| increase consumer interest in your products but | | | | now? Or natural colours? Take note of what the |
| don’t know where to begin? In the giftware | | | | media is covering, and pitch those types of products to |
| industry, there no better avenue than PR — | | | | them if you have them. |
| particularly if you have a tight budget. Public relations | | | | When drafting your press release, take the focus off |
| expert Julia Nekich of PR agency The Ideas Suite | | | | your business, and write the release with the audience |
| shows how to tailoring your message to the media | | | | in mind — both the media and readers. Start off |
| and its audience, to ensure maximise exposure for | | | | by developing a catchy heading that promotes a |
| your brand. | | | | major benefit of your product. The first paragraph |
| Is your business feeling a decline in consumer spend? | | | | should expand on that benefit and cover the most |
| Or are you a start-up with no customer base as yet, | | | | newsy’ part of your pitch. Use the next |
| and next-to-no budget? You could do what many | | | | three to four paragraphs to include any other benefits |
| businesses are doing in this current climate by cutting | | | | and details. Include specs such as colours, prices, sizes, |
| your marketing to counteract a decline in income. Or | | | | stockists. Your press release should have everything |
| you could see this as an opportunity for your brand to | | | | covered so that the media doesn’t have to call |
| stand out from its competitors through PR. | | | | you for more information - make it easy for them. |
| When compared with its returns on investment, PR is | | | | Make your press release no longer than a page, and |
| one of the most affordable promotional methods | | | | end it with your name and contact details. |
| available, and media is one of its strongest avenues. | | | | How do you package your pitch? |
| But before you begin picking up the phone to pitch | | | | When it comes to giftwares and homewares, sending |
| your product to that magazine editor, it’s best to | | | | products and samples to media will maximise your |
| spend a little time planning. | | | | chances of getting exposure for them. The large |
| Who are your customers? | | | | magazines will want to photograph the products |
| The first step is to really know who your customers | | | | themselves — these are the publications you will |
| and prospects are so that you can target them | | | | need to send product to. Stylish sample bags with a |
| through the appropriate media outlets, and create | | | | press release, your latest catalogue (if you have one) |
| messages that will grab their attention. | | | | and a product sample will be adequate. When these |
| Don’t know who purchases your products? | | | | magazines have your product sitting there beside their |
| There are ways to find out. For instance, if yours is an | | | | desks, it’s no trouble at all for them to add it to |
| online business, you could ask your customers to fill in | | | | the collection of products they are already shooting in |
| their details (such as gender, age and geographic area) | | | | their studio that week. |
| when making their payment. If you have a store, you | | | | Publications with smaller readerships often don’t |
| might ask buyers to join your mailing list and do the | | | | have a budget for photography. Rather, they need you |
| same. | | | | to provide them with hi resolution images, which they |
| This first step is important. In your research, for | | | | can simply run. While these magazines would also |
| instance, you might discover that your products are | | | | appreciate a product sample, it’s not essential to |
| mostly purchased as wedding gifts, or by at-home | | | | send them one. Whether you send a sample or not, be |
| mums — something you may not previously | | | | sure to include a CD with hi resolution images (shot at |
| have known. If you have this information, you can | | | | 300 dpi) of a range of your products, so they can |
| target this market more effectively. | | | | include an image in their magazine. Emailing press |
| Why the media? | | | | releases and images is also acceptable, but be careful |
| What every brand needs is maximum exposure | | | | about the size of your pictures. You don’t want |
| among its customers. One of easiest ways to reach | | | | to jam’ the journalist’s email system. |
| customers is through the media — magazines, | | | | Once you send out your press releases and samples, |
| newspapers, TV, radio and online. When you compare | | | | be available and return any media emails or phone |
| media exposure to other marketing avenues such as | | | | calls asap. It cannot be overestimated how the media |
| events, or eNewsletters, there’s no argument | | | | appreciates this. |
| that media can really hit the largest number of | | | | It is also worthwhile following up media yourself |
