February 27, 2017

4 Things PR Pros Can Learn From Chopped

Mitch Steichen – Account Executive

Recently, the Food Network’s series “Chopped” has become a guilty pleasure of mine. The competitions are always intriguing, and I’ve learned more about properly frying wontons than I’ll ever care to use. Something I’ve noticed is how much of the show’s premise can be applied to public relations and our interaction with clients and media.

For those unfamiliar with “Chopped,” the show puts four chefs through three rounds of cooking, with one chef being “chopped” from the show at the end of each round. The show’s twist is the mystery ingredients shown at the beginning of each round that must be incorporated into the dish, whether it’s bacon or raw squid.

1.) KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH
I can recall when I’ve been asked to work with a news story that’s as easy as cooking bacon and other times when I’ve been handed a bowl of squid. Finding the interesting strengths of the story given to you makes the difference between cooking up good PR and great PR. Try to mix your client’s strengths with the interests of the journalist.

2.) MASTER YOUR TIME
Being given 30 minutes time to put together something compelling from scratch may be difficult for “Chopped” chefs, but we do it daily in our line of work. Mastering your time and priorities must be part of your skill set.

3.) PAY ATTENTION TO THE COMPETITION
Knowing what your competition is dishing out becomes more and more important when vying for digital real estate or TV face time. To keep clients happy you must pay attention to how you can keep them one step ahead of their competitors.

4.) REMEMBER WHO IS JUDGING YOUR WORK
At the end of the day, the client will be the judge of whether your work is half-baked or not. Provide them with work you can be confident and proud of, and they’ll quickly recognize the effort put into giving them great results.

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