The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

The Spring issue of The Public Relations Strategist, published by the Public Relations Society of America, has a fascinating cover story about the faith-at-work movement. 

It’s titled “The merger of faith and work: Think religion and work are as separate as church and state? Not anymore.”

Across America, it says, there’s a growing trend to recognize and incorporate spirituality and religion in the workplace.

Religion, once a taboo topic at work, has come out of the closet and into the office in the form of gospel choir rehearsals, lunchtime prayer meetings, on-site chaplains and even “quiet rooms” for meditation.

It quotes David Miller, executive director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and author of the book “God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work”: 

 

“The soul train is going through town.  If you haven’t thought through a structured policy and appropriate training for your management, you’re going to make a misstep and find yourself on the back end of a lawsuit.”

In short, religion in the workplace is the next hot diversity issue.

This is such a great story, for so many reasons. It offers compelling visuals, like the photo that accompanies this article. It shows two Muslims, kneeling on the floor in their prayer room at work. They’re praying during work time.

The topic is also controversial. And it’s part of a trend.

If your company has religion-in-the-workplace policies in place, and has dealt with the issue successfully, let the local media, national media, trade journals and business journals know. (See “How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story.”)

Can’t think of stories to pitch about your business? In Chapter 5 of my ebook “How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound,” I offer 22 ideas that will have you pitching in no time.  You can read them all right now for free, my way of giving you a taste of the book. 

Posted In: Business Promotion, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media, TV Publicity, The Local Angle
posted On: 5/23/2007: 9:00 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

My ears perked up last week when my local TV station aired a story about the Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Contest.

I smiled when I saw the video of one of the frail contestants, in great “American Ido”l tradition, crooning “It Had to be You” into the microphone.

I’m foggy on the details, but I seem to remember the reporter saying that the woman who was crowned Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Queen admitted to being naughty many years ago when she snuck into a bar to get some gin.

Then I said to myself, “Now there’s a fun publicity stunt.”

After 10 years spent traipsing in and out of nursing homes visiting my sick mother, I can understand why the media don’t like covering those places.

They’re depressing. And, sorry, but every nursing home I’ve ever been in smelled bad.  Even the super-expensive ones where my mom lived. About the only time the media pay attention to them is when a resident wanders out the door, and police issue an all-points bulletin.

TV stations love stories like the Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Queen. If you manage a nursing home, go ahead and steal the idea. In fact, why not tie it to tomorrow night’s final episode of  “American Idol,” which will air on FOX.

Piggybacking onto hot TV shows, movies and celebrities has never been easier because celebrity news has never been hotter. So why do so few Publicity Hounds take advantage of this trick? See “Special Report #50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue.”

Posted In: Business Promotion, Pitching the Media, TV Publicity
posted On: 5/22/2007: 12:13 pm: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

Yvonne Perry of Nashville, Tennessee writes:

“I am publishing my book ‘Right to Recover: Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America’ through Nightengale Press. The publication date is October 2007.

“I and need some help determining who my target market is and some tips on how I might best reach them. I have set up a blog and directed traffic there to give people an idea of what the book is about. I would appreciate some creative ways to start the buzz now and get publicity as the publication date nears.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Stem cell research is such a hot topic and always in the news. That means there are opportunities galore to create the buzz. Let’s see how many of them my Hounds can think of.

Posted In: Authors & Publishers, Blogs, Publicity on the Internet
posted On: : 1:15 am: By Joan
Comments: 5 Comments

If you work, read or do anything else at a library you love, or your kids do, generate publicity for the library and a big, fat cash prize by entering and winning the “I Love My Library” contest.

It’s sponsored by Thomson Gale, the company that publishes reference materials for libraries. Whether it’s your favorite neighborhood library, you child’s media center, or the high-speed online resources offered by your college or university library, shoot a video that explains why your libary has won your heart.

Then post it to the librereo YouTube group site, Deadline is midnight on May 25. On June 1, Thomson Gale judges will choose five finalists. The top five videos will be featured at YouTube for a nationwide vote June 1-11.

The winning entry splits the grand prize with the library of their affection. 

A tip of the hat to Candy Clevenger’s libtalkblog for tippping us off to this one.

Posted In: Nonprofits, Publicity on the Internet, YouTube
posted On: 5/18/2007: 11:40 pm: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

If you’re planning a special event, generate publicity by staging a fun publicity stunt, and try to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.  

Philadelphia is really turning up the heat for its annual Fiesta on the Parkway, part of the Sunoco Welcome America! Independence Day festivities on July 3.

They will assemble thousands of salsa dancers on the parkway and try to break their current record for the number of dancers performing the salsa at once–4,250. Check out this video of last year’s salsa dancing festivities.

More than 400 local dance studios will offer free classes, both in person and via the Internet, to participants in advance of the choreographed dance event.

Events like this, which have lots of people, color and motion, attract the TV cameras, not only the print media.

And what if the TV statins don’t cover your event? Record a video yourself, call your local TV station and offer it. 

“How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events” includes many more tips for event planners and publicists. 

Posted In: Special Events, TV Publicity
posted On: : 9:40 pm: By Joan
Comments: No Comments