What People Say About Newstips

David Dix, Marketing Computers, May 1994

PR PROFILE INFO-HIGHWAY ROADHOG

Agency: Newstips, Inc., Novelty, Ohio
Employees: 1
1993 Billings: $800,000
Major Clients: Software Publishing, ATI, Hammermill Papers

Novelty, Ohio, is located in the maple sugar hills of Geauga County, about 40 minutes east of Cleveland. In the basement of one of its houses - unremarkable except perhaps for a huge mass of telephone cables that cross to it from the street - Marty Winston and his merry band of robots conduct one of the most unusual PR operations in the computer industry.

In the basement there are rows of PCs, CD-ROM data servers, fax gateways, scanners, modems, laser printers and wires coming in and going out in almost every direction. These are some of the key members of the Newstips, Inc. staff. Over in the corner is the company's only human, 20-year industry veteran and PR guy Marty Winston. He works with two big Windows machines, which are networked to those minions in the back. Across the room, an open computer chassis is being fitted for a pair of voice channels so Winston can add fax-on-demand to his services.

Winston founded NewsTips in 1993, naming his company after the weekly electronic bulletin that he's been sending to computer journalists for the past 12 years. "The newsletter is the best branded and most successful product of my company," says Winston. "It's what people remember."

Winston is a colorful character, a technology maven with a flair for the fast life that's slowed down a bit as he's aged and had children. He started writing technical articles for the electronics industry back in 1968, and his first computer had slide switches, LEDs and dry cells.

He spent the '70s working for ad agencies (most of them are now defunct) and was director of publicity for Radio Shack during the TRS-80 Model 3 days in 1981 and 1982. Then he struck out on his own, heading up various high-tech PR agencies in Texas where he employed up to 15 people, before finally settling in Ohio and deciding to run a one-man operation.

With nearly 30 clients now, Winston's presence has become a common fixture at every major technology trade show there is, where his parties are always well attended. Winston is also an assistant sysop on PRSIG, the CompuServe PR and Marketing Forum. It's hard to travel anywhere on CompuServe without running across his on-line opinions. Winston can be outspoken, but it's obvious to anyone that he does know his stuff. Even the management types at companies like Lotus and Novell take his comments very seriously.

The Newstips bulletin reaches approximately 2,000 computer industry journalists every week. Winston, who prefers to charge his clients a flat fee instead of billing by the hour, will sell anything from a one-time mention in NewsTips for $350 to virtually unlimited consulting services for $15,000 a month. "I never liked the idea of charging for time," he says. "That penalizes efficiency and rewards sloth, and is always more in an agency's interest than a client's."

Winston says that because he has relationships with some sought-after columnists, it might take him just 30 seconds to get them to write about his client's product, whereas it might take a less experienced PR person as long as six months. If you bill the client based on the time it takes to get the job done, says Winston, "the novice makes $8,000 and I make less than $2.00. That's a solid incentive in favor of incompetence."

Winston spends a lot of time working in e-mail - he estimates he sends and receives at least 2,000 messages a day. How does he manage to do it all? "I skim a lot. I use rules a lot to eliminate or automate some of it. And I work incredibly long hours."

Cheryl Currid, The Electronic Invasion (Chapter 1, Pg 9)

(Brady division of Prentice Hall Computer Publishing, 1993); reprinted with permission of the author.

Another example of the new breed of technology-empowered guru is Marty Winston, whose one-man high-tech PR firm runs circles around many competitors with large staffs. Among other things, Marty publishes electronically a weekly electronic newsletter aimed at about 1,500 journalists, telling about the hot activities of his clients. He distributes his newsletter by fax, e-mail, and airwaves - according to what his readers prefer to receive. He maintains and up-to-date database of industry journalists and knows who writes about which technology topics. This gives him a real edge on getting the right information to the right people.

Marty has built an action system that helps his clients send evaluation products to appropriate journalists for review. All the journalist has to do is indicate an interest, and the system goes into action. Marty queues up the matching information and the system automatically sends a request to the client, with a courtesy copy to the journalist. We recently saw him send out about 60 of them. Poof, like magic, the machines took over, writing informational notes to the appropriate people. Within minutes, the process was complete; the letters were sent, courtesy copies sent, and documents were filed electronically for follow-up. (Done the old-fashioned way, the process would have taken days.)

