Lauren Tarne of Dallas, Texas writes:
“I have a client who is a high-end helicopter charter service in New York City—obviously a very crowded local market. I am struggling to think of opportunities for them because they don’t like doing free promo flights because of the high costs associated and they don’t have any clients that are willing to speak about the experience because they are the kind of people who like to keep a low profile.
“They have a very specific target niche–people who make $200,000+, and I am trying to think of the best ways to publicize the service without the above elements. Do your Hounds have any ideas?”
what about offering your client to comment on chartered flights as a unique and romantic valentine’s day gift?
Offer anonymity to the publicity-shy clients in exchange for their testimonials.
Based on the above suggestion, this would be one great way to propose to your spouse! talk about flying high!
Seems to me that it would be a good corperate incentive too. Good as gifts for employees or as a way to woo a prospective client or reward clients / corperations that you want to keep.
Seek references from the satisfied clients he already serves. Also partnterships with related business – car services, concierge companies that cater to the $200K club, furniture rental business – the ones that furnish high end residences and apts, essentially places where these elite frequent. and of course Time Out NY
If the client is so tight or stretched for cash that they can’t give a 5 minute promotional flight, you’ve got a bigger problem than getting them some publicity. It’s time to have a heart-to-heart with them. Free promotional flights for the *right* media (not a bunch of freeloaders) is the quickest way to get it done and the quickest payoff.
Would your client be willing to donate a free ride to a charity auction attended by people in his target demographic? I am working on several different events in Westchester county, New York, the affluent subrub just north of NYC. (The Rose Ball for the Partnership for the Huguenot Children’s Library on February 11th, the Boardwalk Ball for the Westchester Children’s Museum on May 20th, the Family of the Year Dinner for Family Services of Westchester on June 15th, all of which typically attract 250-350 professionals.) If this firm donated a ride to one of these auctions as an auction item, it would be written up in tempting terms in the Journal and a poster or display would be set up featuring his firm on the acution bidding table. In addition, we often let contributors put their brochures in the goodie bags or on the auction bidding table.
Many of the company’s demographics, $200K + earners in NY, are likely wealthy single men. Pitch the ‘perfect date’ scenario. Talk to lifestyle and gossip colums about your ideas of the perfect date that includes a helicopter ride: You could approach it as “The only way to beat Hitch at dating.” I’m guessing you’ve seen the movie. Remember, create a buzz as the lead, and your key messages will come up somewhere in the story.
Do a cross promotion. Sponsor and team up with a real estate developer marketing high-end residential real estate to affluent individuals, ideally in a region where helicopter-flying is an ideal mode of transportation. Often they will host high-end cocktail receptions / sales events at the residence where they invite a niche target group. I’ve seen high-end fashion shows, a Maserati product launch, art auctions, well-known spa resorts chefs fly in from Arizona to prepare hors d’heurves at the party, etc. (and later they auction a trip to the resort) tied to events such as this. They tend to pull in the right group of people and you could sponsor the event and ensure you have a tangible presence.
The client is based in New York? Product placement! Research and pursue locally produced television programs and/or films. And don’t forget the national media outlets. There are hundreds of possibilities. Regarding your client’s reticence, you will simply have to instill in him the monetary benefits that can result from well-conceived publicity events.
I think that more and more people are becoming “aware” of various charites and like to support firms that actively contribute a portion of their profit to charities – how about selecting some worthwhile causes and letting your clients know that you are pledging a % of your profits to these causes – they and you can make a difference – then publicise how much you are contributing.
Since the clientele is high-end–could a helicopter get close enough to take great photos of NYC’s classiest luxury cars and feature them in some sort of web-based contest, with accompanying media blitz? (Check with a lawyer about permissions issues first)
I’ve seen plenty of comments for the social end of the service, how about business? In addition to picking the primary customer up at his or her home (trees and other conditions permitting), offer to fly their business clients in for a “Meet and Greet” at a helicopter-friendly public building, possibly making multiple flights in the same day or working for the same client all day. To get their attention, make a list of the most promising locations and a few enticing amenities just an elevator-ride away. Promote the list in a multitude of ways, including the auction idea presented above.
Sometimes advertising is the right answer, not PR. Don’t be afraid, as a PR person, to suggest advertising as part of your strategy. To serve your client at the optimum level, offer to handle this for him/her and find a partner to work with. Additionally, you could create a specialized “package” to promote. Take a holiday such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, create a special package with pick up by the service, dinner at a fine restaurant, night at fine hotel, flowers, chocolates. The package would have a combined price ($5,000) that would appeal to your demographic. The package is what you get the PR on!
Even if no one buys it (and I did this for a luxury hotel I worked with once, and no one bought the package) I got a great deal of press just for having the package available. No freebies, no giveaways. If most customers are business oriented, then work up a package that works for them (flight, working lunch, new laptop, Starbuck’s gift cards!) Have fun with this!
I would focus on the benefits of the service. Such as if you’re flying to the Hampton’s for the day as opposed to driving…or what are some other destinations that you can compare drive time to. Is the service available 24 hours a day – if so talk about it. Do you have to schedule well in advance or can you go last minute in the event a client needs you to come right away and other forms of transportation will delay the meeting…And focus on celebrity status – everyone wants to feel special and that their time is extremely valuable so if you want that VIP treatment hop on the heli pad…
What sorts of conventions or gatherings do these $200k business leaders and entrepreneurs go to in New York? Would there be a good spot there to display the helicopter? It could be coupled with a video of their service (views of the city from above; examples of why people use the service — to get to a major airport, to travel across the NYC area, to go home or to a meeting or to a party). If your client has only one chopper, that could be a problem. Even rich business guys like simple toys — so how about printing the company business name and contact information on a box of those plastic twirly helicopter blade toys that launch from between your hands with a quick rub of the hands in opposite directions? Mail that out to the top executives in New York along with a color flyer or brochure… and include a DVD of the video I already suggested (providing one can be produced) — which should also have audio track that utilizes great production music combined with the voice of the pilot-owner and recorded comments of anonymous clients who can share why they like the convenience and quality of the service. The executive can pop it into his or her computer to watch it. No more than 5 minutes. Want a bargain on video production? Offer a video internship (unpaid or a reasonable stipend per semester $500 to $1,000) to a NYC film student (a resume builder for the student) — but look at samples of the student’s work and check out their ability to access the proper equipment; also find out from their professor if they can hit deadlines and finish projects. You may end up with an innovative, creative finished product you didn’t imagine possible. Dubbing copies on DVD is not very expensive; the biggest cost might be the labeling.
Charter Jet and Helicopter VIP clients use limosine services for departing and arriving at private FBO’s (Fixed Based Operations)24/7. Try hooking up with a very popular limosine company using the business card barter system. The high-end helicopter service will promote the limosine service and the limosine service will promote the helicopter service.
go where the cameras are
call local newsrooms and photo desk and ask what stories they are covering or you can read your calender section
So, if it’s a parade or big ballgame…go where the cameras are
Make your helicopter stand out and you will get more publicity then you can handle and no one will be know that you are a slick rascal.
I won’t tell if you don’t.
May not be relevent at this point but I have a friend who promoted his luxury sports car rental service strictly via. running Google adwords campaigns. He was always busy…and suprisingly he had not much experience using adwords. Just a thought.