Technological advancements in computers have become so commonplace,
the media has become almost oblivious. David Ward discusses what it
takes to get the media to cover PC software today.
In the space of about 15 years, the personal computer has gone from a
revolutionary machine worthy of reams of news coverage, to a household
appliance taken for granted by most of its users. Yes, PCs are still
being used on a daily - if not hourly - basis by millions of Americans.
But the gee-whiz factor is gone, and with it went much of the media
interest.
Nowhere is this more apparent than the coverage of PC software. Many of
the reporters that used to focus on the latest PC game, word processing
software, or operating systems have now turned their attention to
monitoring the internet's evolution or touting the latest wireless
gadget.
This reduced interest in PC software stories has been exacerbated by the
current economic climate, which hit tech journalism hard. The result is
that magazines such as Incite PC Games, Gamer's Republic, Family PC,
Home PC, and websites like Happy Puppy and Daily Radar have all shut
their doors in the past 18 months. In addition, some major newspapers
and magazines like Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly are cutting down on
coverage, or folding their multimedia/technology sections back into the
main pages.
"Changes in the marketplace have reduced the amount of places you can
get coverage," says Bill Linn, president of San Francisco-based Linn
PR.
"That said, while a lot of doors have closed, some others are
opening.
FHM, Maxim, Gear, and Stuff now have regular columns, and TV Guide is on
its second round of coverage of the game industry within the past
year."
PC software - and PC software journalism - can be divided into two
categories: entertainment (primarily games), and the more practical
utility products (such as word processing and CD-burning products).
The holy grail for PR professionals pitching PC game stories is the
cover of outlets such as Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, and Computer
Games.
Linn says the competition for these coveted spots is so fierce, he often
reaches out to key editors 12-16 months before the game reaches
shelves.
"The earlier you're in the process, the more you're trying to endear the
editor to the person who is making the game, because that relationship
is really the difference between a small story and a large story," he
says.
One distinguishing feature about PC game reporters is that many are
rabid fans of the products they write about, and they pride themselves
on being gamers first and journalists second. While this means the
standard rules of journalism don't always apply, Switzer Communications
director Kristin Greene points out, "It makes it exciting for us as PR
professionals to work with journalists who are really passionate about
what they're covering."
Software journalism is serious business
But PC software journalism is more than just fun and games. There's also
a host of reporters who cover more practical products that help PC users
do everything from plan their family budgets to burn a CD. Bender Helper
Impact SVP Steve Honig says coverage of these utility PC titles is
usually handled by technology generalists, who may be reviewing the
latest mp3 player or cellular phone at the same time.
Honig, who represents Roxio and its Easy CD Creator software, says there
are a number of challenges when pitching reporters writing product
reviews, including ensuring they have the right PC specifications for
the software, and that they are taking time to truly understand the
product before writing about it. "It's all about being able to have your
software product reviewed accurately," he says. "Some reporters make
negative comments about a product that they have only looked at for half
an hour."
Sue Bohle, founder of LA-based The Bohle Company, points out that many
of the reporters who cover PC utility software are veterans wary of
over-exaggerated product claims, and that they know the difference
between the updated version of existing software and an entirely new
product.
"What we're seeing is that reporters are no longer interested in what we
used to call updates or new features. So companies are rebranding these
new versions as new products in order to get major coverage," she
says.
"We've had many editors ask us, 'Is this truly a new product or is this
an upgrade?' and you have to be able to speak to that question with
every call you make."
Who's covering the industry?
Among the most influential reporters covering PC game software are Marc
Saltzman, who is syndicated through Gannett News Service, Mike Snider of
USA Today, Aaron Curtis of the Los Angeles Times, and N'Gai Croal of
Newsweek.
There are also columnists such as The Wall Street Journal's Walter
Mossberg and Steven Wildstrom of Business Week, who review new personal
technologies that can include PC software, and whose opinions have in
the past made or broken companies. On the business side of PC software,
the leading reporters are Dean Takahashi of Red Herring, and Khan Tran
of The Wall Street Journal.
There are few women-oriented media outlets willing to devote space to
either PC entertainment or utility software products. "I've done three
outreaches to women's magazines in the last six months - everybody from
Elle and Seventeen on down - and after the third try with some of the
most women-oriented games, I couldn't even get them to return phone
calls," says Linn.
And even some the men's outlets that cover PC software don't always use
staffers. "We definitely try to reach out to freelancers, because more
often than not, they're the ones who get us into the publications we
want to hit, especially the lifestyle outlets," says Stone Chin, an
Edelman account exec who represents Microsoft's PC games division.
There are the handful of occasions when PC software becomes a front-page
story, such as when it was revealed that in Microsoft's Flight Simulator
software, one can fly a plane into the World Trade Center. Chin says
Edelman did some crisis management in response to inquiries as to
whether the game could be a training tool for terrorists, though he
claims that most of that interest quickly subsided.
But there is also the opportunity for PC software companies to interject
themselves into "good news" stories. Switzer's Greene, who represents
Lego Media, was able to piggyback on the recent release of Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone. Lego Media has a PC software title, Lego
Creator - Harry Potter, based on the book license.
"In addition to tried-and-true reviewers and holiday buying guides, the
week of the movie release we did a quick and very targeted broadcast
outreach where we called assignment desks, looking for stories they
could do during the movie's launch week," she says. The campaign
resulted in b-roll of the game being aired on TV stations in Phoenix,
Detroit, San Francisco, and other key markets as part of a
Potter-mania-themed story.
WHERE TO GO
NEWSPAPERS: USA Today; The New York Times; The Wall Street Journal; Los
Angeles Times; San Jose Mercury News
MAGAZINES: Maxim; Stuff; FHM; Gear; Newsweek; Time; Playboy; PC Gamer;
Computer Gaming World; Computer Games; Next Generation; Game Informer;
PC Magazine; PC World; Computer Shopper; regional and national parenting
magazines (for children's and educational software)
TRADE TITLES: IE (Interactive Entertainment) magazine; Game
Developer
TELEVISION: TechTV; Electric Playground (Discovery Channel); NPR
INTERNET: GameSpy.com; GameVault.com; GameSpot.com; FatBabies.com;
BluesNews.com; IGN.com; MSNBC.com; AOL.
