PR and business promotion in a creative way


Really newsworthy stories are golden opportunities, and don't often appear in most firms. Yet many newsworthy events or actions are only reported in one or two places, simply because the person handling the PR has not been sufficiently active in thinking via the possibilities.

Probably the most apparent place to send a press release may not usually be the very best, but by examining the possibilities from all angles the PR individual can place the story in numerous different locations.

Good PR people will think about all the possible outlets for a news story, and will send out tailored versions to each periodical. For example, a brand new vegetarian restaurant might write an article emphasizing the wholesome qualities of the food for a fitness magazine, an article on the appearance of the food and quality of the ingredients for a restaurant critic, a story concerning the business model for the financial pages, along with a write-up about the restaurant's female managing director for a women's magazine.

Each story derives from the fundamental "we're opening a brand new restaurant" story, but each one adds towards the interest worth by taking a stance that matches what each journalist is looking for. The fundamental story is probably unpublishable-an editor would have to be pretty desperate for something to fill up space-but the derived stories have angles that would resonate with each columnist.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. For most newspapers and magazines a striking picture can take up more space than a thousand words, and takes a great deal much less effort to create. Getting the photographers along to your media event will make the story an excellent deal more publishable, and will also create an excellent deal more interest amongst your publics.

For this to happen, the story must be visually exciting as well as newsworthy, of course. Finding something that will make a good news photograph is a challenge, but it is a challenge that can be met, having a little creative thinking.

A razor manufacturer that had a brand new type of blade to promote offered a £1,000 charity donation on behalf of bearded celebrities who were prepared to have their beards shaved off publicly. The company contacted a rock star, an MP, and a comedy actor, all of whom agreed to take part. The company set up a barber's chair in Parliament Square in Central London, and invited the press to send photographers along.

The resultant pictures were widely utilized, and of course the company was mentioned in numerous of the stories (although the blade itself wasn't). The business capitalized on the event by using its personal photographs of the occasion in its advertising, so readers produced the connection in between the company and the stunt.

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Note: This article was sent to us by: Claire Stutton at 01232011

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