This was originally posted 5 years ago. Opinions, facts and reality may have changed.
Sometimes it’s important to remember that what seems trivial and everyday to you could be fascinating to the general public – and generate the column inches of PR you’re aiming for.
By way of back story, back in the mists of time (about 1995 or thereabouts), I was a wet behind the ears PR manager, still finding my feet after crossing the floor from the world of journalism.
I met with a new client who specialised in restoring antiques on an industrial scale, and also created “original antiques” of their own, mainly for use in commercial settings but also available to the likes of you and me.
They wanted to promote what they did, grow the business and attract new customers from the region. So we were sitting down for our first chat – to find out more about them, look for potential news angles and see what we could turn into an interesting news story.
“We don’t really do anything interesting or different,” the MD told me. “Oh, well, we do send two members of staff to Africa each year to dig for wells that we pay for out of the company’s profits. But that’s not particularly interesting is it?”
Yeah. Not interesting. Except for a full page story in the business section of the Yorkshire Post (target media nailed right there), plus countless other local papers, business publications and even some interest from the local TV news.
What is it you do that marks you out as different? What stories have you got to tell as a business? How can your company, your brand, your products and your services differentiate themselves from everybody else?
There’s always something. Don’t dismiss anything just because it’s your everyday. It may be standard for you but to someone else it’s the reason to take an interest.
And if you need some help…