Publicity Hound Janice Bittner of northern Virginia writes:
“Our company, Dryer Vent Wizard, cleans, fixes and installs dryer vents in an effort to help prevent dryer fires. I’ve sent at least three media kits to 10+ newspapers in our area over the last year that covered fire safety. I even gave out free dryer vent check kits to provide helpful tips and warning signs to readers.
“We live in a highly populated area with several weekly newspapers, all of which have extremely expensive advertising rates and not much editorial and news space. I haven’t been able to get a story printed in any of them, even after speaking to a reporter whose paper covers the area where a family recently experienced a dryer fire due to a clogged dryer vent (I even secured permission from the family to be interviewed).
“Any help from your Hounds on how to get publicity in a news environment that doesn’t have room for filler-type articles would be greatly appreciated!”
That’s an admirable goal, Janice. But why target only traditional media. I’ll bet my Hounds will suggest lots of tips on how to break through that brick wall at your local newspapers AND use social networking sites and other online tools to generate publicity. Hounds, let’s hear your best ideas.
Hi Janice,
Wow, tough crowd if you can’t even get in after a event that would fit perfectly. Here’s a few other angles to try:
Every year fire departments in Michigan promote fire safety week. This normally gets at least a mention in the local press. Maybe you can do an educational program with one of them during that week in your area or participate in a fundraiser etc.
Also, older homes in our area are required by law (although enforcement is not strict) to have smoke detectors. Our fire chief got a grant to distribute a whole bunch for free. Maybe you could work together with a local dept. to see what’s available in the community for such projects.
I also agree with Joan, why focus just on those stubborn editors in your area? There are a ton of Mom/Family type web sites and magazines that I’m sure would welcome a tip list, article or even review the product for their readers.
Good luck!
Why not send your media kit and tips to bloggers (in or out of the area) that have a following? How about some bloggers who may have written about the recent California fires?
Or, write your own release or story and use sites like Digg.com and del.cio.us to start the self-promotion and social networking process. If your product is really valuable and truly works, there’s going to be a group of people out there who want to hear it.
And hey, maybe if you get enough buzz going on these non-traditional media sites, your local traditional media might just catch on.
Also, why not contact TV reporters? Local radio shows? There’s plenty of outlets there besides your local newspapers that may love your story and your product.
Best of luck to you!
Janice – most fire departments have public education officers who do lots of fire prevention education in schools, shopping malls, etc. I’d suggest you connect with them. In our region, the fire departments hold a “fire prevention day” where people can learn about fire saftey, get free batteries for smoke detectors, sit in a fire truck, etc. and often the fire department will distribute loot bags of information and products to local citizens. See if you can distribute a brochure in your area. And if they say “no, you’re a commercial company so we cannot promote you”, offer the fire department a coupon for your services to be used as a give-away at their next public event.
Janice, it sounds like you have a great product/service. If I were a reporter covering the fire story, and you called me afterward, I would have had two negative thoughts. One: this story is over and I’m on to other things.
and
Two: Here’s some lady trying to make a buck off someone’s tragedy. She should buy an ad.
Perhaps if you had made the story about how you were DONATING your services to the family, it would have gone over better. That said, it’s hard to piggyback onto local breaking news, because it’s over quickly and reporters don’t want to revisit it. I was a print reporter in a competitive market, and I don’t remember ever writing an article about a product. We tossed those releases right in the recycling.
I think your best bet to attract print and TV in a competitive market would be some sort of event, such as donating one of your products to a day care center during Fire Prevention Week or something like that.
Also, go ahead and use quotes from that homeowner you received permission from, but make them testimonials on your Web site, or in paid advertising. Advertising is expensive, but that’s because it works. Perhaps you could find a foundation that focuses on fire prevention that would partner with you to underwrite part of a paid ad.
The book, “Chase’s Calendar of Events” has any number of days and commemorations, and it’s often used by media. Janice should visit http://www.chases.com to create her own commemorative event — say, “Dryer Vent Safety Day” — and once it’s published, create white papers, fact sheets and publicity around the event she created. If her company creates it first, her company’s contact info goes into the book. Then other dryer vent companies across the US can contact her to partner in promoting Dryer Vent Safety Day.
You could try sticking with using fear in your headlines as a catalyst to get media attention.
Release tips on fire safety using headlines like
Hidden Fire Threat In Evry Such & Such Home
Niche it to a theme like:
Hidden Fire Threat In Every Pet Owners Home
Drive home the threat by harping on figures like
1/25 house fires caused by dryer malfunction and that fire damage on average costs owners $100,000.
You could do direct mail campaigns to businesses/homes carrying >100K of insurance then tell them they’re paying too much, here’s why…
and then Tell them you have charity for families displaced by fire if they’ll just contribute a little bit of their savings they’ll coup from your Insurance Triple Payment Reduction Program you’ll contribute a LOT to the charity or better yet say Allstate would contribute a lot and wouldn’t it be great that from your smart actions you not only have a safer work/home environment and you get to save families devastated by fire but you do it all by ACTUALLY putting cash BACK into your pocket instead of the other way around thus TRIPLING your insurance benefits.
Wow! Thanks so much for all the great advice! I’m going to look into all the valuable tools you’ve suggested, and hopefully, continue to spread the word about our service. Thanks again!
Janice, as an author unable to interest D. C. area media in popular Chesapeake Bay books, I feel your pain. Nearby Baltimore media seem much more receptive to subjects of local, everyday interest or concern. Check with state and city firemen’s associations for events scheduled year-around. Also, a number of state and national publications are sent *gratis* to all fire companies.
Janice,
I’ve heard of art quilts made with dryer lint. Why not have a contest with some sort of prize? I’ll put the word out to my e-newsletter list of 16,000 quilters, many of whom are participating in the Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt project. (We accept donations from quilters for small art quilts 9″ x 12″ or less and turn them into research dollars to battle Alzheimer’s disease.) This small format, and the fact that quilters love a challenge, might net you some interest in your business and I’ll get some quilts out of the deal. The winning quilt would surely get some media attention…
Ami Simms
Founder, Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (approaching $150,000 raised for Alz research)