When Tom Holubowicz wanted publicity recently for his custard stand in Grafton, Wisconsin, he donned an ape costume and visited the local Pick ‘n Save supermarket to buy bananas for Monkey Pox, his “flavor of the day.” The recipe calls for bananas, custard and chocolate-covered peanuts. Before he left, he called The News Graphic, his… Read More
Pitching
Publicity plan should target blogs and ezines
Don’t miss this critical step when creating your publicity plan. Start adding bloggers and editors of electronic newsletters (ezines) to the list of people who you will contact if you want publicity. If you’re a publicist, and your PR client is adamant about getting coverage in top-tier media like USA Today, The New York Times,… Read More
‘Help a Reporter’ connects journalists, sources
If you’re hoping to connect with journalists and broadcasters who might interview you for a story, or include you in a TV show they’re planning, here’s another resource. It’s a website called “If I can Help a Reporter Out,” and it was created by Peter Shankman, owner of a New York PR firm. His many journalist… Read More
Pitching online newspapers worth your time
Many publicists pay more attention to pitching reporters at print publications like daily newspapers, and less time pitching reporters who write for the online versions. Here are four reasons why that’s a mistake: 1. Newspapers are continuing to tighten their print publications because of the high cost of newsprint. 2. Some smaller daily papers are… Read More
How to get your product into celebrities’ hands
Princess Grace once said this about Estee Lauder: “I don’t know her very well, but she keeps sending me all these things…” Estee Lauder would mail her homemade cosmetics to celebrities she didn’t know. She’d even give them to stars she spotted on the street. The constant practice of gifting celebrities with her cosmetics is what many say… Read More
The Pitch That Landed with a Thud
I’ve started conducting telephone training sessions for PR firms that want a refresher course on things like press releases and pitching, as well as a look at many of the opportunities in the world of social media. They don’t have to pay my regular speaker fee. I don’t have to hassle with airports. And everybody’s… Read More
Reality TV shows: How to sell your idea to Hollywood
Everybody, it seems, wants their own reality TV show like American Idol, The Apprentice or Project Runway. But how do you break into the lucrative world of reality TV, whether you’ve got an idea for a multi-million-dollar series or a low-budget niche show on cable? Be in West Hollywood from 7 to 10 p.m. on Monday, March 3. That’s when Media Bistro… Read More
Pitch the Wire Services
One of the best ways to get your story into dozens, perhaps even hundreds of newspapers across the U.S.–all at the same time–is to pitch one of the wire services. The Associated Press, the world’s largest news agency, is a great place to start. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio… Read More
Meet journalists at writers conference in April
Here’s a great tip for getting some face time with journalists, courtesy of Mitch Davis of Expertclick: The Online Yearbook of Experts. He’ll be at American Society of Journalists and Authors 2008 Writers Conference in New York, April 11-13. It’s a perfect venue to meet influential editors and writers. Set up near Mitch’s table and he’ll give you advice on… Read More
Video pitching will become overused
Thanks to Publicity Hound Laura Jackson for calling attention to the issue of video pitching—in other words, pitching a blogger by creating a clever video in which you are shown delivering the pitch. Blogger Jeremiah Owyang, a web strategist shown here, posted this item in which he raved about the clever video pitch from two authors who wanted… Read More