Now 2014 has moved into its second month (don’t ask me how that happened), I’m assuming your PR plans for the year have already been put into action. I think it’s fair to say those PR plans will include attracting media attention, but how do you go about attracting a lot of attention without spending a fortune on marketing?
The answer is: do something noteworthy!
A perfect illustration of attracting media attention by thinking outside the square was curator Marcus Pamplin’s handiwork at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena last week. Marcus and his team mowed a wavy pattern into the grass before the January 29 T20 match. The sight led a number of spectators to tweet photos, which then got the media interested.
Another example that captured attention around the world was WestJet’s Christmas Miracle video. The heart-warming video that featured real-time giving, complete with WestJet’s own Santa Claus, went viral because it was a great idea and tapped into the goodwill that is around during the festive season. Forbes covered the video as it hit 13 million views in 200 countries within a matter of days.
Neither of these examples cost a lot of money to produce (relative to the business’s marketing budget) – the cricket ground curator was simply doing his job in a slightly different way to usual and WestJet weighed up what it could spend on a traditional TV commercial and decided an in-house video production, broadcast on YouTube and its other social media networks, with the savings spent on customers was more worthwhile.
You can’t put a price on the media coverage and goodwill received for both businesses. However, these examples show a big budget is not needed to stand out in the marketplace. It puts the power back into the hands of SME business owners, because we are more agile. Your business can create a similar impact if you think creatively and tap into your innovative streak.
What have you done to make your business stand out from the crowd recently? Or are you planning something big that is sure to grab the media’s attention?
