Recently I started a search for some wacky ways PR pros are grabbing the attention of the press. I received literally hundreds of responses. I do this every once in a while to hopefully get your creative juices flowing. The point is to be wacky, creative and COURAGEOUS!
Here are some of the best.
I’m a book publicist fighting to get my clients noticed in an over populated, over stimulated world of books. With around 100,000 books published last year, it can be VERY difficult to make a splash and even harder to make a sale with our dwindling economy. One of the things I’ve taken to doing is raffling off interesting items at our book events. The item needs to be eye-catching, desirable, and relevant. My last two have been very successful in their respective markets. One being a casket bookcase from http://www.casketfurniture.com/ that you can use now to hold your books and later to hold your body (no, really you could actually be buried in it), this for When the Sun Goes Down, a book on planning your own funeral in a fun and creative way. The casket, needless to say, get a LOT of attention everywhere we take it. Bookstores, libraries, trade shows, no one can resist coming to see what all the hub-bub is about around this looming, but impeccably crafted, beautifully creepy bookcase. The second, less shocking, item is a Keurig coffee machine that accompanies a children’s book called Escapade Johnson and The Coffee Shop of the Living Dead. The Keurig is so easy a child can use it and that’s exactly what we allow to happen. Kids who come to the events are given pods of hot cocoa and allowed to make themselves a steaming cup while they listen to the history of their drink as told by the author in the story. The parents get in on the fun too and enjoy tea and coffee while the kids listen. One lucky entrant wins a machine each month thanks to the fine folks at Keurig and our author is known as the guy with the coffee machine, getting bookings all over the region.
Submitted by Carol Corbett Director of Marketing & Publicity
Publishing Works
60 Winter Street
Exeter, NH 03833
P: 603-772-7200
F: 603-772-1980
http://www.publishingworks.com/
======
I just did a story on a Great Clips franchise in Safety Harbor Florida that is offering $3.00 Ray Hawk Haircuts in support of the Tampa Bay Rays in the Baseball World Series
Great ClipsShoppes at Harbour Point100 Main Street Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 712-3900
Sandra McKennaMickChick Productions
(727) 243-3299sandramckenna@verizon.net
======
Well the CEO of Canpages shaved his head on YouTube after losing a bet with his SEO over his ability to increase Canpages Unique Visitors from 30,000 to 3 million. Canpages currently receives approximately 50% of the total traffic that yellowpages.ca gets, according to Compete.com, Alexa.com and other online traffic meter tools. People love the idea of a CEO humiliating himself so publicly... see for yourself plan.”(Watch the original video of CEO getting head shaved http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlV8Bpnm5AU
Anne Howard
514) 523-3771 Canada (310)-295-9578 Los Angeles
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Stop the bitching and moaning
The following snipets were sent to me by Vern Harvell of New Hampshire
While not my usual media fare, all the bitching and moaning you hear about this country from the braintrust of the likes of Madonna, Bill Maher, Alec Baldwin, et al have just exhausted me. So I dedicate the following to them and the millions of others that really are clueless
You could have heard a pin drop when in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.' The American said, ''The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it. 'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!' The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'
While not my usual media fare, all the bitching and moaning you hear about this country from the braintrust of the likes of Madonna, Bill Maher, Alec Baldwin, et al have just exhausted me. So I dedicate the following to them and the millions of others that really are clueless
You could have heard a pin drop when in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.' The American said, ''The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it. 'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!' The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Power of The Virus!
Vir-al
"of the nature of, or caused by, a virus," 1948
Viral marketing is the oldest, most powerful yet misunderstood form of marketing a product even known.
Ask most “marketing experts” to define Viral Marketing and you’ll get a response that goes something like: “Marketing that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message through distribution to pre-existing and definable social networks” – huh?
Viral marketing can be better defined as: Getting your message heard by as many people as possible, with the least amount of money, and without looking like a commercial, in other words getting people talking about you instead of you advertising to them.
There is a huge misconception that viral marketing was first use by internet marketers, Hotmail.com often being cited as the first to employ this strategy. While the internet certainly expanded the influence and popularity of viral marketing, it was hardly the first medium to exploit this phenomenon.
A viral marketing campaign is nothing more than a predesigned and managed “word of mouth” advertising strategy. That is getting people talking about you, your products and services. The entire point of going viral (Which means a message spreads like a virus) is to create buzz among the people most likely to do business with you. People buy from people they like and that are like them. Moreover it’s been a long accepted fact that if a person likes a product or service they will typically tell three others. When a prospect hears someone talking about a new product or service, or is referred by family or friends, the person doing the referring is actually endorsing the product or service and there is simply no better form of advertising.
