You Can’t Put Lipstick on a Pig
I don’t know where the phrase “You Can’t Put Lipstick on a Pig” originated, but for animal lovers out there, including myself, I want to reassure you I have never tried. Unfortunately that can’t be said for some businesses, organisations and even PR and Marketing agencies. Their unsuccessful attempts to make something ugly look more attractive – which is what the saying means – only succeed in alienating the media. Pitching, what one of my former news editors called a “pile of p**h,” will not make you very popular. Your organisation or agency will be seen as someone who doesn’t understand the news/features agenda. That is the last thing you want…trust me I’m a journalist! So this creates a dilemma. You are a business/PR/marketing agency and your client believes they have a great story or a great idea for a feature. They truly believe it and you want to believe it too. But you don’t. You know “pigs will fly” before a news desk uses the story. Yes there is a pig theme going on here. W