Three Publicity Hounds have ideas for Sue Tremblay of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Sue wants suggestions on how to publicize the fact that Francis Farm, a clambake facility in her town, is open year-round. Business during the summer is good, but it drops off this time of year.
From Linda Williams of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania:
Throw a special “party” for your regular customers and play off the “We’re here for winter” theme. Introduce a series of special themed dinners throughout the fall/winter/early spring–a “Jingle Bell Ball,” a New Year’s Brunch for those who don’t want to cook on New Year’s Day and a Valentine wine tasting, or an “ask your sweetheart to dinner” with two for the price of one. You’ll have to stay in front of your customers for awhile, since they are not used to having you around all winter.
From Rodney Robbins of Maiden, North Carolina:
Reporters love local angles and events. I would look for human interest stories among the staff. Anyone from far away? Have someone who has overcome great odds to work with you? Any twins, brothers and sisters or dog lovers? Anyone on your staff ever write a book or do a cameo on a movie set? Have you considered sponsoring a contest for kids at your place? Perhaps an essay contest tied to a holiday. Are there any special local holidays or events like an Apple Festival or Pie Eating Contest? Invite the local high school chorus to perform for Christmas. Have the local college stage scenes from their latest play. You’re likely to get great coverage because reporters love to write about local events.
From Joshua Ben-David of Israel:
The holiday season is the perfect time to offer take-out and off-site catering. The lifestyle sections of the papers are filled with articles with tips to simplify holiday entertainment. You may have missed the Thanksgiving season, but you can still get in on the Christmas rush. It should be easy to get Francis Farm mentioned in one of these editorial roundups.
Also: This is often the only time of the year when people host large numbers of people. An interesting angle for a feature story would be “A caterer’s inside tips for running large parties,” which underscores
Francis Farm’s on-site catering expertise. In the course of the article, you can also describe the off-site catering services you will be providing for the holiday season.
The Publicity Hound says: Other possibilities include hosting cooking classes, cross-promoting with other local businesses, suggesting your business as a place to hold high school reunion parties, and submitting recipes to the local food columnist or food section of your local newspaper.
For more tips on how to publicize special events, see my free article “11 Tips to Promote Sizzling Special Events.”