A broken embargo is the least of Kerry Metzdorf’s problems. Now she and her client, photo start-up Tabblo, are forever linked with the sad tale of her wordy pitch as recounted in Valleywag.
Apart from the larger question … as in do we really need another photo editing / sharing / storing / whatever site… one has to wonder what they put in the water at Red Javelin. Here’s what Kerry sent out to however many journalists, bloggers, editors and whomever else she could find on MediaMap (italics mine):
Tabblo surpasses other photo-sharing sites through its emphasis on creative control and collaboration, not just sharing of photos. By providing easy-to-use, browser-based layout and photo editing tools, and secure collaboration on photo-based projects, Tabblo creates more distinctive and elegant online photo albums (tabblos), and print products than anywhere else on the Internet.
With Tabblo people can easily and securely pool pictures with family and friends to make great-looking group tabblos or group memories for all. It offers secure access and the ability to download full-resolution images free for local printing.
Antonio Rodriguez, founder of Tabblo (and former VP of MyPublisher) would like to give you a sneak peak of Tabblo’s new product – this news is under embargo until May 15.
Note that last line there… “this news is under embargo until May 15.” Sorry but you’re wrong. The news is already out there in the email message you sent to the whole wide world.
Now listen up kids. Here’s how you pull off the hardest trick in the PR playbook… the embargo tease. You give your targets the decency of an email that reads like you wrote it with the individual journalist or blogger in mind. You give them enough information to ensure they understand what you are offering them but no more. And most importantly you tell the target how this story is important to their readers.
This didn’t have to be a blogger blowing the embargo, it could have easily been a reporter at a daily who didn’t get to the end of the email or had a beef or whatever. In other words, it’s not just because of bloggers that we have to be careful and thoughtful. It’s because of anyone we send anything out to. Anything can become public knowledge. There’s no such thing as ‘just between us horses’ in this industry and no one likes being spammed either.
The author of this email didn’t think or wasn’t aware of this and now she’s got a bigger problem than a blown embargo.
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