When your own PR/Marketing firm is using a portion of your monthly retainer to spam the inbox of journalists, it's probably time to re-think your strategy.

A reporter for The New York Times uncovered the dirty little secret that many PR database management firms are undertaking with the help of PR/Marketing agencies.

These database firms, such as Vocus, Cision, PR Newswire, Marketwired and Business Wire, maintain a trove of reporter email addresses and happily sell this as a product to PR agencies who on behalf of their unwitting clients, incessantly spam these inboxes with irrelevant pitches in the hopes of getting some pick up.

It's a game of numbers and bombarding journalists is a strategy that is causing more brand ill-will than good. This is because a technology reporter who receives a pitch to write about your Christmas Cookie Treats will hit delete quicker than Santa can say, "Ho,ho,ho!" And the more garbage they get, the more likely they are to associate your name with something unprintable here. And for said reporter, cause them to write an article not only exposing the practice but also publishing the personal email addresses of the main contact at each database firm.

You pay your agencies good money to help you develop a strategy and become intimate with your product or service. When all they offer is an email blast without rhyme or reason, it's time to demand visibility into their processes and most of all rationale to their strategies.