Benefiting From Fourth Quarter Publicity

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As the year enters the fourth quarter, many ...
and ... ...
plans and budgets for the year 2002. Those plans could ...
from setting up goals for new products to prep As the year enters the fourth quarter, many businesses and entrepreneurs aremaking plans and budgets for the year 2002. Those plans could includeanything from setting up goals for new products to preparing marketing,sales and PR/publicity campaigns.
When it comes to your publicity plan, WHENyou launch your campaign can be just as important as what and how youlaunch.PLANTING PUBLICITY SEEDSSome business owners may be of the mindset: "I think we'll wait to launch apublicity campaign until after January 1 to generate consumer interest." Theproblem is -- if you wait to launch your publicity campaign until the firstof the year hoping for a quick media interest blast in January, you may bein for a quiet start of the year. Keep in mind most media outlets haveeditorial lead-times of a few weeks to 6 months.
Also, what someentrepreneurs don't realize is this -- because of the increasing number ofpublicity pitches media outlets receive, anything you submit is subjected towhat I call the "media digestion period" - simply put - that is a period oftime (sometimes days, sometimes weeks) that it takes media outlets to:#1) see/understand your release and decide if they are interested;#2) find space ime in their editorial calendar to place the article/newsstory/show segment.Given the right media research and pitching expertise, there are severalmedia opportunities you could pursue. From my professional experience, hereis the breakdown of editorial lead-times of the media formats from quickestto most drawn out: (These are estimates and can vary from campaign tocampaign)1) Radio Shows -- 1 to 4 weeks lead-time2) TV News Affiliate Shows - 2 to 6 weeks lead-time3) Daily & Weekly Newspapers - 3 to 8 weeks lead-time4) Magazines & Network TV Shows - 1 to 6 months lead-timeThe potential placement is also directly dependent upon how quickly andefficiently your publicist or PR agency can help the media secure theplacement.
Media relations is crucial. Your publicist's job is to make thereporter/editor/producer's job as easy and as effortless as possible - whichwill lead to quicker and more numerous placements for your business.HOLIDAY PUBLICITY OPPORTUNITIESIf your product/business lends itself to increased holiday sales, the nextseveral weeks are a perfect time to get a product publicity campaignlaunched - given the right media targets.
Although many holiday issues havealready been laid out for magazines, many other media outlets are feverishlyseeking information/pitches on innovative stories for the holidays. Somemedia outlets even reorganize or beef up staff toward the end of the year toallow for an increase in stories on products.
Have your publicist help youtake advantage of this increased media opportunity. I have in fact had media outlets respond to our media release literallyminutes after pitching it.
Conversely, one media outlet responded to one ofour releases 17 months after a pitch. (I had to ask the reporter what theYEAR was on the release!) You can definitely increase the odds with somehard work and effective media relations.
That's why timing of your publicitypitch is so critical. Have your publicist get your pitch to the media, allowthe editorial staff to digest it a bit, and strategically and professionally"rattle the cage" over the next several weeks to generate as many placementsas possible.What we are trying to do is plant seeds in media outlets' editorial gardenso they will bear fruit -- in the form of articles/show placements --continuously over the next several weeks and months.
Like the plant thatcomes from a seed, publicity placements can also grow roots and lead toother arterial media placements in other media outlets. Given the righttending, the publicity seeds you plant over the next few weeks will indeedgerminate and you'll reap a wonderful harvest for your business now and intothe first quarter of next year.
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