Instant Messaging Technology Lands Immediate CNET Hit

Johnson & Company account planner proves innovation is key to success

When Jordan Karpowitz, account planner for Johnson & Company, The Virtual Agency™, got a response back from an instant message she sent an editor at CNET, she was pretty surprised. Contacting editors via the preferred method of email usually elicits limited response, so the instant message seemed like a long shot. With the possibility of being accused of spamming, Karpowitz took the risk, which, in this case, turned out to be well worth the gamble.

When she first got the assignment from Niehaus Ryan Wong (NRW) for Deloitte Consulting, it was late in the week and there was little time for planning. Execution had to be quick and good. Her assignment was to pitch a group of editors on Deloitte's etail study reporting on online holiday shopping and an accompanying presentation at the etail2000 conference.

"The presentation was set for the next week, where Steve Riordan and Bill Blumberg, both national directors at Deloitte Consulting, were going to present the key implications of a benchmark study of 400 traditional bricks-and-mortar companies," Karpowitz said. "NRW asked that I get trade and business press interested and excited to use this study as they reported on the outcome of online holiday shopping."

While Karpowitz had success with editors from Business 2.0, Business Week, Upside and San Francisco Business Times, the compelling accomplishment came over AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Karpowitz had sent an instant message to Troy Wolverton, an editor at CNET, after being unable to reach him via traditional email and phone.

Johnson & Company has been using ICQ instant message technology for more than a year now and Karpowitz is also familiar with AIM from personal use. Karpowitz noticed the AIM handle for Wolverton in the NRW database and found that he was online. "Although I didn't get a response from him until he returned from lunch, he saw my instant message and responded immediately," she said.

After successfully pitching the story, Karpowitz was able to continue her chat with Wolverton and simultaneously use the phone to schedule an interview with the client and request that materials be sent to the editor. NRW had an interview set up that same evening and Wolverton was successful in running the story before the actual press release went out the next morning.

"This was a story that had good timing, a good angle and good information," Karpowitz said. "NRW and I worked together as a team to get the information out and schedule interviews. It was up to me to contact all of the right people and to use the right medium; NRW complemented my efforts with immediate follow-through on any responses."

In a note to Karpowitz, Asma Emneina, NRW account manager for Deloitte Consulting, said, "Thanks for all of your awesome work, Jordan! We will get these studies out-let's hope they result in some print." 

This is just another example of Karpowitz using her ingenuity to garner success when it comes to creative pitching techniques that attract highly sought-after trade and business press.