The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

One of the most difficult jobs for PR people is promoting a nursing home, extended care facility, retirement community or even a senior citizens center.

That’s because some of these places don’t have that much going on. But I got an idea for a terrific angle just now, thanks to Janet Podolak, a good friend and former co-worker who’s travel editor at The Lake County News-Herald, near Cleveland, Ohio. 

Ask this question: “What technology has made the biggest change in your life?” And then report on the results of your survey.

That’s what Janet asked while touring various Cleveland attractions with a group of seniors from the nearby Breckenridge Retirement Community. Here are some of the answers she received:

“The garage door opener”

“Super highways”

“Refrigeration.”

You can read the rest of the answers in her blog post here.

Technology-related angles usually increase your chances of getting coverage, and there are so many opportunities to use this idea:

—To coincide with the opening of a nursing home, extended care facility or senior center.

—To coincide with an annniversary being celebrated by those facilities.

—To promote an upcoming event like an open house.

—To promote an upcoming program or class for the eldery, particularly if it’s tech-related, like a class on how to use the Internet.

When pitching an idea like this one, be sure you’ve lined up a few elderly people who would agree to be interviewed and photographed. It’s a good idea to also get permission forms signed by their family members. (See “How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity Campaign.”)

I’ve blogged about other ways to promote these facilities here and here. Now let’s hear your best ideas.

Posted In: Business Promotion, Photos & Graphics, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity for Niche Markets, The Local Angle
posted On: 8/17/2008: 7:38 am: By Joan
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If you’re pitching food editors and reporters at daily or weekly newspapers, your job is more difficult than ever.

As newspapers continue to cut staff, lifestyle-related sections are among the first on the chopping block.

Also, at many papers, sections such as food, travel and entertainment are no longer stand-alone sections. They’re combined under one section simply called “Lifestyle.”

The Aug. 4 issue of PRWeek offers these pitching tips:

—If you’re pitching a specific type of food product, be sure it’s available in that newspaper’s market.

–Pitch seasonal angles, and cooking meals that are convenient.

–Make sure your pitch has a local angle. One way to do that is to get local farmers involved in fresh- and health-eating stories. For example, organic produce is available in many supermarkets, and much of it is grown locally. But organic fruits and vegetables often look bruised and unattractive. Try contacting local organic farmers who can offer tips on how to buy organic produce. How do you know if an organic apple is bruised, or if it’s supposed to look ugly?

During the teleseminar I conducted with Jamie Oikle from RestaurantReport.com on “Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies,” I suggested pitching trends—whether you’re a restaurant that’s seeing more requests for vegetarian dishes or a store that’s slowly eliminating low-carb food items because the low-carb trend is dying.

Here’s my own tip: Check to see if the food editor or one of the food reporters or columnists blogs. If they do, read the blog. You’ll quickly learn about what food topics they think are important. Post a comment to their blog, then pitch them a week or two later. See my article “Let Bloggers Create Publicity for You.”

Posted In: Blogs, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media, Publicity for Niche Markets
posted On: 8/7/2008: 9:43 am: By Joan
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Publicity Hounds hate it when they create their own day, week or month of the year, and then see other people piggyback onto it for publicity.

Not Michelle Nichols, a former writer for BusinessWeek.com, who created National Hug Your Kids Day on July 21.

Michelle is inviting Hounds everywhere to generate publicity for their own companies or organizations by tying into Hug Your Kids Day.  Already, she has generated lots of interest.

“A Realtor in Reno had 1,000 pens made that say ‘National Hug Your Kids Day, July 21′ with her name, company and phone number,” Michelle said.  “A non-profit consulting company in Maryland is sponsoring an event.  An expert on happy post-divorce families in Red Bluff, California is putting together an event.  A luxury toy company may have its mother cat stuffed animal be its ’spokescat’ for the day.”

She asks, however, that the events and other promotions encourage parents to hug their own kids, not other people’s kids.  And she’ll even send a copy of her new book, “Hug Your Kids Today!  5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent” as a thank-you to Hounds who participate.

Learn more about her project and email Michelle.

Don’t have your own day, week or month of the year yet? If not, see “Special Report #45: How to Generate National Publicity from Your Own Holiday (or Day, Week or Month of the Year).”

Posted In: Nonprofits, Pitching the Media, Publicity for Niche Markets
posted On: 5/13/2008: 2:30 pm: By Joan
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Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina writes:

“Last year, we celebrated the first Say Something Nice Sunday on the first Sunday in June.  This is now an annual event.

“We want churches and denominations of all faiths to join in.  This is a Sunday when Christian will say nothing negative about any other Christian or Christian group or organization.  It originated from my little book, Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter.

“We have put together an ecumenical group to promote this.  It started at First Baptist Church of Charleston, the Charleston Baptist Association, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery and CBF of South Carolina.  Next year, we will sponsor a poster contest with middle and high school students.

“We are looking for ideas to get individuals and churches involved.  We’ve provided some promotional ideas for them.  Can your Hounds help with other suggestions?”

Posted In: Holidays, Newspaper Publicity, Publicity for Niche Markets
posted On: : 1:47 pm: By Joan
Comments: 6 Comments

Are you a business or organization celebrating a big anniversary soon?

Or how about just a Publicity Hound who wouldn’t mind being a celebrity in your own town? This idea is great for both.

This year, the Nashville Opera is sponsoring a “Put Me on a Billboard Contest” to raise funds and awareness for a new opera house. Earlier this year, it launched a promotional campaign in which it photographed local celebrities holding their fancy opera glasses, and put the photos on billboards throughout Nashville.

The opera then opened the contest to anyone and asked local opera-lovers to write about why they raise their glasses to opera. They even built a special website for the promotion.

Winners, including Publicity Hound Beverly Wichman, shown here on the right, were photographed with their opera glasses, and the series of photos started appearing over the weekend on digital billboards throughout the city.

If Beverly’s name sounds familiar, you might know her better as one-half of “The Saucy Sisters.” She and her sister, Barbara Nowak, review wine, write books and entertain at corporate events.

Beverly’s winning essay explains how her parents treated her to her first opera at age 10. She loved it so much that she calls opera her “soul music.”

During her many travels throughout the U.S., she would faithfully listen to radio performances by The New York Metropolitan Opera on Saturday nights. So would her parents. After each program, they would call each other to discuss the shows.

“It was like attending the opera together,” she said. “We would wait for the final applause and the curtain would come down. Then we’d call each other and say,’Bravo!’ ”

I love this billboard idea, too, to promote fund-raisers and special events even though you might have to have a big budget to pull it off.  Here’s why it’s so effective:

—It encourages people to become involved in your cause.

—It brings them to your website.

—It does a great job of turning local people into celebrities.

—It helps raise money for a worthwhile cause or issue.

Your next special event can include elaborate promotions like this one, or much simpler, less expensive ways to capture people’s attention, draw crowds, and attract the media.

“How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events,” a series of six interviews I conducted with Debra J. Schmidt, explains how to inject fun and profit into even routine events like the standard business golf outing. For example, Deb tells the story of a Wisconsin group that hosted a women’s golf tournament and created a huge buzz for the event by featuring something as simple a port-a-potties with candles, scented soaps and pretty hand towels.

At the golf banquet that night, the port-a-potties were the topic of conversation, and the participants raved about that that nice, unexpected touch really made the event special.  

Posted In: Contests, Nonprofits, Photos & Graphics, Publicity for Niche Markets, Special Events
posted On: 4/22/2008: 10:11 am: By Joan
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