Once you've considered the madness of the below scenario, I'd like you to admit that it would never happen. 

Let's begin with a secret.

​When I was at University, the most popular activity amongst my friends was beer, parties and sex. A noble hobby, I grant you.

I, however, gratified myself with a collection of magazines — supermarket food magazines, to be precise. You know the ones... always glossy, always free, always drool-inducing.

It's official, podcasts are a PR goldmine. 41% of British people listen to a podcast on at least a monthly basis, meaning you have a tantalising and relatively barrier-less opportunity to introduce new audiences to your brand. Better still, thanks to our Ego Delay Technique (EDT), we're placing our clients on the most listened-to and respected shows every week. Now it's your turn to leverage the Ego Delay Technique in your PR pitches.

​But first, here's how we developed EDT

Long before instagram made 'life quotes' as popular as breathing, I watched three lawyers talking in the ladies' toilets. What one of them said left me speechless. With unshakable confidence, she leaned into her young apprentice and said:

"You can never rely on someone's interest in your affairs, but one thing you can guarantee, is their investment in their own."

Awed by her wisdom, I wasn't surprised by it, after all, she was a character created by my favourite TV producer of all time: the multi award-winning genius David E. Kelley. I first saw that bathroom scene — in U.S drama series Boston Legal — over twenty years ago, yet to this day, it plays in my thoughts each time I pitch clients for podcasts, TV, radio, print or online. Why? Because when I reach-out to these media publishers, that quote directly influences how I craft my opening paragraph.

​Lets see how.
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During my recent appearance on FBI behavioural analyst Robin Dreeke's podcast, dazzling parallels were drawn between my work as a PR specialist and a documentary maker.

Thanks to Robin's insightful questions, many of which explored my childhood, we unearthed one character trait that enables me to secure high-profile media coverage for my clients with great ease. Now it's your turn to experiment with this trait.

So, what's the trait? It's EMPATHY — the ability to understand and share the feelings of other people. 

We've already shown you how empathy can be used to cleverly deflect awkward interview questions, but truth is, if understanding the needs of others is hard for you, writing a compelling press release that attracts valuable media attention is an almost impossible undertaking. Why? Let's see.
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Here's a sentence I never thought I'd say, but I mean it: an alleged scandal in the cat food industry is going to make your next piece of writing instantly more interesting to your audience.  

According to estimates, the average adult makes approximately 35,000 decisions every day. Shopify - the company that generated US$4.611 billion last year - leverages this fact better than any brand I've ever studied. How? By spraying their web visitors with a deluge of clear direction; which as we'll see later, relieves them of the stress of having to make yet more decisions.  

A dating disaster I recently endured has no place in an article explaining how to win business awards, I admit it, but my date was guilty of the one social error found in almost all mediocre business award submissions. So, if you want to engage, captivate and persuade a judging panel (instead of sending them into a deep sleep), here's what not to do.

Never underestimate how stupid I felt standing in London's busiest underground station taking pictures of chicken nuggets bolted to a wall. Genuine shame. Happily, there was also an upside. ​

Applause swept through Linkedin this week following Tesco's cute ad supporting the British pubs industry. My question, however, is - "Was Tesco being selfless or strategic?"

When was the last time you didn't press 'skip' on a YouTube ad?

​For me, those occasions are so rare, that when an ad does hook my attention, I demand to know why. The answer never surprises me.

In my opinion, there are proven techniques that underpin hypnotic ads - techniques that use powerful psychology and nifty copywriting. Let's look at one such ad from meditation app Headspace. Watch the ad below, then scroll down to see my 3 observations - all outlining why  I think the ad is structurally excellent.

GOOD NEWS: All 3 techniques we cover will improve your marketing communications if carefully applied.
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