| prospects possible. When you send an eNewsletter to | | | | through a phone call or email. Ask if they received the |
| your customers, you might reach 1000 people. Sunday | | | | samples and is there anything else they require. Do not |
| newspapers, on the other hand, have readerships of | | | | follow up more than once. |
| around 750,000 each. A best-selling interiors or | | | | How do you develop an ongoing relationship with |
| women’s magazine has up to 350,000 readers. | | | | media? |
| Which media avenues do you target? | | | | If you’re sending the right type of product to the |
| There are two questions to consider here: Which | | | | right media outlet, and you meet the requirements |
| media outlets do your customers read, watch and | | | | above, media will begin to rely on you for material |
| listen to? And will those outlets cover products such | | | | that’s relevant to them and their readers. Within |
| as yours? | | | | each media outlet, seek out the right person to pitch to. |
| To answer the first question, the most obvious places | | | | For product pitches, it’s usually the stylist or |
| to look are the media kits of each media outlet. These | | | | market editor. If in doubt, pitch to the deputy editor. |
| describe who, and how large, the audience is. The size | | | | Pitching good material once every two months is a |
| of the audience is important - you’ll reach more | | | | good strategy — and keep it consistent. |
| people if you get your product into a magazine with a | | | | Sometimes it’s worthwhile asking particular |
| readership of 300,000 rather than one with a 50,000 | | | | journalists or stylists what types of features |
| readership. Media kits are available through a media | | | | they’re working on at the moment to see if you |
| outlet’s website, or call their advertising | | | | have anything other news or product to offer them. |
| department and get one emailed to you. | | | | [BREAKOUT BOX] |
| The answer to the second question requires a bit of | | | | Julia’s top 10 requirement for ensuring media |
| legwork. In the giftware and homewares industry, | | | | exposure |
| interiors magazines are obviously a strong avenue. But | | | | 1. Send the right products — simple, stylish |
| the competition to get exposure in these is fierce, | | | | products with clean lines’ tend to get |
| simply because there are a limited number of | | | | snapped up by media first. |
| magazines and available spaces, and so many PR | | | | 2. High resolution images — media will only |
| consultants and brands are pitching products and | | | | consider images that are 300dpi and large in size. |
| news into them. Spend some time browsing through | | | | It’s worth spending the money on good |
| magazines in a bookshop or newsagent to see which | | | | photography. Find a photographer who specialises in |
| other magazines cover giftware products. Wedding | | | | still lifes’ rather than portrait shots. |
| magazines, women’s magazines, e-zines, | | | | 3. Company profile — Develop a paragraph-long |
| men’s and health magazines might have | | | | profile and use it consistently in every press release. |
| sections for your products. Many of these have | | | | 4. Product samples — publications with large |
| readerships in the hundreds of thousands. | | | | readerships will want to photograph your product |
| How do you develop your PR message for media? | | | | themselves. They need samples. |
| Now that you know who you’re targeting and | | | | 5. Correct media contacts — ensure you have |
| through which media outlets, you can create | | | | the correct journalists’ names and contact |
| messages that will maximise your hit rate’. | | | | details at each publication. |
| Here are some important considerations when | | | | 6. Fact sheet — if you have complex product |
| developing your pitch: | | | | specifications, don’t clog press releases with |
| 1. Pitch new products. Media want the best and latest. | | | | them. Create a separate fact sheet for them. |
| If they find out you’ve pitched a product from a | | | | 7. Low resolutions images for emailing — if you |
| two-year old catalogue, they probably won’t be | | | | can’t send product samples, you can email |
| keen to publish it. | | | | media low resolution images just for viewing. |
| 2. Promote the product’s benefits. Does the | | | | Don’t clog their email systems with hi res |
| product improve people’s way of living? Does it | | | | images. |
| save energy, add ambience to a room, or is it similar to | | | | 8. Attractively packaged media kits — ensure |
| a designer product 10 times its price? Add these | | | | you products get noticed; simple but stylish is best. |
| hooks’ to your press release. | | | | 9. Media releases with all the details. |
| 3. Make it timely. Are recycled materials in vogue right | | | | |