I attend a popular trade show each year where several people I know create fake press passes so they don't have to pay the hefty admission fee. It's easier than ever, thanks to desktop publishing. But get caught, and you risk looking like a cheapskate. Even worse, you can ruin your reputation within that industry. If your organization issues … [Read more...]
Publicity tips–Want a celebrity at your special event? Follow these tips
Hoping to book a big-name celebrity for your next special event? It's not as easy as it sounds. One thing must remember is that for celebrities, time is their most precious commodity. That's one of several tips from Rita Tateel, president of [Read more...]
Publicity tip–PR pro customizes nine press releases for one event
When you write a press release, how many different versions do you write? Just one? You'll kick yourself when you hear about what Publicity Hound Kathi Petersen does. When Kathi told me she wrote nine versions of one release for a fund-raiser she was publicizing, I thought she was kidding. Then she told me about "The Doors of Asheville," a … [Read more...]
Publicity tips–Avoid boring press conferences, ground-breakings, ribbon-cuttings, check-passings,
When Harley-Davidson unveiled plans last week for a $95 million museum here in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel splashed a big beautiful color … [Read more...]
How to use Craigslist for publicity
If you’re looking for a job, an apartment, a date, or people in your own community with common interests, you probably already know about Craigslist. But did you realize you can also use these free online community classifieds and forums to promote an event, announce a new … [Read more...]
Pitch Jay Leno for special event publicity
Promise me that after you read this item, you won't pester Jay Leno's staff with a boring idea that could put his late-night audience to sleep. If you watch Leno, like I do, you know his "correspondents" travel far and wide to fun events where they can film whacky segments, from John Melendez going belly-to-belly with bikers at the Sturgis … [Read more...]
How to Generate Publicity at Trade Shows
Most people who exhibit at trade shows overlook a powerful publicity tool that's just waiting for their news. It's the trade show daily, the newspaper that offers a bird's-eye view of what's happening that day at the show. When I first attended the BookExpo America convention last year, I was kicking myself for not paying closer attention to the … [Read more...]
How to get publicity during your state, county fair
I'll be one of the first in line when the Wisconsin State Fair opens this weekend, making a mad dash to the Expo building to see if two framed needlepoint canvasses I entered won blue ribbons---or were judged good enough to even place. Then it's off to the creampuff building to stand in a mile-long line and watch college kids in white aprons … [Read more...]
How to Create a Buzz with Special Events Publicity
As I watched Tiger Woods sink his putt on Sunday to win the British Open, I couldn't help but wonder whether the Porta Potties on the golf course at St. Andrews in Scotland had pretty toilet paper and delicate hand towels. I doubt it. But every time I watch golf on TV, I'm curious about what the Porta Potties along the course look like. That's … [Read more...]
Stop passing checks and passing it off as news
Publicity Hound Marilynn Mobley of Atlanta, Georgia writes with this comment about my advice two weeks ago to stop staging boring check-passing photos: "AMEN to your advice about how dreadful 'passing the check' photos are. I thought you might be interested to know that they can actually be dangerous as well. "Recently, I picked up a magazine to … [Read more...]