The day after the birth of Kate and William’s baby this week, I saw a news story about Sproutlings, a children’s shop in Duluth, Minnesota. The shop’s owner had assembled a gift basket that included a stuffed owl, a symbol of the area. She was sending the congratulatory basket to the couple. “I would be thrilled to see the baby with any of these items,” she confessed.
When the couple left the hospital with the child, he was wrapped in a swaddling blanket that Sproutlings carried. The store owner took note of that on her Facebook page.
Her basket is likely one of a thousands that the couple is receiving, and the possibility of the baby is being seen with any of her items is a long shot. However, sending the basket and telling the media was very smart marketing. The store owner took advantage of a good opportunity to get her store’s name in the news by attaching it to a story that her target market was following. The local news media loves local ties to national and international events, and that fact gave her a opening with the media. Using the attention the story piqued to tie the swaddling blanket to her stock gave customers a reason to shop her store.
Her actions reminded me of all the attention given to National Ice Cream Day last Sunday. That, too, was excellent marketing. Who do you think set up National Ice Cream Day? Ben and Jerry’s? Some group, perhaps the International Ice Cream Association, got President Reagan to proclaim the third Sunday in July National Ice Cream Day back in 1984.
You can declare your own day, too. Several years ago, I sent out a release declaring June National Wood Tick Month in order to promote Larry Heagle’s Wood Tick Song. Click here to read the release. At least one newspaper printed the release in its entirely, and Larry was interviewed by DJs of several radio stations. We offered a free copy of “Larry Heagle’s Twenty-five Ways to Destroy Wood Ticks” to further interest.
To further the media’s interest this year, an ice cream personality test was released in conjunction with National Ice Cream Day. Since we are always fascinated by what our actions say about us, a personality test gets our attention. News media and talk shows reported and discussed what a love of a particular flavor of ice cream reflected about someone’s personality.
Good Morning America spread National Ice Cream Day throughout the entire week and featured a different ice cream producer each day. Monday Kelley Country Creamery ice cream from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was the focus. The Kelley’s had a booth set up outside the studio with a listing of unique flavors. A pre-recorded piece about Kelley’s was shown. Family members were interviewed by GMA anchors and served them ice cream.
How did Kelley’s get this attention? Somebody from Kelley’s took the initiative to contact either a local station or GMA directly. Local news stories get the attention of producers of national shows. In order to get noticed by any media, business people have to make the effort. They must initiate the contact and have a reason for doing so.
Why weren’t more business people clamoring for the media’s attention in both these instances? They don’t understand how to get publicity. They don’t know that they need to make the contact. They don’t follow through and do it.
If you do understand, know what to do, and follow through, your business will likely get covered by the media. Like Sproutlings and Kelley’s, you will take advantage of a good opportunity.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What media opportunities have you seen a business use? E-mail me your answer.
When the couple left the hospital with the child, he was wrapped in a swaddling blanket that Sproutlings carried. The store owner took note of that on her Facebook page.
Her basket is likely one of a thousands that the couple is receiving, and the possibility of the baby is being seen with any of her items is a long shot. However, sending the basket and telling the media was very smart marketing. The store owner took advantage of a good opportunity to get her store’s name in the news by attaching it to a story that her target market was following. The local news media loves local ties to national and international events, and that fact gave her a opening with the media. Using the attention the story piqued to tie the swaddling blanket to her stock gave customers a reason to shop her store.
Her actions reminded me of all the attention given to National Ice Cream Day last Sunday. That, too, was excellent marketing. Who do you think set up National Ice Cream Day? Ben and Jerry’s? Some group, perhaps the International Ice Cream Association, got President Reagan to proclaim the third Sunday in July National Ice Cream Day back in 1984.
You can declare your own day, too. Several years ago, I sent out a release declaring June National Wood Tick Month in order to promote Larry Heagle’s Wood Tick Song. Click here to read the release. At least one newspaper printed the release in its entirely, and Larry was interviewed by DJs of several radio stations. We offered a free copy of “Larry Heagle’s Twenty-five Ways to Destroy Wood Ticks” to further interest.
To further the media’s interest this year, an ice cream personality test was released in conjunction with National Ice Cream Day. Since we are always fascinated by what our actions say about us, a personality test gets our attention. News media and talk shows reported and discussed what a love of a particular flavor of ice cream reflected about someone’s personality.
Good Morning America spread National Ice Cream Day throughout the entire week and featured a different ice cream producer each day. Monday Kelley Country Creamery ice cream from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was the focus. The Kelley’s had a booth set up outside the studio with a listing of unique flavors. A pre-recorded piece about Kelley’s was shown. Family members were interviewed by GMA anchors and served them ice cream.
How did Kelley’s get this attention? Somebody from Kelley’s took the initiative to contact either a local station or GMA directly. Local news stories get the attention of producers of national shows. In order to get noticed by any media, business people have to make the effort. They must initiate the contact and have a reason for doing so.
Why weren’t more business people clamoring for the media’s attention in both these instances? They don’t understand how to get publicity. They don’t know that they need to make the contact. They don’t follow through and do it.
If you do understand, know what to do, and follow through, your business will likely get covered by the media. Like Sproutlings and Kelley’s, you will take advantage of a good opportunity.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What media opportunities have you seen a business use? E-mail me your answer.
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