SPRING FORWARD WITH PR POWER
The fourteen inches of snow deposited in the 53172 delivery area notwithstanding … welcome to spring, 2008
As I shared in my November 12, 2007 post, naturalist Loren Eisley always took issue with people who felt spring was the time of renewal and rebirth.
Though spring is greener (supposedly ... and has a much better press agent), Eisley maintained autumn is the true instigator of rebirth and renewal.
Walk through any field or forest in Southeastern Wisconsin in November and you will pick up, literally, on what Eisley meant. Spiners, burdocks, spike-seeds, and cockleburs quickly hook onto your dog, your bootlaces, and the collar and sleeve-cuffs of your Carhartt jacket.
In my November post, I urged readers to plant word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) seeds. As we wait for this last (I hope) major snowfall to melt, now is the time to organize your marketing toolbox and prepare to harvest those WOMM seeds you planted last fall.
Key Power Tool for Concrete Promoters
Public Relations (PR) is one of the most powerful and under-utilized tools available to Concrete Promoters.
Defined as free communications about your company or industry, generated from your actions, PR can include articles carried by newspapers, newsletters magazines and web sites; reports on radio, TV, web logs, or podcasts; or information shared in formal or informal networks by word-of-mouth or word-of-mouse.
Public relations …
- Is free (almost ... you must invest time, energy, and imagination)
- Is believable and remembered
- Helps to establish an identity for your company or industry
- Positions your company as an authority
- Provides exposure to a large number of people
- Has decades of staying power through reprints, posters, ads, displays, web archives etc.
Drawbacks to public relations include ...
- You have no control over the resulting editorial content
- You have no control over when (if) a story you pitch will be run.
Match Made in Media Heaven
News about construction is especially interesting to media gatekeepers, because – based in part on the success of This Old House, Hometime, and HGTV – the gatekeepers believe every media consumer is a “sidewalk superintendent.” Since concrete placement is one of the first visually-interesting activities on a job site, print, television, and web-based media outlets are especially open to PR advances from Concrete Promoters.
Contacting the Media
Create a list of the newspapers, radio and television stations in your area, along with mailing addresses and telephone numbers. Call each media outlet to determine the editors or reporters to whom you should send information about your company’s activities.
Verify the spelling of names and ask about deadlines. Also ask how they want to receive information … mail, e-mail, or fax.
In general, ready-mix industry information for media should be sent to the following:
- the General Assignment Editor at trade publications and at small daily or weekly newspapers
- the Business Editor, Residential Real Estate Reporter, Commercial Real Estate Reporter, or Architectural Reporter at large daily newspapers
- the News director at radio and television stations.
Don’t Get Discouraged ... Advantages Outweigh Occasional Rejection
It is important to recognize not every story idea you pitch will be published or broadcast. So do not get discouraged should your public relations efforts not be used by the media. Instead, continue to look for good stories and angles that make stories about your company and/or the ready-mix industry newsworthy.
Many organizations and companies compete for limited media space. Those able to place stories in this valuable, free media real estate achieve top-of-mind market rank, secure the lead position in share of market voice, and construct a tremendous competitive market advantage, especially in cases where competitors are closely matched in other areas (quality, service, technical and delivery expertise).
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Next week: More PR nuts and bolts.