Publicity tips/'Your Usual, Mr. Smith?' February 27, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #334 - Feb. 27, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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In This Issue
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1. 'Your Usual, Mr. Smith?'

2. Elevator Pitching on the Slopes

3. Gift Guide Show

4. Media & Publicity Leads

5. Promoting a Food Pantry

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week


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1. 'Your Usual, Mr. Smith?'
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If you're a business, nonprofit or government agency that's using new computer software, taking a survey, hiring secret shoppers,or interviewing focus groups to try to get closer to your clients and customers, you have fodder for great publicity.

Ditto if you provide any of these products or services.

Brennan's, a gourmet restaurant in Houston, Texas, uses a software program to collect and record lots of little details about each customer's preferences--from the type of cocktail they order to whether they're dieting and prefer their Hollandaise sauce on the side.

A server can check the computer before waiting on Mr. and Mrs.Smith. Then instead of asking "Would you like a cocktail?", the server asks, "Your usual, Mr. Smith?"

Or the wait staff might greet the couple with a cheery "Happy anniversary." Or, if the Smiths prefer cabernet wine, their automated profile might result in the restaurant sending them a direct-mail piece about a special dining event featuring cabernets.

GuestBridge, a small Milwaukee technologies information firm that targets the restaurant business, sells the software. A large feature article and photo appeared on the front page of yesterday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel business section. You can read it at http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=569671

If you're pitching a story like this one, be willing to talk about your competition and how what you're doing helps set you apart in the marketplace. During the interview, GuestBridge's owners referred to a competing firm that provides similar software as the "800-pound gorilla." In fact, reporters love asking questions about your competition, so be ready with a good answer.

What marketing strategy, tool or technique are you using to build your customer base, or give customers an unforgettable experience?

If you're in a food-related business or industry, "Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies" gives you 51 great story ideas you can steal and start pitching to the media today. The CD comes with a handout of all 51 tips. You can download it and be reading it as soon as your order has been approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/clr26


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2. Elevator Pitching on the Slopes
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Sometimes all it takes is a clever little twist on a simple idea to bring publicity to your doorstep.

Take, for example, the typical networking event. You come to a luncheon with a pocketful of business cards, then spend time meeting other business people with whom you might strike up a relationship. If I were a reporter, I'd take a pass on covering that kind of event. Too boring.

But what if, instead of a restaurant, you can meet other business people on the ski slopes?

That's what happens each year during Peak Pitch, an event that gives entrepreneurs and investors a chance to network on the slopes. And it's been so successful that Borealis Ventures, which created it, is now partnering with four other venture funds and expanding Peak Pitch 2007 to five ski resort locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

At Peak Pitch, a shared chair lift gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business plans to a variety of venture capitalists, angel investors and other experienced startup advisors as they ride up a mountain on a high-speed chair lift.

The entrepreneurs wear blue. The venture capitalists wear green. Last year, Peak Pitch attracted over 200 entrepreneurs and investors to the series.

Phil Ferneau of Borealis Ventures says Peak Pitch "emphasizes entrepreneurial passion, not PowerPoint" and helps entrepreneurs connect one-on-one with investors and mentors.

The event, he says, offers focused networking, informed feedback and plenty of fresh air.

Isn't that a fun idea?

The event generates lots of publicity and has the potential for numerous follow-up stories. You can learn more about it at http://www.peakpitch.com/press.html

Thanks to Publicity Hound Donna Dufault for letting me know about this.

What routine event do you sponsor? And how can you tweak it so participants and the media flock to the event?

Deb Schmidt, one of the most creative event planners I know, teamed up with me to create a step-by-step guide called "How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events." It's available as a set of 7 CDs, or an electronic transcript. Each gives you hundreds of ideas on how to turn routine events into unforgettable experiences for participants and the media.

Read more about what you'll learn, and download three of the 15 checklists in this guide, at http://publicityhound.com/publicity/promote.html


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3. Gift Guide Show
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If you sell consumer products in one of seven areas, you can meet journalists who want to know about your products by attending the Holiday Gift Guide Show June 13 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. It's sponsored by Stark & Associates.

The show will feature 50 non-competing exhibitors in the health, home, beauty, fashion, men's, women's, children's and electronic product categories. Categories will be filled as exhibitors sign up on a first come, first-served basis.

Event organizers are inviting top-tier media outlets like Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, InStyle, Parenting Magazine, Men's Journal, the New York Times and O, the Oprah Magazine. A complete list of all media that will be attending will be available after May l. Learn more at http://www.GiftGuideShow.com


In the meantime, regardless of whether you're attending the show, you should be pitching media outlets like these that are looking for products to feature in special sections that will be published just before Mother's Day, Father's Day and graduation ceremonies for high schools and colleges. Editors of these sections want press releases and photos about perfect gifts for moms, dads and grads.

