My girlfriend is a journalist in fashion with focus on web. When someone emails her a vanilla press release, they are more likely to get her eyes to roll and go in the trash bin than anything else. But when a company does something personal, like give her goodie bags, take her to lunch or invite her to an event, she gets super excited. The funny part is she never really sees through the fact that they're buttering her up for good press, she just thinks of it as 'being nice'.<p>Another example -
I recently had lunch with the daughter of arguably the most famous film critic around. Her family took a trip to visit & take a day-long tour of Peter Jackson's studio in New Zealand. She was ranting and raving about 'how nice' Peter Jackson was taking them on the tour, and how impressed they were with the studio etc. At the end I suggested, "don't you think he was just buttering you up for a good review of Lovely Bones?". Her reaction was as if it never really crossed their minds. I just find it funny that what was obviously a ploy to make a relationship for good press was so naively interpreted by the critic and his family as being 'so generous'.<p>Buttering up journalists is so much easier than you think it should be. Make them feel special, but don't kiss their butt... Simple