Ever wonder how brands get picked for lifestyle segments on primetime shows like The Today Show and Good Morning America? Today’s episode will uncover all the tips and tricks in getting featured! Josh McBride, a nationally recognized TV host and lifestyle expert, who has made a name for himself by helping brands shine on screen, joins us to discuss how brands land those coveted spots. From seasonal gift guides to back-to-school essentials and “New Year, New You” must-haves, Josh has been the go-to face behind countless top-tier media segments and now you’ll know what it takes break into the broadcast spotlight.
imPRessions Season 3 Episode #3 Transcript
Jenn
Hey Kalli.
Kalli
Hey Jenn.
Jenn
So quick question for you. I know you like to watch a lot of TV. I know you like daytime segments and get to check out like new products and things like that. When you’ve been watching like the Today Show or Good Morning America, have you ever bought any of the products that you saw on TV?
Kalli
Yes, of course I have. It’s usually hair products, cooking products or laundry products.
Jenn
Interesting. Laundry, really?
Kalli
Yes, my laundry smells so good. Like I’m not going to lie to you.
Jenn
All right. Well, then you’ll definitely love today’s guest. Josh McBride is a nationally recognized television host and producer. He has contributed content to some of the biggest television programs on air. He knows his stuff, like he really does. He picks amazing products. We actually worked with him with a client here. Today’s episode will really encompass exactly what kind of goes into that lifestyle segment, giving you know, our listeners and PR people a chance to kind of delve in to what to expect when they pitch somebody as influential as Josh.
Kalli
No, that’s amazing and definitely helpful for even some of our clients, so I can’t wait to chat.
Jenn
Absolutely. Here we go. You’ve seen the segments. New product reveals on the Today Show or destination gift guides on Good Morning America. Many of us often wonder how do these brands get such prime audience traffic? Meet Josh McBride, a nationally recognized television host with a flair for bringing brands to life. Josh has been the face of numerous segments across broadcast and top tier programs and as a lifestyle expert is well versed in topics such as seasonal gifts, Back To school must haves and New Year, New You ideas. Today we’ll uncover the dos and don’ts of lifestyle media and learn more about how to get clients noticed by experts in the field, like Josh himself. Thanks for joining us today, Josh.
Josh
That was such a nice intro. No one’s ever introed me that nicely before, even my parents.
Jenn
Awwww.
Josh
Yeah, that was really nice. Thank you.
Jenn
Oh my God, you’re welcome.
Josh
That was great.
Kalli
Well, Josh, I mean, I’m sorry your parents haven’t introduced you as nicely, but do take us back to the beginning. Uh, maybe not that far, but you know, how did you fall into the world of lifestyle journalism?
Josh
Yeah so, I kind of am a slasher I call it because I have this love for entertainment. And I’ve always loved entertainment too. So, not only am I a lifestyle expert, but an entertainment host and media trained host at that. So, I think my love came for it when I was really young. And I had a bar mitzvah, and I loved the DJ at my bar mitzvah, I thought he was fabulous and so talented, and I was like, I want to be DJ. So, what I did was I saved up a lot of money and started deejaying and bought equipment. And I started deejaying and then I worked from Boston and I begged the local radio station Kiss 108 to let me work there at 16 years old while everybody else was in college. And I would work there at 4:00 AM in the mornings, doing the entertainment news. And then after that I was like I want to continue on here. So, they gave me the afternoon slot after school. I would go there and then in college I was like, alright, let me get a marketing degree because you know, who knows what’s going to happen in TV or where it’s going to be, so let me fall back on marketing, which was my second love as always anyways. And then while I was there, I interned. I told them it was a marketing internship. It totally wasn’t. Then I got an internship at Entertainment Tonight and I just fell in love with like TV and broadcast and entertainment and working with people and brands and kind of bringing a story to life, whether it had been the brand or the person I’m interviewing, and that’s always been a passion of mine.
Jenn
Alright, so I want to know about the first ever experience on live TV, because I know if it were me, I probably would like panic. So, can you tell us a little bit about like the first time you got the gig you were on live TV and basically how it went.
