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Sample Editorial Schedule

Following is a sample editorial schedule (using fictitious data for a possible XBox competitor) that would be used to identify publications with features that we might participate in.

Publication Editorial Highlight Issue Red Herring Games April 9th   Digital Hollywood August 6   Telecom October 8 Newsweek Technology April 2   Technology May 28   Technology – next frontiers for families June 25 Business Week Telecom May 27   Telecom industry October 21 Tech Week Digital Dreams – Games March 6 PC Magazine Consumer Broadband, Business Broadband February 20 (missed)   PC vs. Console Games March 6   Developing for Wireless April 17   Ultimate Game Library (pitch online) June 26 Broadband Week Rollout report: Telecom June 4   Broadband Abroad September 7 Communications Solutions One Box – Multiple Services… May 1 Telecom Business Consumer Broadband March 6 Electronic Design DSL / Broadband Technology April 30 Global Telephony Converged Services July 7 Electrical Contractor Smart home – residential automation August 6 Electronic House Bringing Internet to home theater June 4 Computer Graphics World New Gaming Platforms March 11 Telephony Broadband video content August 6 ABC Today Focus: Future Technology October 20

We would typically find the editorial schedules at the web sites of the publications we are targeting. For example, we find the editorial schedule for PC Magazine here. We can also look up targeted editorial schedules within databases from MediaMap and others.

CyberAlert does monitoring and many of the top services use their content. But they also have a service they partner with for Editorial Calendars (newer service). It includes a free 14 day trial. I highly recommend you check it out--it should save you a lot of work.

The service they partner with is MyEdcals and they have a FREE  trial. This company compiles information from over 400,000 story opportunities (100k more than their closest competitor with better coverage than Bacons (now Cision)), from ALL categories, and their prices are affordable for even a start-up. The database is updated every single day. They are also happy to add a publication if it is missing.

Note: Be cautious about signing up for newsletters at MediaMap, I was averaging three e-mails from them a day before I had to unsubscribe.
 

Reviewer’s Guide

When looking at editorial calendars and seeking product reviews make sure you create a "Reviewer's Guide" and manage the review. Having won PC Magazine's Editor's Choice award seven times in a row with one of my companies, I can tell you that the review doesn't always go to the best product, but to the vendor who can properly manage the review process and ensure that his/her features become the criteria for the review.

The reviewer's guide would include the following items:

1. Software package
2. Brochures and sell sheets (piece that goes to resellers (shows category, positioning, SRP and anticipated street price (you never want to use list and have a competitor use street price), promotions, size, etc.
3. Copies of other positive reviews (so they can see other's review criteria (at least that's how you position it (selecting the criteria is like selecting the jury--your attempt to is bias the review in your favor)).
4. Demo script (the fastest way for them to see the "best foot forward" features of your product without having to touch the manuals). This should be in paper format, and video if possible (now you can use a Windows Media format (unless your product is mac) so it can be viewed on the PC). If you are faster, you will highlight the speed. If you have a better URL, you will point out how few clicks it takes to execute a task. If you have a better price (the price/performance leader is often a category), then you will bold the text in red. If you have totally unique features, you will coat them with "the only product to do...", etc.
5. Your product's positioning and unique value proposition.
6. Your "external" Tom Cruise chart (You're better than Tom Cruise because you are taller, have bigger feet, can play piano, less wrinkles, etc. (irrelevant to Tom's girlfriend or biased fans, but still has value). i.e., a comparative matrix (the external one that shows your good features, not the internal that shows both strength's and weaknesses).
7. Other items that you think are valuable (such as special hotline numbers)

This is not a press release that is supposed to be news and neutral--this is promotion and you are expected to be biased (although not flagrant), which is why you're putting your product up to the test.

By managing the review I mean you must know when to submit, to who, and have access to the actual reviewer(s). If you can give a "quick start" demo it will help. Regardless, you need to ensure the actual reviewer has your reviewer's kit and all the "hotline" phone numbers and e-mails to get any question or problem resolved quickly.

You also have to ensure that folks in the company know the review is occurring, the reviewer's name(s), and the proper responses (which should be to re-direct all "non-public" questions back to you (or whoever is managing the particular review). You don't want future features (or products) pre-announced when the reviewer speaks with support, engineering, etc. Any potential internal contacts (including the receptionist) must be coached.

Winning a review (and then leveraging the results (press release, post on site, list in an ad, put on the font of packaging, immediate leads, etc.) can be the most important single promotional activity you will perform and is too important to be left to the uninitiated (get help).

By the way, other sources for reviews also includes Users Groups. I've identified every major user group that covers my category. Many folks will do product reviews in return for a copy copies donated to their user group meetings. The person/people who receive extra copies have to review it. These often go into newsletters, etc. A great viral approach to getting the word out and getting additional product referencing. Check out the book, "Working with Computer User Groups" (Amazon) if you want more help.

Infrasystems, who I have referenced before with their article on the MRD, has an interesting new article on, “Writing a Reviews Guide.” They take a different approach, but have some good points.

Below are links to three sample reviewer’s guides (I found these on the company’s websites):

• Sony’s Acid Pro
• Sony’s Sound Forge
• Beyond TV

Unfortunately, these guides aren't ideal (the one from Goldmine (now FrontRange) is superb--won PC Magazine Editor's Choice for 9 consecutive years). Notice the use of testimonials from other positive reviews (puts the reviewer on notice that he/she is already reviewing a product that others consider award winning (so be thorough)), the testimonials will also overcome typical objections ("Don't let the fun fool you, there is a lot of serious technology under the hood" (fun but powerful), "The basic version is great, but I like the import capability from the ”higher” version .”

Also, notice the use of screen shots and features (they tilt the review (as in, "Make sure all these features make it to the review matrix")--it is difficult for many reviewers to decide the review criteria. The vendor that can help influence the criteria often has a major advantage (the criteria is usually assisted through a reviewers guide). Notice how Sound Forge compared it's new version to the previous version--this is helpful to know what is new, but is also a subtle approach to creating comparison grids between the competing review products. You'll also notice that Sound Forge has positioned the product for it’s intended audience. This way the reviewer does not compare it to a product aimed at another audience (i.e., Don’t compare Sony’s beginning editing package to Avid--they serve different markets/audience).

Notice that the SnapStream guide is also a mini-user manual (highly graphical). This will help a reviewer who does not have the patience for the tutorial. Also, notice that Snapstream has a special reviewersupport@snapstream e-mail to ensure that it gets extra special attention (CRITICAL), plus notice that they supply unique call numbers to all the proper contacts that get them straight through. This is especially important for companies that actually have a problem with their support lines. These companies MUST get the reviewers to bypass their support lines (by providing a special number) or the entire "product" review could get destroyed by a reviewer complaining in his review about their bad support.

It is also important to note that major software reviews are usually conducted by an entire team (a technical person who has to plod through installations, support, etc. and a lead writer who may or may not see the reviewer's guide). The key is to call and find out how their process works so we can properly manage the review.

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