Renowned restaurant critic Jay Rayner voices his frustration at receiving irrelevant PR pitches, urging professionals to conduct more research before reaching out. Despite the deluge of emails, Rayner recognises the importance of effective PR practices and calls for a more streamlined approach to media relations.
Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner has publicly criticized the practices of certain PR professionals, calling for them to conduct “a minimum amount of research” before sending emails. Rayner highlighted his frustration following multiple invitations from PR pitching platform Synapse to a webinar on rejection in the PR industry. Despite Synapse’s aim to reduce inbox clutter, Rayner received repeated and irrelevant pitches.
Rayner detailed how he receives hundreds of PR emails weekly, many unrelated to his role as a restaurant critic. Examples included pitches about children’s festivals, wellness gurus, and financial reports. Multiple follow-up emails exacerbated his frustration, with some PRs sending up to five follow-ups for irrelevant content.
Despite his criticisms, Rayner acknowledged the value of good PR and expressed respect for competent PR practitioners. PR veteran Mark Borkowski supported Rayner’s critique, emphasizing the need for more focused and streamlined media relations. Synapse, established to improve PR practices, aims to foster a debate on enhancing the relationship between media and PR sectors.
