But that’s just not true. Your brand can be battered by bad publicity.

Just ask Lindsay Lohan. She made $11 million in 2007. Today the tabloids say she’s not only broke, but owes $600 thousand on her credit cards. In three short years she’s gone from Hollywood hero to drug addicted zero.

Offhand, I’d say the publicity hasn’t been good for her.

Controversy may sell newspapers, but it doesn’t always work out well for the person or organization caught in the cross-fire.

These days it’s popular for advertisers to “shatter the noise” by being provocative.

A national atheists’ group recently put up billboards in several Bible Belt states that read simply, “Don’t believe in God? Join the club.”

The in-your-face billboards have attracted millions of dollars in free publicity with all the national news media attention the atheists have received, but what’s less clear is how many new members they’ve actually attracted.

In 2006 Tourism Australia spent $180 million on edgy ads which asked tourists the question “Where the bloody hell are you?”

The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK received so many complaints about the profanity, that they ordered the removal of roadside billboards bearing the slogan. The ads received global media attention but the campaign was soon deemed a failure and withdrawn.

After crunching the numbers they found tourism actually dropped during the time the ads were running.

Watch the controversial commercial

The bottom line is that if you’re going to embrace controversy to sell any good, product or service, you better have a strong stomach. Inviting media criticism is an art that very few have mastered and the price may be more than you’re willing to pay.

The ‘Letters to the Editor’ page is one of the most popular sections of your local newspaper.

Most people don’t see it as a tool to get free publicity. But if written correctly, it can be a great way to increase your visibility, credibility and be recognized by your community as a leader in your field.

One of our clients is Clint David, a Dallas attorney. He came across a study that showed that in most cases, people were better off taking the first offer and settling than going to war in court and racking up legal fees.

Clint is passionate about raising the reputation of attorneys, so he decided to write a ‘Letter to the Editor’ of the Dallas Morning News. It was printed more than two years ago and yet, even today when you Google the name “Clint David” it’s the very first item. Take a look and you’ll agree that in terms of branding himself as an honest lawyer, he couldn’t have done a better job:

Click here to read his ‘Letter to the Editor’

Here are some tips to improve your chances of getting published:

Get to the point — Most papers have guidelines for length, so read the rules and make every word count.

Don’t sound like a commercial — Your letter shouldn’t be a sales pitch for your services. If you go back and study Clint’s letter, the only ad is the very last line that includes his contact information.

Be Timely — If you study the news, you’ll find something that you want to weigh in on. Let the editor know that you’re responding to something that’s been in the paper. Many times the first one to write in wins.
]]> http://www.realnewspr.com/2010/09/13/writing-your-own-publicity/feed/ 0 http://www.realnewspr.com/2010/08/03/walt-disneys-goofy-idea/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=walt-disneys-goofy-idea http://www.realnewspr.com/2010/08/03/walt-disneys-goofy-idea/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:08:30 +0000 admin http://realnewspr.com/?p=165 Read More !]]> When Walt Disney came up with the idea for Disneyland in the early ’50s he was already a household name.

His cartoons characters had been entertaining audiences for more than two decades and he had Academy Awards on his shelf for his animated feature-length films like Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia and Bambi.

But when he went looking for financing for a theme park, even his own banker thought it was a real Mickey Mouse idea.

Keep in mind, at the time there was nothing like it. There were amusement parks like Coney Island, but nothing like the park Disney envisioned. He imagined a place that transported you to a “magic kingdom” with rides, food and entertainment appealing to children and adults.

“Stick to cartoons,” advised his banker. “The world loves your characters. It’s been pen and paper that’s made you a success. A 60-acre construction project? Walt, you’ve lost your mind.”

Disney was not deterred. He had a vision and he was determined to find funding, so he made an appointment with another bank and was met with the same response.

“You’re the greatest animator the world has ever known,” the next banker said. “Your characters are part of my childhood and now they’re a part of my kids’ childhood, but an amusement park with life-sized characters in costume? Walt, you’ve been working too hard. Try to get more sleep.”

One by one, Disney kept scheduling appointments with bankers only to hear the same thing.

Walt Disney visited more than 302 lenders before a bank manager finally interrupted him and said, “Mr. Disney, how much do you need?”

