My friend Bob Baker, an expert at marketing for musicians, created this neat YouTube video about how singer-songwriter Terry Prince, at left, has sold 15,000 CDs in only 18 months. Prince, shown in this video playing keyboards on the Santa Monica Pier, says his strategy is simple: go where the people are. He’s a busker, someone who does live… Read More
Ideas needed for promoting Michigan nature park
Walt Shiel of Lake Linden, Michigan writes: “Our publishing company has just started working with a local nonprofit foundation that operates an outstanding nature park with miles of beautiful trails and three miles of waterfront land—all of which will soon be connected to the local university’s cross-country ski trails. “We are casting about for ideas… Read More
Fiskars’ word-of-mouth campaign a success
Here’s an example of a clever PR campaign that relied not on traditional media coverage but on word-of-mouth buzz and a huge online community that just keeps growing. The campaign—sponsored by Fiskars, the company best known for it’s orange-handle scissors, in conjunction with the Brains on Fire corporate identity—taps into the $3 billion scrapbooking industry. Volunteer crafters known as Fiskateers… Read More
Leah Ingram’s blog, The Lean Green Family, needs “lean, green” story ideas
Leah Ingram’s blog, The Lean Green Family (formerly Suddenly Frugal), will soon be syndicated nationally through a third- party syndicator whose clients include the Associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, LexisNexis and other major media outlets. She is looking to the PR community to keep a steady stream of “lean and green” story ideas… Read More
Help promote ‘donations instead of gifts’ campaign
Harry Hoover of Charlotte, North Carolina writes: “I’d like to tap into the collective brains of Publicity Hounds. Since 2002, I have promoted a project each holiday season called Holiday For Charity. It encourages people to ask for charitable donations in their name in lieu of gifts. I’ve gotten solid local coverage of this program,… Read More
Black Friday can be like gold for Publicity Hounds
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is aptly named as the day when retailers shift into profitability or move “into the black.” But it can be like gold for Publicity Hounds. Here’s why: First, the media are often working with skeleton staffs. Second, PR people and even some publicists take the day off. That means less competition for your… Read More
How to publicize a solo law practice
Way too many attorneys act as though we still have those laws prohibiting them from advertising. How else to explain why so many of them are just plain lousy when it comes to marketing their services and, specifically, generating free publicity? In this 32-minute interview, attorney Cole Silver asks me about my best publicity tips for sole… Read More
Oprah crisis: Topic of my first blog for Huffington Post
“What CEOs Can Learn from Oprah’s Sex Abuse Scandal” is my first contribution as a blogger for the Huffington Post. They posted it it under both Business and Entertainment. I elaborated on an item I wrote here, giving Oprah high marks for managing the sex abuse scandal at her $40 million academy for girls in South Africa so thoroughly that she left… Read More
Pizza Hut jumps on Witherspoon’s comment
Kudos to Pizza Hut for jumping on celebrity Reese Witherspoon’s innocent, but not-so-nice, comment about pizza delivery drivers and turning it into some fun publicity. The actress told a journalist that her 4-year-old son, Deacon Phillippe, wants to be a pizza delivery driver when he grows up. “Not that there is anything wrong with that,… Read More
Waymarking.com lets you promote interesting places
Here’s a cool social media tool to use in your publicity campaign if you’re promoting a tourist attraction, an event, a neighborhood, or even something as mundane as your local firehouse. It’s called waymarking, and you can do it here. A tip of the hat to Publicity Hound Rebecca Davey of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio who emailed… Read More