Josh
Yeah. So, I could tell you exactly the first time it was over 10, it was about 10 to 11 years ago at this point. I had done a lot of like hosting, and it was all taped. It wasn’t ever live. So, I was like, I really wanted to flex this muscle of, like learning how to be live because that’s such a different muscle and a lot of people respectfully can’t do that. And I definitely didn’t think I could in the beginning either. And so, there was like weird symbolism, so I’ll tell you where it was at CBS Hartford in Connecticut. I drove up there. I think I either drove up there the night before and, like, stayed over, which I don’t think I did, or I drove up there super early from New York City. And I think that’s what I did. And when I got there, they had this board, and it said the rundown for the day was like a dry erase boar. And growing up, and I promise I’ll get back to the story. Growing up, my brother and I, our favorite favorite favorite show that we’d watch on repeat, more so mine and he would just watch it there, but he still could name all the words was Full House. And so, like many, we were obsessed with the show. And I remember I got there, and they had the rundown of the show on this whiteboard, and it said Dave Coulier was before me, if you know, Full House, you know, Dave Coulier played Joey on Full House. And I walked in, and I was like, what the hell? Like, this is symbolism that like he’s on the same show I am. And I was like alright; this is meant to be. And so, when I got there, I was kind of like kind of starstruck at that time too, because I was like, Oh my God, I grew up watching you and so on and so forth. But for me it was like symbolism of this is where I should be. And so I did this segment and I was definitely nervous and probably sweating and didn’t know how things go and you have to pay attention to so much from which cameras focused on you so you know which way you’re not going to turn, you know, bringing in the anchor as a conversation versus a just a lecture. Lighting and timing is huge. Knowing when the segment is going to be done so you can get through your talking points. So, it was a challenge. It’s such a challenge, but I do think like if someone wants to go into TV or be a host like there’s nothing better than live TV to help you learn.
Kalli
Oh, that’s so nice. And it’s so nice when you meet somebody that’s nice too. And that, like, actually gives you that time.
Josh
Totally.
Kalli
So you’ve worked with so many lifestyle brands, you’ve brought new products and new companies to new audiences. You know, how is this PR approach unique compared to other PR specialties?
Josh
I think by working on television it gives another vehicle for a brand to be recognized and I think it’s really important that like it’s not a one stop strategy. And as publicists, you guys would know, and brand representatives you guys know that we are just another Avenue for your brand or product to get eyeballs and awareness and in that it’s a big audience. It’s a certain type of audience, but there’s definitely a lot of strength and meaning because I think TV is still king. I think we look at it like, look, people are cutting cable, they call it cutting the cord. They’re watching Netflix and Hulu. But at the end of the day, people are still tuned in to TV and there is a strong audience of people that are active consumers looking for what next to buy or where next to go, or how can they save money or how can they spend better and using TV as that vehicle like I’ve done for the last 10 plus years has been sort of revolutionary when it comes to building a brand from another placement opportunity probably from a brand representative or a publicist angle.
Jenn
Yeah, it’s really true and this kind of goes to my next point because right before we were recording for everyone listening, Josh, which I’ll let you talk about your new gig, but you made a comment when I asked like if the product was good and you made a comment like oh, I wouldn’t work with a brand unless I was, you know, in it, you know, which I really admire because, not you, but I’m sure there are a lot of people out there that will kind of just like take the money and run.
Josh
Yeah.
Jenn
So, how do you identify the right brand to partner with like, do you have like your own personal criteria that like the brand or the product should match?
