3 Myths about the Media

Working with the media is a powerful way to promote your business. Some business owners are missing big opportunities to promote their business because they believe some common myths about the media. Recognize and dispel these three media myths.


Media Myth 1: The job of the media is to report the facts

The former editor in chief of a big city paper and former news director at a national TV station cleared up this myth.

He stated that many people believe that the job of the media is to report the facts. He clarified, “The job of the media is to report the facts – as we see it.”

That is an important distinction. Facts are not relevant or valuable without perspective. The media reports the facts that they chose and with the perspective that they select. Anyone can report facts. The distinguishing factor of a media outlet is the perspective that they offer on those facts. Opinion.


Media Myth 2: The Media hates business

I’ve heard this accusation from many small and medium sized business owners. Perhaps they run into challenges dealing with big banks and government. Then they read about business getting trashed in the newspapers or watch it on “60 Minutes”.

The media doesn’t hate business. The media is business – big, medium and small business. The media needs business – to advertise. Yes, some individuals in the media might rant about a particular business or industry because that attracts readers, listeners and viewers – customers.


Media Myth 3: The Media is in the information business

That is an easy assumption because the media needs information as its raw material. But the media isn’t in the information business – even though they might convey information. Similarly they aren’t in the entertainment business even though they need to be entertaining. Just watch the 6:00 TV news and notice the entertainment.

The media is in the advertising business.

That is how they make money. They sell advertising and when they don’t sell enough advertising, they cut production, jobs and eventually close down. Every media service that died did so because they did not sell enough advertisements.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Marketing Articles

Why Talk to the Media?

Three situations to talk to the media:

• Crisis
• Change
• Marketing

Why talk to the media?

Three purposes:

In a crisis you want to defend or mitigate.

During change you want to lead or manage the change.

When marketing, you want to promote your value or sell your products.


George Torok

Power Marketing Tip 29: Be Seen in Print Media

Power Marketing Tip 29

Get more exposure in the print media

Imagine how you would feel when you talk with a client or prospect and they say, "I read about you in the news". As good as that might feel the more important benefit is the boost it lends to your credibility and perceived value. Now you don't need to say how good you are - the media has done that for you.

There is no question that radio and TV coverage is good. Let's focus this time on the print media - newspapers and magazine. Even though readership seems to be declining, it still has tremendous power with specific markets. And there appears to be more weight to something in print versus the other forms of old and new media.

Three proven techniques to get into the print media

Write a letter to the editor
This is the simplest and easiest way. All you need to do is express your opinion. But be warned. Don't complain or disparage. Instead offer a different viewpoint on an issue, add a new perspective on the season ahead or explain your support for a cause.

Write an article
Even if you think you aren't a writer you can learn to write an article. The easiest article to write is a tips list. Just list the points, tips or ideas that you want to get across. Another simple yet productive technique is to interview yourself. Ask a question and answer it.

Send a news release
Research suggests that between 60% and 80% of the news comes from news releases. Large corporations and publicists still use this method because it works.
Email works for all three. None of these techniques work all the time - but they work enough of the time if you grab the attention of the right reporter or editor at the right time.
See you in the news.

George Torok
Power Marketing

PS: Tell me how this marketing tip helps you.
PPS: Forward this tip to your associates.

Register for your free Power Marketing Tips

Read How to Write Your News Release

Bloggers, what if you are sued?

Bloggers, ask the right question: "What if I'm sued tomorrow?"
By Joan Stewart aka The Publicity Hound

If you blog, the worst of your worries shouldn’t be how many times to post, or what to write about, or whether to use Wordpress or Typepad.

Your Number One concern—the question bloggers never think to ask—should be: “What if somebody sues me tomorrow for copyright infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy—what does that mean?”

Here’s what it means. It could cost you your house, your car and your future income stream...

Read the rest of this article at Joan Stewart's Blog.

Learn more about the Media Bloggers Association.

-------------
Beware
If you blog you are subject to the same laws as the mainstream media. Only you don't have their access to corporate lawyers.

That might be a good reason to check out the Media Bloggers Association.


George Torok

Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing

Marketing Coach

February promotion ideas

Thinking of running a promotion in February? Then you might be able to leverage some of these special days and celebrations in February.
-----------------------------


Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
By Pam Lontos


If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are a doctor, nurse, medical expert or author who specializes in cardiology, you'll want to let the media know about your expertise for "American Heart Month," which is February. You can share your advice on how to build a heart-healthy diet, how to recognize thecommon symptoms of heart disease, and more.

