Suzanne Fox Sevel of Melbourne, Fla., writes:
“I have a client in Atlanta, Ga., who just launched a new product called Scurtz: stylish, decorative skirts for chairs. They’re very upscale, and some people see them as an alternative to tablecloths or place settings as a unique way of decorating for guests.
“They’re $49-$69 a pair and come in luxurious or traditional fabrics such as velvet and tulle. Since they are so new, there are not very many customers. The sales numbers are not impressive enough for the local business press to even write a story about it.
“Also, local newspapers and magazines are showing little interest in writing a feature story about these fabulous home accessories or the two entrepreneurial moms who invented them.
“They will be available in a major retailer very soon, but my job is to create some initial buzz and excitement about them first so that when they hit the stores, there will be a line of people waiting for them. Do your Hounds have any ideas for low-cost, high-impact PR? The owner is not on Facebook or Twitter and has no interest in social networking as a means of promotion.”
Here’s a video that demonstrates how to tie Scurtz:
No interest in social networking as a means of promotion?
You’re breaking my heart!
There are so many opportunities to share their information on the social networking sites, including the hundreds of mom entrepreneur sites, that I don’t even know where to begin.
Let’s see how many clever publicity and marketing ideas other Hounds can suggest. Think holidays, home decorating, mom entrepreneurs, chairs inside businesses, types of chairs, etc.
Social media may be the wave of today, however the trick is still how to get people there. Years ago, when websites first started popping up, media wrote about new websites which got people there. Soon thereafter, you had to have one, but the big question was how to get people there without having to blow your brains out on advertising. That is where social media is today. So create the blog and facebook and twitter pages if you wish, but how do you generate the interest in the media to take note? I think every business would like the answer to that question. ONe thing the writer said was that these items were going to be carried by a major retailer. That is a piece of news that should get the media buzzing a bit – “see I told you this was a good item, a major retailer picked it up”.
Good luck,
Viraf Baliwalla
TheyWroteOffMyCar.com
I agree with Joan. Social networking is one of the great tools for publicity. People are sharing information, exchange ideas and the information spread viral.
Try working through Real Estate Offices. Offer to “dress up” some of the homes for Open Houses in exchange for having brochures or at least a placard featuring your client’s skurtz. Invite news reporters to come to the open house… or write your own news release and submit. This would make good copy for Real Estate or Home Improvement issues in newspapers and magazines. Perhaps your Real Estate people would even do some co-op advertising with you. Be sure your contact info is on or near the Skurtz on display.
Just because the owner doesn’t want to get a Facebook or Twitter account doesn’t mean you can’t promote it that way. In many ways, having outsiders vouch for a product is more genuine and convincing than having the owner (or the PR person) doing it. I would recruit satisfied customers to a Fan page you create from your account (or if they are opposed to even doing that, just get the customers to post a link in their status.) and share it with their friends.
What a great product. I agree with Joan’s comments about entering the social media space. Also, given the economy, there seems to be a lot of DIY home renovation stories in the news. How about positioning the product using this angle? You could offer multimedia elements like the above video and photos to make the story “pop” and show readers how to transform their dining areas with Scurtz. Also, another grassroots PR move might be to develop partnerships with home stagers and interior designers in your area. They can serve as a gateway to delivering the product to prime customers.
Try something around event planning. It’s a little late for wedding season but may be a good start for holiday parties. Or partner with an event planner or venue to be one of their vendors. Hotels get their chair covers somewhere, right?
You could also partner with a model home decorating company to get your product in front of people who are in the market for a home and home decor.
Why not create some YouTube videos about “How to Decorate for a Mother/Daughter Tea Party” or “Create a Fairy Tale Birthday Table for your Daughter” or “Ring in the New Year with Style to your Table” or something like that?
Give step-by-step tips on some decorating ideas to go with your theme. Of course include the skurtz as one of your tips on how to decorate! You could say something like, “We made ours, but they’re soon be available at [store] on [date — be sure to say the year]…”
Then, take this information, write it into a press release with this angle to local media. (Maybe to your local Parents/Seniors magazines. I.e: Target Grandmothers or Great-Grandmothers who could have some quality time with their girls). Use the YouTube video as part of your call-to-action at the bottom of the press release.
[Note: Maybe create some “episodes” for a little 3-min Decorating Show! Similar to decorating shows on TLC, etc. By the way, I don’t know how much your clients want to invest, but maybe they should consider hiring a local videographer to make the short videos, using good lighting, etc. Maybe even a local teenager who has aspirations to being a filmmaker? A lot of high schools have A/V Clubs.]
My idea doesn’t have the quickest turnaround, but you could try contacting some of the HGTV, TLC, DIY renovation shows and give them some of the Scurtz to use on the shows. Same with shelter books – see if you can get some in their projects.
Designer tour homes are another possibility.
hehe – Joan, you’ve got your calendar mixed up – it’s not 1st April for months yet!
The owners, per se, do not need to be on networking sites, but they should seriously consider networking sites as a means of promotion. A viral marketing campaign perhaps. Start by posing a teaser questions like, “Guess who’s wearing Scurtz?”
No social media? I cry also! This is prime for redecorating on a dime, “green makeover”.
Ideas for collaboration include working with a home re-stager to put on public workshops (see our site: http://www.TonyDuke.ca to see the workshops we offer. They’re affordable and quite fun.) I belong to the local Women’s Business Network and Chamber of Commerce. During the September – June “year”, there are monthly meetings and at least 2 other networking opportunities. Link In with compatible professionals locally to promote your goods at furniture and antique shops.
We also have a party rental place that might be an option for renting/buying the Skurtz as a one-time opportunity for their own purposes.
Love you, Hound!
I think social media and networking is able to create buzz of your business over internet.Promote your business in twitter,facebook and other leading social networking sites.
In fact video promotion is also helpful for getting more traffic.
I think reaching out to people that want to DIY for wedding and other events might help. Maybe try advertising on Facebook if they know if there is a certain demographic that buys the product.
“Do your Hounds have any ideas for low-cost, high-impact PR? The owner is not on Facebook or Twitter and has no interest in social networking as a means of promotion.””
I suspect they are missing out on their biggest opportunity to spreading the word because no one is actively searching for this (where is the need? what is the pain point that people are trying to solve?)
Love the product!! I think that promoting the name, product and website SCURTZ can be best accomplished through the ‘free’ channels out there as others have noted in their comments ie. facebook, twitter, etc. Giving them the most free exposure. One comment was right, no one is going to know to google them since this product has never been out there, its brand new, so they will need to create some buzz. I think a holiday theme or setting is a perfect way to promote scurtz since people do tend to decorate alot. The halloween scurtz are cute too for holiday parties. Another option to consider, having the scurtz monogrammed (especially the high end velvet ones) for an elegant dining room setting year round. There are lots of ways to market them!
Great product idea. Social networking is here to stay as well as other web 2.0 marketing methods. To succeed today one needs to roll with the changes.