Josh
Yeah. Look, I think as people and I’ve learned in this space, we like and we consume so much, right? So, like for instance, like if I’m going into a convenience store and my top one, and this is a really basic example my number one choice in bottled water, let’s say, is Essentia water, right? I’m gonna reach for the Essentia. But if Essentia is not there, what are my second and third choices that they may have? Right. So, like, we like a lot as consumers and we’ll deal with a lot whether it fits a need or whether it’s a phone case that I know is indestructible, and OtterBox does a great job with an indestructible phone case, but is there a secondary and third that’s great options? Whether your price point is different, whether your style might be a little different. So, like I talk about a range of products all the time on different shows for the last 10 years, that’s thousands of products and for me I’ve always leaned into what’s going to be authentic for me, right? Or the people around me. So, like, maybe it’s not for me, but maybe I would give this to my mom because I know she loves it. Or maybe I would give this to my best friend, cause I’m gonna go, I wouldn’t personally wear this fragrance, but I’d like the fragrance if it was on somebody else. So, I think it’s really like there’s a there’s a huge piece that I think is missing nowadays of people on TV, and forgive me, but is authenticity in that so many people now will go on and you could tell it’s very easy to tell if you kind of lean into it. You can tell if it’s real or fake and a lot of the time you can look at someone and know right away of like you’ve never used this product. You’ve never touched this product. You’ve never been around this product. You wouldn’t know what to do with this product. And I think for me, it’s always been like working with authentic brands and experiencing the brands also. You know, Jenn, we’ve worked together on some different things, and it was easier to talk about something after I’ve experienced the brand and I think that that’s a huge point where publicist brand representatives needs to give information and knowledge to whoever that person is representing on air or in a blog or going to an event or representing the brand on social. And I think for me that’s always been a point of like this is exactly what I want to do and sometimes I won’t work with someone, and sometimes I won’t work on a network. You know, I get calls from a network, and I don’t believe in the values of the network. So, why would I go to the network to then broadcast on the network? So, I think it’s also just about like still having a backbone too in this industry.
Kalli
That makes a lot of sense, and I actually really respect that, because like you said, there are so many people and especially like in the influencer nation like that, they will just whatever somebody sends them as long as they’re getting paid like it doesn’t matter what it is. You know whether they stand behind it or not, and even the way that you take it to even the network, like where you’re telling people about this, like where you’re doing that storytelling is really nice and refreshing to hear and hopefully other people take it with them as well and even just liking the products that you’re working with. So, obviously I have to ask what have been some of your favorite partnerships or collaborations that you worked on?
Josh
Oh gosh, so many different ones. I mean, from travel to, it’s been fun to do kind of the travel element and add that into a lot of segments where you can go experience where you’re gonna be talking about. So anywhere from like the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman, I’ve done great work with, or you know, the SLS Baha Mar I just experienced, and it was easy to talk about that after. To going back to like even bigger brands like Apple where they’re, you know, they’ll send over the product and say, do you like it? Do you wanna try it? Do you wanna test it and then do you wanna talk about it? I’m to the point though where like I’m so fortunate to work in this industry because just sometimes I’ll go out and I’m looking at my outfit and I’m like I didn’t pay for any of this. Like these jeans are from a company called The Perfect Jean in New York that I was like, let me put them on air because I love how they feel after I wore them. So, I reached out and I was like, Oh my God, these are great jeans or these shoes that I wear, these sneakers that I wear from Thursday Boots. I’m like, oh, what a great company in a craftsmanship. Let me see how I can incorporate them into a segment. So, like, I really do utilize my life in a way that’s not to get free things, but to say if I can support a company in some type of way, I’ll do that using them and incorporating them into my life but also incorporating them into my job.
Jenn
So, but what happens if you love a brand like you just said, they kind of fit that criteria you know you’re aligned with their morals and their ethics and things like that. You see this brand and you’re like, I really like this, but I’m having a hard time kind of bringing it to life. You know, has that ever happened to you? Where you’re like, I see this product or I see this company and I really want people to get excited about it, but for some reason, like I’m having a hard time kind of selling it, how do you navigate that?