Disneyland opened to the public on July 17, 1955 and was an instant hit with the public. It took just 7 weeks for the world’s first theme park to welcome it’s one millionth visitor.

Today 118-million people visit the various Disney theme parks around the planet each year.

The lesson is obvious. Don’t give up. You’re going to get rejected in your attempts to get publicity, but each time you do, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and say to yourself, “302 banks.”

Deadly Sin #1

Not doing your homework. It’s pretty basic, but you would be surprised at how many well-paid PR people don’t even do a simple Google search before pitching their story to a journalist.

When I was a TV reporter I would get pitched light, fluffy feature stories long after my station had moved me to hard news. When people would pitch me a “leave them laughing” story, it would make me wonder if they ever bothered to watch one of my reports.

Deadly Sin #2

Sounding too much like a commercial. The reason news outlets have sales departments is so that people can buy advertising. If your pitch to a journalist sounds like a blatant commercial, you’re not even going to get a call back.

With our clients we always peel the commercial off the pitch and put a spotlight on the value to the audience. If your story doesn’t meet the “who cares” test, don’t even bother picking up the phone.

Deadly Sin #3

Lying to the media. If you want to have a relationship with a journalist, your credibility is all-important.

For instance, when we’re getting a client on TV and they’re not an amazing interview, I don’t tell the journalist that they are. We coach our clients on how to talk in soundbites, but some are just naturally better than others.

If a journalist asks me how good an interview someone is, I don’t exaggerate. The truth will come out. My relationship with the reporter is paramount.

Deadly Sin #4

Not paying attention to deadlines. These days reporters are under more stress than ever before. With all the layoffs in the industry, journalists are being asked to do more with less.

If a journalist calls me needing an expert who can talk on a subject, my very first question is “What’s your deadline?” I need to know if I need to drop what I’m doing to help the journalist that minute or if it’s something I can get to later.

Deadly Sin #5

Not learning from your PR mistakes. I’ve written a best-selling book on publicity and I run a thriving PR firm, but I’m learning all the time.

For instance, I worked with a client to make them a good soundbite. We did extensive media training, recording interviews and playing them back over and over again until I felt like the client was ready for live TV. They weren’t. They were nervous and actually went to the bathroom and got sick before the interview.

On air they appeared ashen and unsure. The host was nice, but politely told me later that my guest wasn’t very good and to not let it happen again.

I kicked myself and made a promise that I would never put a client in that situation again unless I was absolutely sure they were ready. I was reminded that despite all our preparation, the poor performance of the client reflected poorly on me.

]]> http://www.realnewspr.com/2010/06/13/five-deadly-pr-sins/feed/ 0 http://www.realnewspr.com/2010/05/17/the-power-of-twitter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-power-of-twitter http://www.realnewspr.com/2010/05/17/the-power-of-twitter/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 03:42:50 +0000 admin http://realnewspr.com/?p=152 Read More !]]>

If you’re over 40, you may believe that Twitter is for kids or people with too much time on their hands.

“Who really wants to know that I’m having a Starbucks?” you ask. And you may be right. People may not care about your latte. But to ignore Twitter as a powerful way to deliver your message is just wrong.

Exhibit A: Silent Bob.

If you don’t recognize his name or know actor Kevin Smith from his 2001 hit movie “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” you probably know him from his recent tweets from 30-thousand feet.

In February he was booted from a Southwest flight because he violated the obesity rules. He had originally purchased two seats because of his size, but when he was bumped to another flight there was only one seat available. When he tried to squeeze into the single seat, the crew determined he was too big and asked him to leave.

Kevin Smith was so angry, he began blasting the airline with a blistering series of tweets that went something like this:

Dear @SouthwestAir – I know I’m fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?

I broke no regulation, offered no “safety risk” (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?).

Wanna tell me I’m too wide for the sky? Totally cool. But fair warning, folks: IF YOU LOOK LIKE ME, YOU MAY BE EJECTED FROM @SOUTHWESTAIR.

Smith continued the rant for hours, even tweeting a photograph of himself, cheeks bloated, on a second flight:

Hey @SouthwestAir! Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!