This is viral marketing at its roots. Once you understand the basic concept you can exploit it in greater and newer ways. Internet marketers use viral marketing in a pyramid fashion. That is, create a message and distribute it across the internet through social contacts. One person sends the message to two people, who in turn send in to four and so on. Hotmail accomplished this by offering free email accounts, then embedding the free email offer in all outgoing messages. This way every email sent became an advertisement and by default a recommendation from the sender of the email. This is done in a variety of ways including:
*Video ads such as on Google Video or You Tube. These ads can be anything from straight up commercials to tutorials on how to best use your product, the funnier or more provocative the better.
*Flash games
*Blogs
*Social networking sites like: My Space, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin
*eBooks (Instructional booklets for service vendors are wildly popular)
*Brandable Software (Once know as Shareware)
*Images and graphics
*Text Messages
The point is to create something with your message in it that will be circulated. We’ve all seen those internet cartoons and funny stories, inspiring pictures, etc that seem to circulate over and again. This is an example of viral marketing.
With internet campaigns, giving something of value for free is essential – even if just information. Two great and recent examples are Larry Winget’s postcard service. If you go to Larry’s website you can send a brash postcard to a colleague with Larry screaming any one of a number of rude motivational platitudes. A second great example is from Colbie Caillat. Her song “Bubbly” skyrocketed her to international stardom, bypassing American Idol, by being circulated on MySpace.
But the net is not the only place viral marketing exists. Brick and mortar operations can join in the fun by:
*Offering incentives to existing customers to tell their friends
*Provide complimentary seminars open to the public on their products and services
*Establish themselves as a credible and reliable source for the media. Regardless what you do the media is starved for information and is always on the lookout for resources for quotes and information.
*Offer to write for industry trade publications. These specific periodicals are always in need of fresh new content and are a great and free way to put your name in front of thousands of potential news customers.
*Let mainstream publications know about your expertise as well.
I was recently quoted by Entrepreneur magazine on a concept called Horizontal Marketing. They published the story online. Within days the story had been picked up and reposted on 114 different websites including MSNBC and The Washington Post and it cost me nothing – That’s the power of Viral Marketing. And despite what the internet Gurus preach about social networking to spread your message, there is no faster, more effective or credible way to take you message across the globe then by getting media exposure
*Host Charity Events
*Sponsor a reading initiative in your hometown
*Donate books to a local Library
There are literally hundreds of ways to get tons of free exposure for your product, service, company or cause. All it takes is a little creativity and initiative.
"of the nature of, or caused by, a virus," 1948
Viral marketing is the oldest, most powerful yet misunderstood form of marketing a product even known.
Ask most “marketing experts” to define Viral Marketing and you’ll get a response that goes something like: “Marketing that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message through distribution to pre-existing and definable social networks” – huh?
Viral marketing can be better defined as: Getting your message heard by as many people as possible, with the least amount of money, and without looking like a commercial, in other words getting people talking about you instead of you advertising to them.
There is a huge misconception that viral marketing was first use by internet marketers, Hotmail.com often being cited as the first to employ this strategy. While the internet certainly expanded the influence and popularity of viral marketing, it was hardly the first medium to exploit this phenomenon.
A viral marketing campaign is nothing more than a predesigned and managed “word of mouth” advertising strategy. That is getting people talking about you, your products and services. The entire point of going viral (Which means a message spreads like a virus) is to create buzz among the people most likely to do business with you. People buy from people they like and that are like them. Moreover it’s been a long accepted fact that if a person likes a product or service they will typically tell three others. When a prospect hears someone talking about a new product or service, or is referred by family or friends, the person doing the referring is actually endorsing the product or service and there is simply no better form of advertising.
This is viral marketing at its roots. Once you understand the basic concept you can exploit it in greater and newer ways. Internet marketers use viral marketing in a pyramid fashion. That is, create a message and distribute it across the internet through social contacts. One person sends the message to two people, who in turn send in to four and so on. Hotmail accomplished this by offering free email accounts, then embedding the free email offer in all outgoing messages. This way every email sent became an advertisement and by default a recommendation from the sender of the email. This is done in a variety of ways including:
*Video ads such as on Google Video or You Tube. These ads can be anything from straight up commercials to tutorials on how to best use your product, the funnier or more provocative the better.
*Flash games
*Blogs
*Social networking sites like: My Space, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin
*eBooks (Instructional booklets for service vendors are wildly popular)
*Brandable Software (Once know as Shareware)
*Images and graphics
*Text Messages
The point is to create something with your message in it that will be circulated. We’ve all seen those internet cartoons and funny stories, inspiring pictures, etc that seem to circulate over and again. This is an example of viral marketing.