Josh
Definitely a few ways I think. Obviously, you know at the end of the day, we all have jobs because we need to keep our lights on, and our insurance paid and our kids to go to school and our phone bill paid. So, I think of course money talks and a lot of the time that I’ll work with brands and I’ll have to say unfortunately like I just don’t have space right now to include a brand that isn’t gonna properly pay me as any one of us would go to a job interview and they would say it’s too low for me to come work here. I can’t afford my expenses, I can’t afford my mortgage, I can’t afford my rent, whatever that may be, so I think that’s the first one. Number two, I think it’s an easy thing to, there are, we are in a place and time where there’s so many options and I’m looking right now, like at my couch, which has like, this waffle blanket on it. And I remember the company that I bought the waffle blanket from. But I thought it was so interesting and so unique. But then a year later, I was like, OK, I wanted to get a different type of waffle blanket. I know it sounds stupid, but there’s so many options now of a unique idea. Another instance, I’m looking at an infrared sauna blanket from a company. I thought this company, I’m not gonna name the company on this one, but I thought this company was the only company that made infrared sauna blankets. You know, they look like a sleeping bag. You go into them; you crank it up and you sweat in there. It’s great for detox. It’s great for inflammation, everything like that. I thought this company was like, the only company to have this, and now it’s like your choices are endless when it comes to options, which is really great for the consumer because you’re able to, like, look at price point, look at the different benefits on each thing. I don’t really get stuck. I hope that answers your question. I don’t really get stuck anymore because it’s kind of like dating. If it’s not you, it’s gonna be somebody else or if it’s not this, it’s gonna be something else.
Jenn
Yeah, I literally got fed one of those on like Instagram recently. Just because like I was like looking at a bunch of, like spa stuff just cause I was like, I desperately need a massage and, you know, like creepy. They know your habits, and the algorithm is set to kind of drive things to you so it’s really funny you said that and I’m probably gonna get another one now since we talked about it.
Kalli
I was just going to say I literally in the last maybe month have bought like 3 new blankets, and they’re all different. They’re all different. So, I have, one of them is weighted. One of them is like a fleece, like the sherpa. And then the other one. What was the other one? Oh, it’s like a throw for my couch. But like, I like, that was the one last night I was watching Netflix and, like, was cuddled up in that one because it was like I was warm. I was cold, but not like freezing cold, like I didn’t need the sherpa. And like I was actually like, having a solid night. So, I was like, no need for the weighted one. I mean, I also had ice cream, so that helped.
Josh
Totally.
Kalli
You know, talking about what things that we get excited about and obviously we’re all hearing about it, what are some of the trends in lifestyle journalism that you’re most excited for right now?
Josh
Lifestyle journalism is like taking such a turn, and the TV world is changing and I almost want to morph this question. You didn’t ask this, but like, it’s become increasingly challenging because the lifestyle game on TV has changed. Before I was able to go on television and talk about my favorite products. And my deal with those products was it could be whatever it may be, it was editorial, and I would go on, I would talk about all my favorite products and a lot of the time, most of the time, almost all of the time it would be for free. The lifestyle game now has changed in that TV has now said, well brands are working with you. The people that have money right now are brands. So, how can we make money? Because we think you’re making money again. A lot of the time I would build these partnerships with, you know, that I talked about a jean company before. Where I would like, Oh my God, I want to try these jeans and be like I love these jeans, I’m gonna put them on television. Money wasn’t even discussed. Now this game of lifestyle television has changed, in which the stations are now charging the expert, the brand, the product, the restaurant, the show that’s coming to town for that specific piece of airtime that they’re going to give so much so, and I know I’m translating this question. I’m sorry. I’ve learned this space, and this space has drastically changed over the last 10 years from what it was, so I know this space so well that I went to go and create a course called GetYourBrandOnTV.com, and that’s exactly what it is. And it’s about learning the process of taking your brand, whether you’re a small-owned, we say this example in the course, it’s a virtual downloadable video-based course, whether you’re a small-owned, you know, car wash that’s offering deals or maybe you’re a nail shop or you are a small bakery that’s just looking to add that extra piece of television to your awareness and we go through step by step through 8 to 10 different modules, video modules on how to do that while also in between the modules, you’ll have real producer feedback of what they look for in terms of pitching, in terms of getting on air in terms of what’s going to sell and how to organize that. So, I know I morphed the question, but it’s because the lifestyle trend game has changed so much.
Jenn
Well, I love how you found a way to evolve from that, and nowadays it’s not free anymore. And that’s kind of across PR in a lot of ways. There’s a lot of pay-for-play content, which is not bad by any means, but I think, and I wanna go back to what you were talking about before with authenticity because, what are your thoughts then about if a publicist, you know, works with you and sends you a product and you know, unfortunately, right, these networks charge now, so they have to pay to get that place. Do you feel that there’s, the consumer is watching something and they know it’s a paid segment? Do you think that that might hinder some of the authenticity behind the person like you as a spokesperson for that product, if they if they don’t really know you that well and they don’t know your personal criteria of what you will work with and who you’ll work with, how do you think the authenticity then plays there?
