Press Release Tip 28

Prompt the media to call you

If you want a reporter to call you for an interview, sometimes all it takes is sending a press release. And it doesn’t have to be long.

You want to tell them enough about your business to intrigue them so they call.

That’s what Marie Subranni in New City, New York, did to publicize her business called Lawnaments just outside the Big Apple. She surprises homeowners celebrating a happy occasion such as a birthday, graduation or new birth by placing lawn ornaments on their front lawns in the middle of the night.  

She sent the press release below to five local media outlets. Her daily newspaper called and ran a two-page story July 4, 2006. It included a photo and a sidebar explaining details and the cost of the service.

“Initially, I was disappointed because nothing happened,” Marie said. “But people must have set the story aside because today alone, a month and a half after the story ran, I’ve already gotten five calls from people who saw it.”

Notice the suggestion that people use her service to honor military men and women. I would have included a phone number and email address. 

Here’s the release: 

Thieves in the Night Replace Greeting Cards

New City, N.Y. – June 1, 2006 — Greeting cards and email greetings are a thing of the past. Lawn greetings are the newest discovery in “gotcha” technology.

Lawnaments, a lawn greeting company located in New City, New York, delivers their greetings and celebration reminders in the dark of night in an effort to surprise or “prank” the recipient. Marie Subranni, owner and operator of Lawnaments, explains: “It’s an unusual way to celebrate a special occasion. Anyone can send a card or an email, but this shows that some real thought went into the process.”

With one phone call and a low price, you can hire Lawnaments to deliver a personalized yard greeting under the cloak of darkness. With the car engine and lights off, and while trying not to make a sound or wake the family hound, Lawnaments sets up an elaborate display of flamingos, cows, pigs and smileys in a custom arrangement to fill the lawn.

In the morning, the recipient wakes to a yard-sized greeting celebrating common events like birthdays, anniversaries and graduations… to uncommon events like a job promotion, or even a “welcome home” greeting for a soldier.

To honor our military men and women, Lawnaments provides a special military display, free of charge, to anyone who’s deployed or returning home. Whether we agree with the war or not, Lawnaments believes these men and women deserve this recognition.

With a definite eye on attention-grabbing, lawn greetings are a new and fun way to celebrate any occasion. “The surprise lasts a day, the memory lasts a lifetime,” Marie said.

For information:

Info@Lawnaments.com

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Opportunity #28 to write a press release: Free consultation

Some business owners, like consultants, offer free consultations. And if potential buyers like what they hear, they might hire you for a longer assignment. 

Next: You’ll start Module 5 and learn how to write killer headlines for your press releases.

 

Let Me Help You:

Can’t think of a clever angle about your business to pitch to the media? Rent My Brain for 30 or 60 minutes and I’ll not only generate story ideas, but I’ll show you how to pitch them, explain which media outlets offer the best opportunities for publicity, and answer all your other publicity questions.