Sick of all the hoopla over Black Friday, the day-after-Thanksgiving media frenzy that’s the “official” start of the Christmas shopping season? A blogger named Chris apparently is and wrote an interesting post about how shameful the media act when they give “free advertising” to the retailers that keep opening their stores earlier and earlier so shoppers… Read More
Brick & Mortar
Wal-Mart, Starbucks dominance a great publicity op for small businesses
You can hardly open a newspaper or turn on the TV these days without noticing somebody crabbing about Wal-Mart. Now they’re going after Starbucks. Penny Stafford, owner of the Seattle-based Belvi Coffee and Tea Exchange Inc., charges in a federal lawsuit that the coffee giant uses anti-competitive tactics to rid itself of competition. The suit,… Read More
‘Hudson Restaurant Week’ in New Jersey needs publicity tips
Tamara Remedios of New Jersey writes: “We’re doing a restaurant promotion July 24-August 4 in northern New Jersey. It’s Hudson Restaurant Week for Hoboken & Jersey City (across the river from Manhattan). I created the event last year. I own a local magazine and it was an idea brainstormed with one of my advertisers. It’s… Read More
Connecticut B&B will even do your income taxes
If you add an interesting little hook or angle to your business—something that ties into one of the seasons, a holiday or a certain time of year—you can generate fabulous publicity and have customers beating down the doors. That’s what Kevin and Belma Marshall of Granby, Connecticut have done. He’s an accountant and she was… Read More
Publicity tips–Avoid boring press conferences, ground-breakings, ribbon-cuttings, check-passings,
When Harley-Davidson unveiled plans last week for a $95 million museum here in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel splashed a big beautiful color photo of the museum on the front page. Since the museum isn’t built yet, but bikers and other visitors appear in the foreground of the photo, I’m guessing that what I saw… Read More
Small-business publicity can result from making house calls
Sometimes all it takes just a little twist to turn a story idea that goes “thud” into one that scores a home run. Thanks to Nancy Pierce of Racine, Wisconsin for reminding me about this when I spoke to the Association of Women in Communications last week. She told me The Racine Journal Times recently… Read More
How to promote a big bank in a small town
Michelle Meacham of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin writes: “While the company I represent is fairly large (a bank with $1 billion in assets), all of our 27 locations are in small Wisconsin markets. The largest of them is in Green Bay. “It seems that many (nearly all!) of the public relations resources I have found are… Read More
Dazzling grand opening won’t ensure a great restaurant review
I found the January issue of Restaurant Startup & Growth magazine in my mailbox today, sent by Patricia Luebke, the freelance writer who interviewed me for the story she wrote on restaurant publicity. The article includes a sidebar on how to please the media, with an interesting tip from Craig Gilbert—freelance writer, food lover and… Read More
How to promote a Chicago store that sells accessories and products for men
Publicity Hound Kevin Jackson of Chicago, Illiois writes: “I recently opened a men’s specialty store that does NOT focus on clothes. Rather, it’s a lifestyle concept that sells skin and hair care products, accessories (watches, belts, etc.) and home furnishings (bar accessories and the like) designed for men. I think this is a unique concept… Read More
Story ideas for the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping
Brick-and-mortar retailers refer to the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday, the official start of the Christmas shopping season. Whatever you call it, you’ve got opportunities galore to tie your product or service to it. Think trends. Here are some ideas to get you started: —Credit counselors should remind us about how credit card companies… Read More