Josh
You know, I know a lot of people that are my colleagues and my friends, and they will still not work with something that doesn’t resonate with them or the people around them or their parents or their family. So, I get, I totally get what you’re saying, but I also think that if they’re an authentic person, I think it’s gonna be hard to tell if you’re just seeing the person first time on TV. I can’t answer for those people. I can answer for myself saying like those paid spots that we’re doing is still like something that I’ve experienced again, like, I’m not gonna go on air and talk about. I’m gonna give a bad example. Sardines. And a sardine company. If I hate sadines, I am the wrong expert to go on and talk about that. Right? Like that is not for me. So, and then another example. I’m gonna, this is actually a really good example guys, because I was panicked. So, in December I got written to and asked if I could put a brand into a paid segment of mine. The brand was leak-proof underwear for women. So, I wrote back to the brand, and I said look, I can get this on air for you. There’s, I have a lot of women in my life. I’m not sure about their bladder habits or anything going on down there. But I said to them, are you sure I am the right expert to put this on television? And they said yes, we really wanna have you. And I said respectfully, like, I don’t know if I am the right expert and they said we really wanna have you we like your work, blah blah blah. So, I said OK and I spoke to the host of the show that I was going on beforehand, and I said, look, this is the product, I don’t necessarily know how I’m gonna translate this, but I think there’s a way to do this in a classy way of people suffering, you know, and that could use something like this. And we can make it work. And it wasn’t that I didn’t align with the product because I think that’s probably a great thing for, for women, it was, it was made for women sufferers of this. But it was a way that you then translated into how can I do this in the most respectful way possible. With the most authentic sort of eye possible that’s on this.
Kalli
I mean, that’s very respectable and amazing that you were able to take something that, like you said, it’s a good product. It’s just not something that you would have in your lifestyle that you could speak to. Being able to make that work is really amazing. So, what are some of the most rewarding or, I mean, obviously this was one of the unexpected outcomes. But you know, can you tell us about a standout moment that you’ve experienced?
Josh
Yeah, I love hearing from a brand that goes, we saw great, because I can’t control who watches the segment. I can control what I do in the television segment, but I can’t control who’s watching and who’s going to the website and hit add to cart and complete checkout, right? Like that, I can’t control that. And we say, you know, I was a marketing major. I worked at Coca-Cola and Pop Chips and I launched a lot of food and beverage brands before I did TV or simultaneously and we always said like it takes the consumer 6 to 8 times to even recognize products to then say maybe I’ll go check it out, not purchase it, but go check it out. So, recently I just did a segment, and I love hearing this happens. It was an independent vitamin company, and I had tried it, and I really liked it, and I had gotten an e-mail from the publicist after the segment like a week later and said wow, they really saw a great uptick in sales and viewership on their website after this segment. And that like, it warms my heart because I can’t control that part. There was one time. And here’s another quick story for you. There was one time I got an e-mail from a brand after I had done a segment, and they sai, or the publicist, and the publicist said, oh my God, that segment was so good. You hit all the talking points. You really made it your own, blah blah blah. Three days later, I got an e-mail from the same publicist going, hey, can we not pay you as much because the brand didn’t see an uptick in sales that much from this segment. And so, for me, I’m like, wait a minute, ma’am, because three days ago, you told me it was a great segment. I am not a salesperson or an ad agency. I can’t guarantee anybody going to buy anything. What I can guarantee is my composure and my on-air experience to be able to sell this in the best light that I can. So, it’s just interesting hearing those kinds of things too.