Marty likes to explain his office in exhaustive technical detail. In his home office, he has several personal computers, CD-ROM data servers, fax gateways, scanners, modems, and wires coming and going in almost every direction. He has even put in uninterruptible power supply units so that both he and his system can stay up all the time.

He orchestrates his business with automated systems that work like robots. If a journalist wants to review a client's product, all Marty has to do is set up the request one time; his system does the rest - contacts the client with a full set of information, bounces back information to the journalist, and automatically and electronically keeps everybody connected and in the loop.

The PC Graphics Report
THE JPA Newsletter on Desktop Graphics

 

Volume VI, Number 29 - July 20, 1993
Marketing

Could you use a little help?

It's tough to be heard above the noise out there in PC land. We know because we have to sift through all the stuff you and your PR people generate when we're looking for real information. We get help from a guy in Novelty, OH; his name is Marty Winston and some of you know him.

Marty is a reporter's reporter/engineer/philosopher/curmudgeon/marketing/PR guy. He has a different way of getting the information out for his select clients. He selects who he will work for, and it's limited. A master of the paper-less information age, Marty publishes a newsletter for us, and in it are succinct newsbites, 'cause Marty knows how busy we and others like us are, and he informs us weekly about new developments. This isn't an infomercial; we advise you regularly about good ideas and good people, and our advice this week is to give Marty a call and see if you can get him to take on your company. However, be prepared to be told what's right and not so right about your current approach - this ain't no yes-man you're calling (216.338.8400).

The Low-Tech Paper Pushers By Thom Foulks

Thom Foulks is a contributing writer for PC World, Boardwatch, Computer Sun Times and Windows Online Review in addition to the CPA Network News, and was one of the first to cover computers in a regularly scheduled radio broadcast program.

I just threw a 3-inch stack of paper into the wastebasket - and it made me angry. The stack was comprised of news releases and press materials received at Cache la Byte in a little less than two weeks. Now, worthless (recyclable?) scrap paper.

Ironically, some of the printouts - replete with fancy logos and catchy headlines - were about products to help "revolutionize" the American office by eliminating paper-shuffling. What's on the horizon, we're told, are document-management systems that will transfer information electronically and store it in computer-based files.

There is something oxymoronic in reading about such innovations as network fax-servers and electronic mail systems on laser- printed paper. One has to wonder if the irony is even recognized by the people who draft such epistles, then reproduce them by the dozens (or more).

Sure, mailed news releases from public relations firms are the time-hallowed means by which the computer industry communicates directly to the journalists who write about the new products. But few writers work directly from a news release. Generally, such printed information is only the tip-of-the-iceberg of a product review or story - the *real* information usually comes later, testing a product or in interviews with product managers.

It's a rare news release that is worth saving more than a couple of weeks. The information becomes outdated too rapidly in such a dynamic industry, and you can build a filing nightmare by trying to decide whether to file something by product category, product name, company name, or what-have-you. So the paper disappears rapidly.

Any computer industry journalist not using a fax and/or e-mail is not serious about the job. We're all accessible by electronic transmissions: Faster, more efficiently, and likely less expensively. I yearn for the time when I can log on to CompuServe (74505,74) and regularly expect to find 2-3 text-based news releases awaiting me. Of the dozens of firms with my name on their distribution list, only Marty Winston's Newstips consistently provides such modern, sensible service.

The advent of high-performance optical-character-recognition (OCR) software also gives definitive advantages to receiving news releases via fax. Fax image information can be converted to ASCII, and turned into a computer-searchable file. Information that is worth saving can be, systematically.

Clearly, it's past time for the high-tech PR firms to break their low-tech mold, and demonstrate they know how to use the technology they want us to help publicize.

I'd have more to write on this topic, but I've got to go check the mail.