With internet campaigns, giving something of value for free is essential – even if just information. Two great and recent examples are Larry Winget’s postcard service. If you go to Larry’s website you can send a brash postcard to a colleague with Larry screaming any one of a number of rude motivational platitudes. A second great example is from Colbie Caillat. Her song “Bubbly” skyrocketed her to international stardom, bypassing American Idol, by being circulated on MySpace.
But the net is not the only place viral marketing exists. Brick and mortar operations can join in the fun by:
*Offering incentives to existing customers to tell their friends
*Provide complimentary seminars open to the public on their products and services
*Establish themselves as a credible and reliable source for the media. Regardless what you do the media is starved for information and is always on the lookout for resources for quotes and information.
*Offer to write for industry trade publications. These specific periodicals are always in need of fresh new content and are a great and free way to put your name in front of thousands of potential news customers.
*Let mainstream publications know about your expertise as well.
I was recently quoted by Entrepreneur magazine on a concept called Horizontal Marketing. They published the story online. Within days the story had been picked up and reposted on 114 different websites including MSNBC and The Washington Post and it cost me nothing – That’s the power of Viral Marketing. And despite what the internet Gurus preach about social networking to spread your message, there is no faster, more effective or credible way to take you message across the globe then by getting media exposure
*Host Charity Events
*Sponsor a reading initiative in your hometown
*Donate books to a local Library
There are literally hundreds of ways to get tons of free exposure for your product, service, company or cause. All it takes is a little creativity and initiative.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Establishing Yourself as an Industry Expert
Join me today at 6pm CENTRAL STANDARD TIME when I present
"Establish Yourself as an Industry Expert"
The webinar is free of charge and will be broadcast on my web channel
BMN- Business Marketing Network. BMN is hosted by Brightalk and in addition to my
programs Brightalk hosts hundreds of others to help you grow your business.
Being a member is free so make sure to sign up today
You can find BMN at http://www.brighttalk.com/channels/538/view
"Establish Yourself as an Industry Expert"
The webinar is free of charge and will be broadcast on my web channel
BMN- Business Marketing Network. BMN is hosted by Brightalk and in addition to my
programs Brightalk hosts hundreds of others to help you grow your business.
Being a member is free so make sure to sign up today
You can find BMN at http://www.brighttalk.com/channels/538/view
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sarah Palin Results
I recently sent a query to media and marketing experts on why it seems we're seeing soooooo many advertisments featuring women that bear a resemblance to Sarah Palin. And whether I was insane for thinking its a conspiracy
Here are some of the better responses on this marketing phenomenon:
From Deb Robison:
This is an observation two different friends made:"More women seem to be wearing glasses because of her." They both really bought into that idea. Anway, wanted to share that.
Deb Robison http://www.icantkeepup.blogspot.com/
From Teajai Kimsey
Michael -No, you're not insane. I had my reading glasses on and took a look in the mirror and I even resemble Sara Palin... and I really thought my new hairstyle was trendsetting and different! And friends at college even have similar "palinesque" qualities.Have a great day!
Teajai 'T J' Kimsey--
Internet Marketing Consultant &Web Strategist http://www.ideasthatwork.net/
From Bonnie Russell
Dear Michael,
It's very easy to look like Sarah because she is good looking in a non-descript sort of way.
She has a good complexion and no real standout features.
However, the ease of looking like Palin was brought home by the View's Sherri Shepherd, a rather heavy set black woman who appeared in glasses and an upswept 'do'.
Son of a gun, (no pun) there was a resemblance.
Unfortunately, Sherri made the mistake of saying she put on the glasses to look smarter and Joy had a field day with that comment.
However, it's easy to look like Sarah in another way. I noticed her hair was a little stringy, a little dirty during her spot with Katie Couric yesterday and what woman hasn't had that happen?
Meow.
Most sincerely,
Bonnie Russell http://www.1st-pick.com/
We only work with the best. It's simpler that way.
From Matt Scherer
Michael,
It's not the infatuation with Sarah Palin, but the fact that everyone loves Tina Fey. Don't you know they were twin sisters of different mothers who were separated at birth?--
Matt Scherer, President, Scherer Communications
Email: mattscherer@gmail.com
Blog: http://mattscherer.blogspot.com/
Keep em coming gang - I find this fascinating
MH
Here are some of the better responses on this marketing phenomenon:
From Deb Robison:
This is an observation two different friends made:"More women seem to be wearing glasses because of her." They both really bought into that idea. Anway, wanted to share that.
Deb Robison http://www.icantkeepup.blogspot.com/
From Teajai Kimsey
Michael -No, you're not insane. I had my reading glasses on and took a look in the mirror and I even resemble Sara Palin... and I really thought my new hairstyle was trendsetting and different! And friends at college even have similar "palinesque" qualities.Have a great day!
