Today's Wall Street Journal (Page B8) says HarperCollins Publishers Inc. is starting a speakers bureau in the U.S. to arrange speaking engagements for its authors. Its best-known authors are Michal Crichton, business author Jim Collins and children's book writer Daniel Handler. The publisher says the bureau is expected to generate a … [Read more...]
Crisis training for public information officers
Public information officers for government agencies and nonprofits are often the first people the media contact when disaster strikes. Even though many have formal training on how to respond, PIOs representing numerous agencies in the same community sometimes never meet each other. When there's a major disaster, the PIOs are on their own. … [Read more...]
12 worst mistakes PR people make
It was difficult to pare them down to a dozen, but we did. Of all the mistakes PR people make when working with the media, Jon Greer of Bulldog Reporter's PR University and Liz Miklya of Weber Shandwick joined me in whittling down the list to 12. We presented them the Media Relations 2005 conference earlier this month in San Francisco. Here's our … [Read more...]
Deloitte taking nominations for Technology Fast 500
One of the best ways to get free publicity for your company is winning a prestigious award. If you're a tech company, listen up. Nominations are now being accepted for Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, which ranks the fastest-growing technology companies in North America, and the Fast 50, which ranks the fastest-growing technology companies in 17 … [Read more...]
Use helpful tips when writing ads
Publicity Hounds hate spending money on ads when they can generate thousands of dollars in free print space and air time for next to nothing. That said, there might be times when you MUST buy an ad to promote a product. I seldom read ads. But an ad for Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants, in an issue of Nick Jr. Family magazine, caught my eye. The … [Read more...]
A high profile can help when your company is for sale
Publicity Hounds usually use the strategies they read about here to sell more products or services, promote books, get speaking engagements, promote a nonprofit, position themselves as experts, or offset negative publicity. Here's another time when you should try to get the media's attention: When your company is for sale. Last year, PestPatrol, … [Read more...]
A great way to get more PR clients
If you work in the PR industry and you're fishing for new clients, here's a clever way to hook 'em. Choose a company that you're dying to work with. Then keep your eyes open for coverage their competitors are getting. When you see a story written about a competitor, clip it and send it along with a post-it note to one of the key decision-makers at … [Read more...]
Schmoozing at trade shows
Trade shows are great places to take reporters to lunch and to generate all kinds of publicity. Among the thousands of attendees at trade shows, you'll sometimes find hundreds of reporters who are hungry for stories about new products and interesting people behind the products. But you must do your homework. --Even before you pack your suitcase, … [Read more...]
Take a reporter to lunch
One way for Publicity Hounds to form relationships with media contacts is to take them to lunch. If you've never done this before, it can sound daunting and maybe even downright dangerous. What if you say something stupid? What if you end up with a piece of spinach on your front tooth? What if the reporter asks you something you don't … [Read more...]
Know everthing possible about your target audience
If you're an author, doctor, or other expert who writes about, treats or discusses breast cancer, what magazines would you target if you wanted to pitch a story about the topic? The most obvious answer, of course, is any of the big-circulation women's magazines like Woman's Day, Working Woman or Ladies' Home Journal. Overlooking the smaller, less … [Read more...]