Shannon Hein of Fort Collins, Colorado writes: “I am helping a friend promote Branchies, a product she invented that lets people hang heavy objects on their Christmas trees. “They attach easily to the trunk of your Christmas tree and support very heavy and bulky ornaments. They are a great way to transform your tree using… Read More
Holidays
Product publicity is easier if you can get into gift sections
If you have a consumer product that would make a great gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Day, or the holidays, try to get into one of the many holiday gift sections featured by newspapers and magazines, or featured in holiday gift coverage on TV and radio. Most of this coverage does NOT require that… Read More
Piggyback onto ‘Hug Your Kids Day’ July 21
Publicity Hounds hate it when they create their own day, week or month of the year, and then see other people piggyback onto it for publicity. Not Michelle Nichols, a former writer for BusinessWeek.com, who created National Hug Your Kids Day on July 21. Michelle is inviting Hounds everywhere to generate publicity for their own… Read More
Help promote ‘Say Something Nice Sunday’
Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina writes: “Last year, we celebrated the first Say Something Nice Sunday on the first Sunday in June. This is now an annual event. “We want churches and denominations of all faiths to join in. This is a Sunday when Christian will say nothing negative about any other Christian or… Read More
‘America’s Favorite Mom’ to appear on ‘Today’ show
Do you have a great mom? Tell the world how much you love her by nominating her as “America’s Favorite Mom.” The top 25 moms will be featured on NBC’s “Today” show the week leading up to Mother’s Day. The audiences will vote, and the top five winners will be the focus of a prime time… Read More
Feed a CPA
Here’s a fun, timely publicity idea that just about anybody can steal. It’s called “Feed a CPA,” and I heard about it from Seth Hodes, marketing director for Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz, a Baltimore law firm. On March 1, a local caterer hired by the firm will deliver delicious gourmet lunches wrapped in a… Read More
New Year’s resolutions: Don’t make them on Jan. 1
Several years ago, I saw the same psychiatrist interviewed for a story about New Year’s resolutions almost everywhere I looked. He was quoted as saying that Jan. 1 is the worst day of the year to make them. That’s because most of us are stressed out from the holidays. We’ve overspent and overeaten. We’re tired. We’re cranky. And we’re… 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
Holiday gift guide tips featured weekly in free ezine
Every year, newspapers, magazines, TV news shows, newsletter editors, the wire services and even nonprofits feature products and services that would make ideal holiday gifts for their audiences. It isn’t too late to pitch your product for many of these special features. Newspapers, for example, typically plan several holiday gift sections in November and December. If advertising revenue… Read More