Teajai 'T J' Kimsey--
Internet Marketing Consultant &Web Strategist http://www.ideasthatwork.net/
From Bonnie Russell
Dear Michael,
It's very easy to look like Sarah because she is good looking in a non-descript sort of way.
She has a good complexion and no real standout features.
However, the ease of looking like Palin was brought home by the View's Sherri Shepherd, a rather heavy set black woman who appeared in glasses and an upswept 'do'.
Son of a gun, (no pun) there was a resemblance.
Unfortunately, Sherri made the mistake of saying she put on the glasses to look smarter and Joy had a field day with that comment.
However, it's easy to look like Sarah in another way. I noticed her hair was a little stringy, a little dirty during her spot with Katie Couric yesterday and what woman hasn't had that happen?
Meow.
Most sincerely,
Bonnie Russell http://www.1st-pick.com/
We only work with the best. It's simpler that way.
From Matt Scherer
Michael,
It's not the infatuation with Sarah Palin, but the fact that everyone loves Tina Fey. Don't you know they were twin sisters of different mothers who were separated at birth?--
Matt Scherer, President, Scherer Communications
Email: mattscherer@gmail.com
Blog: http://mattscherer.blogspot.com/
Keep em coming gang - I find this fascinating
MH
Friday, September 12, 2008
Google Alerts Not Enough!
Those of us that regularly submit articles, story ideas, pitches, and quotes to the media know the value of Google Alerts for finding those stories online once published. But Google Alerts only goes so far and reports only a fraction of what is actually posted. If you want to fully capitalize on the publicity you do receive you’ve got to do some leg work of your own. For example: two weeks ago I was quoted by Entrepreneur.com. My Google Alerts notified me the story was posted before the reporter did. However knowing that stories online often get “circulated” I did a Google search and found the story had been published 114 more times and by some big outlets such as MSNBC and The Washington Post.
Not only did several major news outlets post the story, but several smaller corporate newsletters did as well. Many of the smaller publications were related to the Real Estate, Insurance, and Investment industries – That’s MY audience! I market primarily to these groups!
An article printed in a major business publication quoting me is being circulated by the very publications read by the people I market to most often. Now when I contact planners and executives in these fields I can reference my appearance in their newsletters. Yes I could have offered to write for their publications (And I often do) but the credibility would not be the same. The reprints clearly state they came from Entrepreneur, instant credibility!
Second Entrepreneur covered more “geography” with a keystroke than I could have in 5 years. Now when I contact these same publications and offer to write feature articles, my reputation and expertise is already firmly established. I also found the merits of the article being discussed in chat rooms and on bulletin boards visited by representatives of these same industries. And actually posted responses and started new discussions related to “my” article. More than one head popped up once they realized who I was, and that I had “graced them with my presence”
To fully exploit this strategy the publication needs to be larger and widely excepted. Blogs and ezine reprints won’t get the coverage. So go after the larger publications.
Once published, wait a week or so then do a Google search USING THE EXACT TITLE of the article.
You’ll be amazed at the opportunities that stream across your computer screen.
Not only did several major news outlets post the story, but several smaller corporate newsletters did as well. Many of the smaller publications were related to the Real Estate, Insurance, and Investment industries – That’s MY audience! I market primarily to these groups!
An article printed in a major business publication quoting me is being circulated by the very publications read by the people I market to most often. Now when I contact planners and executives in these fields I can reference my appearance in their newsletters. Yes I could have offered to write for their publications (And I often do) but the credibility would not be the same. The reprints clearly state they came from Entrepreneur, instant credibility!
Second Entrepreneur covered more “geography” with a keystroke than I could have in 5 years. Now when I contact these same publications and offer to write feature articles, my reputation and expertise is already firmly established. I also found the merits of the article being discussed in chat rooms and on bulletin boards visited by representatives of these same industries. And actually posted responses and started new discussions related to “my” article. More than one head popped up once they realized who I was, and that I had “graced them with my presence”
To fully exploit this strategy the publication needs to be larger and widely excepted. Blogs and ezine reprints won’t get the coverage. So go after the larger publications.
Once published, wait a week or so then do a Google search USING THE EXACT TITLE of the article.
You’ll be amazed at the opportunities that stream across your computer screen.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
New Webinar Channel
This Monday I will debut the new webinar channel
BMN - Business Marketing Network
Each week I will deliver timely, powerful, and effective marketing strategies via the web. This weeks program -
Maximizing Publicity - Minimizing Cost
will air at 6pm
The program is presented free of charge
Check it out here http://beta.brighttalk.com/webcasts/775/attend
BMN - Business Marketing Network
Each week I will deliver timely, powerful, and effective marketing strategies via the web. This weeks program -
Maximizing Publicity - Minimizing Cost
will air at 6pm
The program is presented free of charge
Check it out here http://beta.brighttalk.com/webcasts/775/attend
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