Jenn
Right. Oh, and we run into that all the time. I actually had a potential new client, had coffee with him and, you know, really wanted to try to work with him, but he was like, if I pay you and you don’t get any coverage, can I get my money back? And I’m like, no. How nice would that be? Right? But no, like you are paying us for our value, our experience. Our relationships, you know, but we ultimately can’t make a sale, we can’t always translate that into an ROI for you, and I wish we could, but yeah. So, I totally understand that. But I, but yeah, I agree. I think it’s so nice when a company comes back to you and says like, this was a success, you know, we got a boost in traffic and because we can’t guarantee that. So, it’s really nice when that does happen. So, for our last question today, and this, all of this was so insightful. And just really cool for us to kind of get some of the insider, you know, information on what goes down in in some of like this TV lifestyle world, it’s really interesting. What advice do you have for maybe some young PR professionals that pitch you in hopes of getting their client or their product or services on your radar. What are some things that they should be doing to ensure that they get your attention?
Josh
I think believing in their own product, number one, I think number two coming up with a creative way to e-mail. You have to think about the people that are on TV that do what I do, specifically in lifestyle, it’s, we’re getting 100 pitches a day that are just, you know, the same press release just formulated in a different way. There is nothing I love more than like, a fun mailer. The other day I got this really cool mailer and it was by this company that does a digestive probiotic and the mailer was awesome and what it was a cardboard kind of durable cardboard shaped toilet and you opened up the toilet and there was a voice that came on that said, I know you’ve been going through a lot of ****, hence the digestive probiotic. And inside the toilet was the probiotic digestive supplement and it was like there was so much thought and creative chutzpah behind this that it made me, I was like, I am putting this on Instagram right away like I think the creative matters. And I think that I know that those things cost a bit more. But if you’re looking for that sort of jump, whether it be in sales or viewership or awareness, you’re gonna have to put a bit of money down. It’s not easy to make a splash when I get 3 or 4 mailers a day, right? Like a mailer for Celsius came yesterday. Great. I love Celsius, but like the mailer didn’t do much for me. Thanks for the Celsius, but like the mailer wasn’t interesting enough for me to go, oh my God, this is something I’ve got to take a picture for and share it with my friend. So, that’s I think being a bit more creative and not just sending. There’s a PR agency in New York that sends probably 4 to 5 press releases a day, and there’s nowhere on that on their emails to say, take me off this release. So much so, and I don’t want to call them out, cause it’s a big agency. But I had asked them for something and I said I love this brand. I’ve never used this part of the brand before. It was a scent versus a candle that they had and I wrote back and I said I’d love to include this in my segment. Can we do this? You know, it’s for free. Make it something work. And they said that doesn’t work for us. And I was like, well, it’s a free television segment, you *******. So, I’m giving you free marketing, free branding that would normally cost. And then they continued to send me press releases, after they had told me that they didn’t even want the free TV segment. And it wasn’t about timing. They had plenty of time to ship and everything like that. But the audacity of you continuing to send me press releases after I asked for information and more and a free hit and some free awareness and they continue to send press releases after it was a no. So, not only was I gonna do something free for you for your brand, which I don’t work for this company or the PR company. It was just interesting to me. So, I think, like, stuff like that kind of bothers me because it’s like, there’s an opportunity here. Take it or leave it, you know? And they left it. And then they continued to add emails and press releases on top of it.
Kalli
I can hear the frustration in your voice, and I completely like understand. That’s really annoying and weird and, I feel bad for the person who had to send you those emails because they’re just, they’re doing their job for what they’re told to do. So, that’s, yeah, like you, you gotta be able to work with what’s gonna work and what’s going to be trending and what people are interested in. So, on behalf of PR people, sorry that you had that experience.
Jenn
Well, on that note, definitely very valid and honestly, like I said before, Josh, today, this conversation was really insightful. You know, we really learned a lot. It’s really cool to talk to somebody behind the scenes. And for our listeners, next time you spot Josh on TV, you’ll know a little bit more about what went into the planning, the pitching and the broadcast of some of the hottest products on the market. So, Josh, thank you so, so much for your time today and giving us a glimpse into lifestyle media.
Josh
Oh, absolutely. Thank you guys for having me.
Jenn
For our listeners, it’s a new season and a new chance for you to reach out. Shoot us a line to recommend a guest, a topic you want to know more about, or just to say hello at impressions@pollackgroup.com. Till next time.