Dwight Silverman
Computer columnist & Technology reporter
The Houston Chronicle

Your bulletins are great at helping me track product development trends. I read each one of them, and have opted to review some products I would not have as a result. I also am interested in the "Rumors" section, which sometimes has a news story tip in it.

John Hard
Editor/Publisher
Digital Future Newsletter

Very valuable to me, as editor of a weekly online newsletter. Keep 'em coming.

Robert D. Frank

I am a Contributing Editor for Andrew Seybold's Outlook on Communications and computing. I also do freelance work for the Personal Technology Section of the Atlanta Journal & Constitution.

As you know, I have always read every single line you write and miss my Newstips when they don't arrive. I consider the newsletter an important part of keeping up with the latest products...even when 2 arrive within 24 hours as you just did to me. I even save them just to make sure I can find references in the future. I have recommended to my clients that they use this service many times. Certainly, your clients can tell when requests for review products come as a result of someone reading your notes. If they don't track them, you should have everything go through you so you can track it.

A great service, even if your rumors are sometime suspect! Keep up the good work.

Donald Jenner

I regard Newstips as one of the best sources of what is going on in an increasingly complex industry. I think it was Stewart Alsop who said that keeping track of the things that are happening and the products that are appearing is a full-time occupation (and that does not include knowing what those products do, or how well they do 'em, as I recall the story). There are many sources one can track. Newstips is always ahead of the curve, and therefore makes the punditry magic look better. Moreover, it is delivered where I need it -- on my computer (faxed news releases are a pain in the butt; press kits -- unless they include backgrounders -- merely take up precious desk space). And you can quote me, and you can refer anyone who asks to me for comment.

Michael R. Barnard

I like Newstips a lot... even during "slow" times for my writing, Newstips is the source that keeps me up-to-date on much of what's happening.
Thanks for your service!

Steve Leibson
Editor-In-Chief
EDN Magazine

Since you asked: EDN is not exactly the sort of magazine you're targeting. We're a trade magazine for the electronics OEM, specifically for the design community. Your clients seem mostly to target the PC Magazine/PC World/PC Week/PC Anyoldthing crowd. Many of our readers design things in this world. Many more don't.

Nevertheless, I've found real gold in your Newstips. Some I've used directly as news items but many more have served as leads for news and feature articles. Further, I've made several good contacts leading to conference speaking engagements for your clients. So as you can see, I think you're providing a full-service opportunity for your clients.

And thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback.

 

Hal Glatzer

Marty, it's occasionally valuable, but mostly it's just plain useful, and that's an accomplishment in itself. Your clients are in the second- and third-tiers of the industry, about whom the business pages of the NY Times et. al. devote no space. Yet there are viable innovations percolating up all the time. Keep going.

Dave Browde
WNBC TV: Data File

For your survey, feel free to cite me as one of the computer reporters whose live would be immeasurably more difficult without your help.

Our segment, now some seven months old, runs weekly, airing Saturday night and Sunday morning. You probably can tell me better than I can tell you how many of your clients we've used; suffice it to say your track record with us is superior to any other publicist/news source.

When you say you can deliver a product to us with an interview, you do... and for the most part we've found the people you represent to be selling good quality and able to justify their price.

Craing Menefee

Don't know about percentages, but this issue I picked out 3 items that will probably become stories for the 4-5 million readers of Newbytes News Network. I read all the rest, and several of those might have become items if they weren't off my telecom beat. Newstips is, to me, a very valuable tool.

J.W. Olsen

Receiving diverse story leads in one place and electronically helps. But at least as valued is the way you provide diverse client contact info in one place--no fuss, no muss. I send/receive all CIS, MCI, and Internet e-mail-- and send faxes--from within one environment (E-Mail Connection). So I can contact any of your clients with a quick cut-and-paste of the relevant graf from Newstips into a "compose" window, add a "please send" line, and address the thingie. Repeat that for all items of interest, click on send, and in minutes I have requests for multiple stories on their way. Thanks for the convenience. ;-)

Brian Proffit
OS/2 Magazine

Marty,
Feel free to tell your clients that in my opinion, your use of E-mail to get out these regular bulletins gives me much better information about their products than I get from other PR firms.