Who knew a guy like Silent Bob could make so much noise?

So what?

Smith has 1.6 million followers. That’s the same number of people who read the New York Times.

Think about that for a second. It takes thousands of employees and countless millions of dollars of run the Times. Smith is able to reach the same number of people with a cell phone and a staff of one.

The Twitter tirade forced Southwest into crisis communications mode because Smith’s fans began re-tweeting his messages and many of them sent out their own tweets attacking the airline for being insensitive.

Southwest repeatedly apologized and ended up offering Smith a voucher.

The bottom line? Twitter is a force to be reckoned with. It’s taken a place alongside YouTube and Facebook as a must-have for any marketer.

I’d like to hear your feedback. Follow me and send me a tweet!

“We’re scrambling to get shipments out and to get more pants sewn right now,” says Larry Jackson, CEO of Loudmouth Golf of Sonoma, California.

The company specializes in golf pants and until now was best known for outfitting pro golfer John Daly with ridiculously loud pants.

But when the Norwegian team strutted on to the ice wearing the pants, the phone lines at Loudmouth lit up. The company has sold thousands of pants since the Olympics began, with most of them heading to Scandinavian countries. Even the King of Norway has a pair.

The seven-year-old company started making the pants to pay homage to some of the loud golf pants worn during the 70s. Remember the flashy pants Jack Nicklaus used to wear?

They’ve done well in golfing circles with self-confident players who don’t mind a little attention. But Larry Jackson says nothing can compare to all the free publicity they’ve received from the Norwegian curling team.

The story has been carried by media outlets around the globe and now the Norwegian Olympic Curling Team’s Pants have more than half a million fans on Facebook.

In case you’re wondering, the Norwegian team finished with a silver medal behind Canada. But if they gave out gold medals for publicity, there’s no doubt that Larry Jackson would be standing on the winners’ podium. You couldn’t miss him. He’d be the one wearing pants fit for a king.

I get this question all the time. How do you get booked on Oprah?

I’ll tell you what I’ve told everyone else. If you haven’t done dozens of media interviews, you don’t want to be on Oprah. You’re not ready.

It’s like a high school quarterback saying “I want to play in the Super Bowl.” He’d want to have a lot of victories notched before he got a chance to play in the biggest game of his life.

Sitting on Oprah’s couch is about as good as it gets from a PR perspective and if you’re booked on her show, you had better bring your “A” game. You get prepared by doing a ton of local and national media interviews.

But assuming that you’ve done that and you’re finally ready for Oprah, here are some tips from some of her former producers:

1) Watch the show

Producers say it’s amazing how many people pitch stories to the Oprah staff without ever having watched the show. Start recording episodes and really study them. Watch the rhythm of the show, the type of guests she has on and the subjects she tackles.

Would your segment actually fit? Or is it better suited for another TV talk show? There are plenty to choose from–Dr. Phil, Ellen, Rachael Ray, Regis and Kelly, Bonnie Hunt, Wendy Williams and the list goes on.

2) Pitch something topical

For instance, right now a marriage counselor or sex therapist talking about Tiger Woods and cheating is much more likely to get booked than other less timely subjects.

If a news item breaks on a subject that’s right up your alley, that’s when you should grab the phone and call one of Oprah’s producers.

3) Try, try again

Oprah has dozens of associate producers who field calls from potential guests and publicists. The producers don’t always talk to each other. If you get rejected by one, don’t give up. Just call back and ask for another producer and begin pitching again.

4) Check out Oprah’s website

The producers are always posting show topics that they need of guests for. Here are three topics they’re trying to book guests on right now:

–Oprah, MAKE OVER MY MAN!!
–In Need of a Marriage Ref?
–Did you take “Oprah’s No Phone Zone Pledge?”

Oprah’s been doing her show for 25 years. After interviewing thousands of guests she’s announced that this is her last year. She’s leaving her show to concentrate on opening her very own channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. Maybe it’s finally time you worked up the courage to get yourself booked. What’s stopping you? Fear of rejection? Isn’t that what Oprah’s message is about in every single episode?

Take Oprah up on her advice. Be your best self and claim your place on Oprah’s couch this year.

www.oprah.com

A Georgia funeral home owner “urned” millions of dollar in media attention by offering a free funeral to anyone who signed up for an unusual promotion.

