Too many Publicity Hounds are much too nice when introducing a new product or service that’s heads above the one offered by the competition. Afraid of stepping on toes, they issue a bland news release with glowing quotes from the CEO about the wonders of the new offering. But never once do they mention what… Read More
No ho-hum groundbreaking for this health clinic
Eighteen ublicity Hounds have tips for Anne Deeter Gallaher of Camp Hills, Pennsylvania. Her client is breaking ground for a new clinic addition. It houses a family practice with nine physicians that have 30,000 patients. She wants alternatives to the routine and boring groundbreaking ceremony. From Lisa “Chase” Patterson of Jersey City, New Jersey: Sometimes… Read More
Create 2005 best & worst lists
Keep your eyes open this year for things you can add to a “Best of 2005” or “Worst of 2005” lists which you can then submit to the media at the end of the year. The media love these end-of-year briefs. Here are some ideas to get you thinking: –An expert who speaks on anger… Read More
Mustard museum fights Reader’s Digest
What do you do when you’ve been hammered by the almighty Reader’s Digest? That’s what happened to the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin when an article in the December issue placed the Mustard Museum on its list of “5 Museums Not to Plan Christmas Around.” “Want a fun vacation?” the article asked.… Read More
Use drive-time radio to promote church spaghetti supper
You volunteer to do PR for your church, and the job includes generating publicity for–groan–the annual spaghetti supper. A morning drive-time radio show in your community would be the perfect place to promote the event. It’s a fun show and everybody listens to it because the deejay is a real character. But what can you… Read More
Videographer can search his own community for business
Anne Wear of Greensboro, North Carolina says her friend, a videographer, needs ideas on how to market his business. He has almost 20 years of experience behind the camera and also works as an audio person, grip and teleprompter operator. From Jan Cannon of Boston, Massachusetts: Some lawyers videotape depositions. They might be an additional… Read More
Publicity for your holiday traditions
This is the perfect time of year to let the media know about holiday or year-end traditions followed by you, your company or your church, school or family. Here are some examples: –If your company has a holiday tradition of helping others in need, like helping at the local food pantry for a day, let… Read More
Jump-start your publicity campaign
Remember those New Year’s Resolutions you made months ago about keeping in closer touch with the media? If you’v forgotten them, get back into the saddle and jump-start your own publicity campaign, or your client’s. –Vow to make one new media contact each month. That could mean asking areporter to lunch, or sending an article… Read More
Use short pitches
Think about the last pitch you emailed to a journalist, or sent by snail-mail letter. How long was it? If it was longer than a paragraph or two, the journalist might have hit the “delete” key or thrown the letter into the wastebasket. Or if you started your phone pitch with “let me fill you… Read More
Put limitations on sensitive TV video
Night after night, we see stories on the local and national TV news about topics like obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse and mental illness. The reporter’s narration accompanies generic film footage of people walking on a crowded sidewalk, or students making their way to class on a college campus. No problem–except if the story happens to… Read More