Ultimately, the response I got to my explanation of the differentiation in terms was very interesting: “… for some clarification we tend to use the term “gift” when it comes to sample products, but understand where the confusion can lie with that term.”
Having a dialogue helped us to get on the same page — communication is important.
Now, in the case of the sandals, I fully interpreted the sandals as a media sample for potential story consideration and was having the conversation regarding the product in that context - it was suddenly pivoting to call it a gift — but also following up on it regarding coverage expectations simultaneously — that led to the contextual discrepancy.
Let us take a second to delve into that.
Historically, a gift is something given with no transaction (or, well, anticipated result other than relationship building) expected. A gift is a gift. A review sample, though, is more: “We’re sending you these sandals so you can try it out and consider writing about it if you enjoy it and it ends up a fit for an upcoming story.”
Now, have I ever written about something that I was given as a gift? Of course! TONS OF TIMES. If it’s a fit, it’s a fit - it won’t ever be excluded or not considered because of how I it came into my possession. BUT when someone calls something a gift that was meant as a sample (or vice versa, really) it muddies the waters.
But the issue comes in the expectation and the wording. Whether you are sending a gift to develop a relationship, raise awareness, or just because, remember — it’s only a gift if you don’t expect anything in return. No strings attached. Otherwise, the intention and spirit behind it is lost.
Something to consider in all areas of our life.
(I realize this post may ruffle some feathers, but I hope some also find it helpful!)
Grab the recording of our Mother’s Day Gift Guide AMA Zoom Event!
Thanks for attending our recent Mother’s Day Gift Guide AMA Zoom Event, cohosted by my dear friend and badass journalist Alice Dubin. We had a blast and a full house and dozens of amazing questions on everything from helping your pitch to stand out, to better email subject lines to followups and photo submission best practices and SO MUCH MORE. You can catch more information on what we covered and how to access the recording here.
Job lead
Quinn’ is looking for a Senior Account Supervisor to join their LA team!
So honored to see Muck Rack included me in their 2024 list of top ten most popular freelance journalists. Check out the list here.
In just about the coolest news that can happen to a girl who grew up in Brooklyn, there’s a pizza named after me! It’s inspired by my Dirty Aly martini and it’s at Gelso & Grand in Little Italy. Please go check it out and tell me what you think <3
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!
Forbes.com: Boutique Spot In Tuscany Schedules Intensive Food-Centric Series Hosted By Celebrity Chefs
Southern Living: The Difference Between Chives And Green Onions
Travel & Leisure: Comfy Spring Shoes Are Up to 64% Off at Amazon This Week — Shop the 20 Best Deals for Travelers
Food Network: Hostess Launches Meltamors, The First Snack It Explicitly Suggests Microwaving
RetailMeNot: 20 Easter Sales That Shouldn’t Be Missed for 2024
RetailMeNot: 20+ Stores Closed on Easter Sunday (and 20+ That Will Stay Open)
Forbes.com: Patrick Mahomes And Travis Kelce Partner On Upscale Kansas City Steakhouse
Forbes.com: Hop Over To These 11 Bars Nationwide To Try Their Fun Easter Cocktails
Travel & Leisure: Zappos' St. Patrick's Day Sale Has Us Feeling Lucky — Hoka, Birkenstock, and More Are Up to 55% Off
Food Network: Del Monte’s Newest Pineapple Is Made for One
Forbes.com: The Settepani Rainbow Cookie Croissant Offers A Fresh Spin On A Dessert Classic
Forbes.com: A Soup Made With Louis XIII Cognac May Be The Ultimate Luxury For Seafood Lovers
Forbes.com: 10 Relaxing Nightcaps To Enjoy In Honor Of National Sleep Awareness Month
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
Best Life: 11 Things You Should Put Away When Guests Come Over, Experts Say
RetailMeNot: How to Save on Groceries: Tips That Actually Work
RetailMeNot: Meal Prepping Products That Are Actually WORTH It
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and This Is My Secret to Packing for a Week in a Single Carry-on Bag
Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I'm Traveling by Plane
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.
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.
Forbes
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 - drop me a note if you need clarification, please!
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 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
Oooooof. Learned this lesson last year! 🤪 the way you word things is so important. ❤️