Barry Miller of McGuire, Jennings & Miller Funeral Home came up with a legally binding agreement.

If you signed the contract admitting you planned to get behind the wheel while intoxicated on New Year’s Eve, crash and kill yourself while impaired, Miller would give you a casket, flowers and a burial all for free.

It’s a freebie that no one signed up to accept.

“In today’s society, sometimes you have to go to the extreme to get attention and that’s what we were trying to do,” says Miller.

Long before he opened his first funeral home, Miller lost a loved one who was killed by a drunk driver. He says the pain of that memory is what inspired the offer.

When asked whether it was just a publicity stunt, Miller told reporters, “If I had not lost a family member, you could call it that, but since I have been on that side of the fence, the answer is ‘No.’ I’m doing this to motivate people to make the right decisions.”

Miller has made this same offer every year for the last decade. Only one person has ever expressed any interest, and that didn’t last.

If anyone ever does sign up, Miller says his first call will be to local authorities to provide them with the name of the New Year’s Eve celebrant officers will need to watch.

Mr. Miller says he’s actually received letters from alcoholics saying that they had fallen off the wagon but the free funeral offer really shook them up.

Watch the MSNBC report

My calculator would explode if I tried to add up the value of all the free PR Miller has received over the years with this simple offer that he’s never had to honor.

Miller makes my personal PR Hall of Fame with this idea. He markets his funeral business without spending any money and sends a chilling message to would-be drunk drivers at the same time.

How about you? What can you dream up that will accomplish the same thing for your business? Smart public relations isn’t about what’s in your press kit or how clever the headline is on a news release. It begins and ends with the story idea itself.

The old ways of doing PR are dead and buried. Writing meaningless press releases and sending them into newsrooms simply doesn’t work. They’re inundated with them. Of course, you’re welcome to keep doing it that way, but in the words of Barry Miller, “It’s your funeral.”

Here are some simple tips to make a name for yourself in the blogosphere:

1) Read a bunch of blogs

If you’re new to the game, you have to know what’s out there. Every blogger has his or her own style, but I would say what the most successful blogs have in common is that they conversational, provocative and worth forwarding to a friend.

2) Demonstrate passion and authority

If you’re not passionate about what you’re writing about then who else will be? Pick topics that come from your heart and don’t be afraid to have an opinion. Your knowledge and views on a subject are what will have people coming back for more.

3) Share your work with other bloggers

One of the beautiful things about the Internet is how viral your blog can become. Bloggers quote each other all the time. Don’t be afraid to pass your post on to other bloggers who can share your words with their audience. Never spam a fellow blogger. Read their work first and make sure that you’re passing along something they would actually use.

4) Always spell check

There’s no better way to turn off your readers than to have a bunch of typos and spelling errors. Remember the old carpenter’s motto—measure twice, cut once. I always try to read my posts at least a couple of times before I press “submit” and even then I’ll occasionally misspell something or have a grammatical error. If a newspaper consistently mangles the language, subscribers eventually get fed up and leave. The same is true for the blogosphere.

5) Get professional recognition for your blog

A friend of mine is in the running to be named the “Best Real Estate Blog in Texas.” There’s no cash prize. Candy Evans knows that if she wins the title, the  readership will grow for her Dallas Dirt blog and she’ll become even more influential. You can vote for her by clicking here. I hope you’ll do that and study her past posts. She’s a shining example of how to do it right.

Just imagine that you’re a newspaper columnist trying to develop a following. You have to find your voice. There are many things you can do to grow your readership: be passionate, opinionated, thought-provoking and even controversial. The Internet is a democracy. Readers will vote with return visits to your blog.

If you’ve been putting off starting a blog, it’s time to get busy. It’s free to create through websites like Blogger.com and journalists are constantly reading blogs to come up with fresh story ideas. What do you have to lose other than your anonymity?

After 25 years in TV news, Emmy winning reporter Jeff Crilley left the news business to start the country’s first PR firm staffed exclusively with former journalists. For an example of how his firm helped position one Dallas attorney as a legal expert, just watch the video on their homepage: