Janice Roberts of Woodmere, New York asks: “I created a new kind of greeting card company called Happy 2B Music, Inc. We create and produce original music relating to various themes for particular niches of people, such as brides, moms-to-be, and pet lovers. “Each CD contains four original songs in a cute and colorful self-mailer… Read More
Retail Marketing
Opening a bank branch? Display origami dollar bills
Publicity Hound Brian Foley read last week’s item in which I complained about those uncreative ribbon-cutting and check-passing ceremonies that seem to be everywhere. He loved my idea of a bank hiring a magician to perform magic tricks with dollar bills at its grand opening. Brian, a professional magician who does exactly that, offered another tip… Read More
Spa publicity, promotion is easy with this story idea
I can think of no better treat than a day, or even a few hours, at my favorite spa. Until I read an amazing article on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how the local day spas are the newest hangouts for teens and little girls. Girls as young as 8 are no… Read More
Michigan driver’s ed school needs publicity ideas
Roger Pozeznik of Kalamazoo, Michigan writes: “I run All-Star Driver Education in Ann Arbor. Two other big driving schools in town seem to have a monopoly and have gotten lazy with there teaching skills. It’s frustrating to see that they have full classes. “The school I work for is very well-known on the east side… Read More
Ribbon-cutting event? You can do better than that
I know you’ve seen photos just like this one hundreds of times. It’s called a ribbon-cutting event, complete with the giant cardbaord scissors, and it’s one of the most-photographed, most boring ways to try to generate publicity. Equally repugnant are those giant cardboard checks that somebody “presents” to someone else, usually when a company or a group… Read More
Alternative newspapers should be taken seriously
If you get a call from a reporter who works for an alternative newspaper, be on your guard, and don’t take the interview any less seriously than you would if a reporter from your local daily newspaper had called. That’s the advice from Ken Haseley from the Ammerman Experience, a media training company. In this week’s… Read More
Motown Automotive Professionals needs marketing tips
Marcus Simmons of Southfield, Michigan writes: “The Motown Automotive Professionals nonprofit is in its start-up stage. We will provide no-cost automotive vocational training for socially and economically deprived young adults as they emerge from high school. “I have been on the 6 o’clock news on two channels so far, and we have a website but… Read More
Black Friday or Jack-ass Friday?
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
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