If your product or service is a candidate for one of these sections, save yourself days of tedious research. Subscribe to the Gift Guide for Holidays, a service that will provide more than 1,000 contacts for newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations, wire services and other consumer media that are looking for products. You can take a test drive at http://snipurl.com/GiftListMedia


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4. Media and Publicity Leads
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--Author Paul Thornton is doing research for a book that focuses on the types of quotes, pictures and things people put on their office wall or desk that represent one of their guiding principles or values. If you'd like to contribute, tell him what's on your desk or wall. Mailto:PThornton@stcc.edu I've already responded. You should, too, because it's a great chance to promote your business. (A plaque on the wall of my office reads: "A certain amount of fleas is good for a dog.")

--Robert Smith is looking for small business owners with revenues of more than $500,000 a year for an article he's writing for American Chronicle, an online magazine for national, international, state, local, entertainment, sports and government news. He needs seven entrepreneurs to profile. You must be in business for at least two years. If you participate, you'll receive a copy of the article. His deadline is March 9. The website is at http://www.americanchronicle.com/ Email him at mailto:kcm@ureach.com


What? You say you can't respond to Robert's query because your revenues haven't yet reached $500,000? Don't fret. Alexandria Brown, one of the best Internet marketers on the planet, is selling her "Blueprint in a Box" that gives step-by-step instructions on how she makes more than $1 million a year using the Internet, a list of people who let her market to them, and information products she has created. This is for authors, speakers and entrepreneurs only. She's selling 147 blueprints,then closing the sale. When I read the fabulous testimonials from clients who swear her system works, my eyes just about popped out of my head. Yours will, too. Learn more at http://snipurl.com/PublishanEzine


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5. Promoting a Food Pantry
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This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Cheryl Beck Pickett of Detroit, Michigan. She wants ideas on how to promote the Samaritan House, which gives food and other pantry items to needy families. She's having trouble getting information printed regularly in one of the local weekly newspapers.

From Natalie Nathan:

"In my town, the public library forgives late fees for donations to the local food pantry. The library publishes a monthly newsletter and information about the food pantry, and the organization sponsoring the food pantry is always featured during the 'fee forgiveness' period. Also, many churches have newsletters, and supporting your group would be fitting with their mission. Church members might also be associated with other publications which could help you."


From Shel Horowitz:

"Make the newspaper a partner in your success by enlisting it as a non-monetary 'sponsor' of your next event. Try the recalcitrant editor first. But if you fail there, go to the advertising department.

"The newspaper provides publicity and gets to hang its banner at the event, get publicly thanked, etc. You provide goodwill for the paper within the community. Present this not as helping you but as being in the newspaper’s interest."


From Linda Conn:

"Why don’t all the charities form one organization for publicity and exposure in these papers, then court them as one organization, not many? Offer them a column, for example, that will rotate stories fairly among the charities. Approach this as alliances, not competitors. Make it easy for the papers to say yes.


The Publicity Hound says: Paul Hartunian, a master at generating publicity for nonprofits, shows how to do big-time promotion on an almost nonexistent budget. "Failproof Publicity Tips for YourNonprofit" is available as a CD or electronic transcript. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/29dba


Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/3xu6an


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6. Help This Hound
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Carrollyn Cox of Virginia Beach writes:

"I need help with distribution of video/TV public service announcements I just produced for Optimist International (at very little cost, I might add).

"I know how to personally approach local media, the public access channels and the local cable company. But we need an inexpensive way to distribute continent-wide. Is there such an animal? Do any of your Hounds know how to do this?"


The Publicity Hound says: Many Hounds who read this newsletter create and distribute PSAs, and I know they'll come through with clever ideas for you, Carrollyn. Hounds with tips to share can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3b744b


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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"They have dog food for constipated dogs. If your dog is constipated, why screw up a good thing? Stay indoors and let 'embloat!"

--David Letterman

DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes, perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/


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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


March 8, 2007: PR University's Bulldog Reporter Teleconference

"PR Writing--Top PR Wordsmiths Analyze Proven Press Releases to Reveal Best Practices for Writing Compelling Copy That Reaches Millions," 1 p.m. Eastern. Want to improve your press releases and boost media pick-up fast? I'm part of a panel of wordsmiths that will deconstruct some of the year’s best releases and personally hand you the keys to duplicating their successes. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2cf7aq


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Free Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Register at http://www.nsapittsburgh.com/


May 12, 2007: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Florida Speakers Association: "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Consumers, Not Only for Journalists." 9a.m. to noon. "Sleeping with the Competition: How to Collaborate with Other Speakers to Create Profitable Products and Programs."2 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 561-630-7766 or visit http://www.florida-speakers.org/


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Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
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