The PR Adviser: Dear Lilian

Does this follow a current, newsworthy trend?
Yes. A quick Google search shows the California drought is a regularly being covered by press in your region.

Why would anyone care?
Because the California drought is everyone’s business and everyone needs to do their part. Rewarding people for doing their part celebrates their consideration. Everyone likes to be acknowledged for helping.

In addition to being able to positively answer these three questions, you’ve also tied your promotion with a major event and have radio partnership.  You’ve got things in place to make this a fantastic press-worthy endeavor.

So, why are you not getting any traction?

In any PR campaign, you must consider the general behavior of your target audience in your planning. And whatever your plans, you must make it easy for your audience to take action. Let’s look at the step you missed:

In order to participate in your event, people must drive to your jewelry store to pick up a sign. Yes, the reward of $1,000 in jewelry is tempting, but it’s a contest, and what’s the likelihood that I, the potential customer you want to drive to your store to pick up a sign, will win? Is that likelihood compelling enough for me to take time out of my day to drive to your store and pick up a sign? If this particular customer is like most people, the answer is no.

Sure, if the store is within her general everyday route, she may consider stopping by. But to make a special effort? Well, she’s thinking she’s probably not going to win anyway, so why bother? Her lawn’s going brown with or without the possibility of winning jewelry.

Now, before you give up hope, remember, your idea has long, Cindy Crawford-fabulous legs.
You just have to use them.

You have an original, trendy newsworthy idea and have the support of a radio station. You only need some partners to get those legs moving.

Look at your city. What neighborhoods have the type of customers you want coming to Fox Fine Jewelry for their jewelry buying needs? Now, find other retailers in those neighborhoods (obviously not competing jewelry retailers) that you can bring into the fold.

You’re going to tell them about this wonderful, brilliant, buzzworthy idea of yours and tell them there’s already a radio station involved who will happily mention on air that their store is part of these promotions. Then you’re going to ask if it’s OK for you to leave some signs at their store because your partner radio station will be telling everyone to go to their location to pick up a sign. 

“And you never know,” you’ll tell the retailer. “Perhaps when these people stop by your hardware store to pick up a sign, Mr. Hardware Store Owner, they may remember that they need to pick up a new tool set as well.”

You’ll do this as many times as necessary until your entire city is blanketed with locations to pick up signs. Then and only then will news outlets be ready and willing to hear your story.

Here’s the fundamental thing you need to understand about the press: Unless you’re the only store in the entire world that carries a mystical line of jewelry known to cure cancer, they don’t like stories where you’re the only star.

If an editor printed a story praising you and your efforts without mention of anyone else doing something similar, the story would read like advertising. That editor’s boss wants you to pay for advertising.

And herein lies the difference between PR and advertising: advertising you pay for, PR you pray for.  Of course, your prayers are more likely to be answered if you plan correctly.

For you to receive that credible and free editorial coverage their readers and viewers trust to be unbiased, news outlets need the story to be much bigger than you before they become interested.

You may be worried that by bringing other partners in, the story will be taken away from you. It won’t if you establish the position with all your partners that you’re doing all the heavy lifting while they benefit from the extra traffic being sent to their stores. Any inquiries about the promotions should be directed to you. You and you alone are allowed to speak to the press.

As for using PR Newswire to send out press releases, well, discussion of this is another article in and of itself. For now, I will say stay away from wire services and, instead, contact press outlets directly.

Given the on-trend aspect of your idea, I would highly recommend reaching out to television stations first. You’ll want to reach out to newspapers as well.

In most circumstances, radio would also be perfect. But since you already have a radio partner, other radio stations will not want to get involved. Magazines aren’t good because of their lead time--by the time the story appears, the promotion will be over already. Stick with TV and newspapers.

So there you have it, Debbie. You have a brilliant idea--you just missed a step in your execution. 
Make what you’re doing be much bigger than you alone and I guarantee the press will come knocking.

Lilian M. Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser for luxury lifestyle companies in the areas of fine jewelry and watches, luxury fashion accessories and cosmetics. Send her questions for The PR Advisor at nationaljeweler@lmrpr.com or contact her directly at lilian@lmrpr.com.