Capitalizing on a Publisher’s Delays

Although this feature story took six months before it made its debut, what would have been "just another feature" in this magazine became the Cover Story! Here’s the inside scoop on how it happened.

First, this pitch was intended for the September/October issue because it featured "Trends in Aircraft Seating." Our client approved the pitch in mid-summer, giving us a very tight "features pitch window."

Second, Aircraft Interiors is a bi-monthly. That means that if you miss one issue, you’re looking at a longer wait for your feature to run.

The third aspect of this pitch was a publisher who courted us relentlessly for trade show support. The PR reality: We had to be patient with the pitch as we tried to convince the publisher that our client had no interest in being an exhibitor.

Bottom-line: We didn’t make the issue. Still, from experience, we know it’s possible to turn setbacks into success stories, especially when you’ve jumped through hoops (pun intended) for your client and publisher.

Best break? Timing! Marek & Company knew the next issue would be the January/February one ­ just as NBA season was in full swing.

So we suggested to the editor and publisher, "Why not make this story your Cover Story? You know about Mark Cuban’s highflying personality and his team. Capitalize on them." And that’s what happened.

In our view, we delivered a "slam dunk."