One of the best ways to attract media attention for your product, service, cause or issue is to invite journalists to actually experience your story, not just report it.
That’s what PR firm Quinn & Co. did when trying to generate publicity for its client, Starwood Hotels and resorts worldwide.
The firm discovered that the locals in the Bahamas had been using pumpkin soup and sea moss for generations to help make babies. Combined with certain spa treatments and lots of relaxation, it made the perfect “Procreation Vacation.”
Then it was time to interest a journalist in experiencing the story. The agency already knew freelance writer Lucinda Hughes, and that she was trying to get pregnant. So they invited her and her husband to be guests at the resort.
A staffer at “Inside Edition” read about the vacation package in “Travel + Romance” magazine and asked to follow the Hugheses. Then “Good Morning America” jumped onboard by featuring recipes for pumpkin soup and sea moss elixir. Next month, it will air a tasting demonstration of the recipes.
Many top-tier publications featured the story, including USA Today (read the story here) as well as CNN, “Live with Regis and Kelly,” “The View,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption.”
What happened next copuldn’t have been planned any better. Lucinda got pregnant, and that sparked even more interest from the media. Now, other hotels are stealing the idea for “The Procreation Vacation.”
I think the PR campaign was brilliant. The most important element, however, was that the freelancer experienced the story, rather than just wrote about it from the sidelines.
If you’re trying to interest the media in your story, invite a reporter to go along for the ride. This works particularly well with freelance reporters. Just make sure they have credentials and that you ask to see clippings of their work. This will weed out the freeloaders.
Want lots of tips on how to create a memorable experience for journalists? See “Special Report Special Report #42: Tips for Letting Reporters Experience Your Story, Not Just Write About It.” It explains how to get reporters excited about your story.