The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

Jill Cranford, co-owner of Stone2Furniture in Livewrmore, Colo., a company that makes indoor and outdoor furniture from stone, is the winner of the Kindle2, Amazon’s wireless reading device.

Jill’s name was chosen from all respondents who answered my Customer Profile Survey earlier this month.

If her name sounds familiar, it might be because she submitted a Help This Hound question in February via my ezine, The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week.  Her company is sponsoring an “Ugly Patio Furniture Contest,” and she needed ideas on how to promote it. She’s giving away $4,100 in stone furniture to the lucky winner. The contest runs through Aug. 31.

Jill, shown here with her family, says she isn’t sure if she wants the Kindle, so I’ve sent her a gift certificate to Amazon.com for $359, the same value.

Congratulations, Jill, and thanks to all Publicity Hounds who completed the survey. I’m still sorting through the thousands of comments and putting a plan into place to help serve you better.

Posted In: Contests
posted On: 3/31/2009: 11:25 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

Jill Cranford of Livermore, Colo. writes:
“My company, Stone2Furniture, which makes indoor and outdoor furniture from stone, is having an Ugly Patio Furniture Contest and we’ll be giving away a set of our stone furniture valued at $4,100. The contest runs through August. “So here I am with the rules drawn up, and it’s live on our website and in the Media Room. I sent out 130 snail-mail flyers and emails to editors. “My next step is getting it to the local news channels. But I am wondering if I am missing a step? I haven’t heard from any editors. I know this will be fun but I’m just not sure how to launch it.”

Posted In: Business Promotion, Contests, Photos & Graphics, Pitching the Media, TV Publicity
posted On: 2/24/2009: 9:53 am: By Joan
Comments: 4 Comments

Tying celebrities to your news story can generate publicity you never dreamed of. But if the celebrity responds, the publicity can multiply.

That’s what happened to Elliott’s Hardware in Dallas, Texas yesterday when former President George W. Bush stopped in for a one-hour visit, bought a few items and joked that he was looking for a job. The Associated Press, which distributed the original story to its member media outlets when the hardware store offered Bush a job, distributed yesterday’s story after the visit, and it appeared, once again, in many newspapers and at news sites.

Here are three tips about piggybacking onto celebrity news, taken from my “Special Report #50: How to Pibbyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue”:

1. Sponsor a contest that piggybacks off celebrity news.

For as long as I can remember, the tabloids have been reporting on Oprah’s roller-coaster weight. First it’s up, then it’s down, then it’s up, then it’s down. If you’re a weight loss expert, you can sponsor a contest called “How Oprah Can Take off Those Last 20 Pounds—Forever.” Then write a press release and post it online. Or if you don’t want to go to the trouble of sponsoring a contest, and you can still find a tie-in, go with it.

That’s what Author Laura K. Bryant did. She wrote a press release about her book, “Trust Yourself to Transform Your Body: A Woman’s Guide to Health and Weight Loss Without Diets” and used a clever tie-in to Oprah. (You can read the release which is part of Lesson 50 in my free tutorial “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases.”)

“I sent the press release to all the local news stations in Chicago,” she said. “This particular release got an immediate (within 2 minutes of it being sent) call from a WGN News producer, who requested my media kit. Once the kit was received, my book was highlighted on WGN News, as a ‘Hot Summer Read.’”

2. Piggyback your stories onto hot movie titles.

When the movie “Anger Management” was in theaters, I saw all sorts of stories that tied into that title. Ditto with the “Mission: Impossible” movies. Sometimes all you have to do is incorporate a hot movie title into your pitch and you’ll catch the media’s attention. Example: Trying to lose weight to fit into that new bikini? It isn’t Mission: Impossible.

3. Piggyback onto a network Movie of the Week.

Keep your eyes on the big network movies during sweeps months in May, November and February. Pitch story ideas that piggyback off movies. For example, when “The Burning Bed” with Farrah Fawcett was a major TV movie in 1984, I remember the local women’s abuse shelter in my community was the lead story on the local news that night, right after the movie ended, because it tied into the movie. If your company or nonprofit is “the local angle” to a big TV movie, contact the TV station that’s airing the movie. You could be the lead story on the 10 or 11 o’clock news that night. Also contact the TV stations if you want to weigh in with an opinion about a controversial movie.

Posted In: Celebrity tie-ins, Contests, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, TV Publicity, The Local Angle
posted On: 2/22/2009: 10:04 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

Matthew Watson, who blogs about technology PR, has compiled a list of the Top 75 PR blogs.

Check the list and see if he included all your favorites. (This blog is Number 30, thank you.) He produced the list by plucking out blogs with the words publicity, PR and public relations from those on the AdAge Power 150. 

That means that one of my favorites, like BL Ochman’s What’s Next Blog, which ranked Number 39 on Ad Age’s list, didn’t even make The Top 75 list. BL, by the way, is my guest expert during the Nov. 6 teleseminar on “How to do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life.”

If your PR blog is missing from Matthew’s list, post a comment and let him know. If it’s missing from the Ad Age list, let them know here. The blog must be operating for the past six months and have at least 50 posts.  At least half of the blog’s content must pertain directly to marketing. Both lists, by the way, generate great publicity for the creators. 

OK Hounds, read the Top 75 list and then weigh in. Which is your favorite PR blog, on or off the list, and why?

Posted In: Advertising, Blogs, Contests
posted On: 10/27/2008: 10:03 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

Jeff Elliot of Cedar Rapids, Iowa writes:

“I am a manager at Planet X, a family entertainment center  in Cedar Rapids, Iowa featuring mini golf, bumper cars, space bikes, space ball, rock climbing and arcade games.  We serve food and cater to many birthday parties and corporate events.

“Do your Hounds have any clever ideas on how we can celebrate our 10th year anniversary in January 2009?  We’re planning our anniversary celebration all of next year. Our website is at http://www.planetxfuncenter.com.”

Posted In: Business Promotion, Contests
posted On: 10/21/2008: 8:41 am: By Joan
Comments: 5 Comments