Use these dates to create your own media opportunities by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print:

- February is American Heart Month - During this time, the American Heart Association will shine the spotlight on their campaign, "Go Red for Women."This campaign strives to bring awareness to women about cardio vascular disease, which claims the lives of 500,000 women each year.

- February is National Black History Month - A month to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans.

- February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month/Expect Success - These events were created to motivate people to seize new challenges, and emphasize the importance of expecting nothing more than one's best effort on any project or challenge.

- February is Time Management Month - A reminder that now is the time to get organized and follow through with commitments, particularly those that were made with the New Year.

- The first week in February is Publicity for Profit Week - A time to learn how to rely on someone else to gain publicity, but to develop a strategy one can implement to get his or her name out there.

- The second week in February is International Flirting Week - A week designed to celebrate the role flirting plays in the lives of singles seeking a mate, couples who want to spice things up, and total strangers exchanging glances.

- February 2 is Groundhog Day

- February 10 is World's Marriage Day - A day to honor the beauty of faithfulness, and the sacrifice and joy of daily-married life.

- February 14 is Valentine's Day- February 18 is Presidents Day

-------------
Reprinted from 'PR/PR Pulse,' a free e-zine featuring tips and techniquesfor gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an e-mail to newsletter@prpr.netwith 'Add Me' in the subject line.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author,speaker and former VP of Disney's Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the new book, "I See Your Name Everywhere!" Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit:http://www.prpr.net/.
-------------------------------

George Torok
Marketing Expert & Speaker
Free Marketing Tips

Knievel Jumps Fire Volcano at Mirage in Vegas

Kneivel Jumps Fire Volcano at Mirage in Vegas




The Mirage Casino Hotel in Las Vegas just reopened the fire volcano after an eleven-month renovation. Perhaps the fire volcano at the Mirage was being over shadowed by the fountains of the Belagio. The Casino Hotels in Las Vegas are a good example of competing in a tough market. The casinos are continuously rebuilding to be better than the rest.

The Mirage rebuilt the fire volcano. It is one of the free things that anyone can watch in Las Vegas. But being spectacular and free is never enough - especially in Las Vegas.

So what did The Mirage do to promote the Fire Volcano and the Mirage even more? They arranged for Robbie Knievel, the son of daredevil, Evil Knievel, to jump his motorcycle over the fire volcano on New Year's Eve.

Enjoy the video.

What will you do to promote your business this year?

George Torok

Marketing Expert

Marketing Speaker

Be Afraid, Be very afraid of scaring your customers

Be Afraid, Be very afraid of scaring your customers

This is an an excerpt from The National Post Monday Small Business Section on March 31, 2008 by George Torok.

-----------------------------
The two masters of business are fear and greed. You probably know that greed fuels a bull market and fear darkens the bear. But are you aware of how important these two emotions are to your business? Business is about people and people are ruled by emotions. Fear is the most primal and powerful emotion. How do emotions affect the buying decisions of your customers?
------------------

Read the rest of this article at the National Post by George Torok.

Read the National Post for more short marketing articles from George Torok. Watch for feature articles on marketing.

George Torok

Marketing Author

Tom Cruise getting Ducati superbike

There is an important marketing lesson about getting media coverage in this recent news item about the new Ducati superbike.

Below is a copy of the news as reported on Yahoo News. If you Google "Tom Cruise Ducati" you will find the same item almost word-for-word from several other news sources. What does that tell you? That the news release aka press release was used word-for-word. It's not often that your news release gets used exactly as is because the media try to improve on it and add their own slant to your news. In this case the Ducati media relationships people did such a good job of their news releases that the media used it as is.

Read the news below and notice what Ducati did so well - and how you as a marketer can learn from this successful example.


-----------

Tom Cruise getting Ducati superbike


BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Tom Cruise is the first on the list to get Ducati's newest motorcycle — a $72,500 superbike bristling with titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber technology that can scoot up to 200 mph.

Cruise is scheduled to take delivery of the Desmosedici RR at Beverly Hills Ducati this week. Only 1,500 of the red-and-white Moto GP racing replica motorcycles will be made and Cruise gets the first.

Michael Lock, chief of Cupertino-based Ducati North America, said the Desmosedici RR "is the impossible dream — made possible."
"We are delighted to be able to deliver the world's first production unit here in the USA to Tom Cruise, who is a well-known Ducati enthusiast," Lock said in a statement.

------------


The Media-Relations Lesson

Lead with the biggest story and in this case, Tom Cruise is a bigger story than Ducati. Ducati launching a new big is news to Ducati owners and fans and owners and fans of other makes of superbikes. And even fans and owners of other bikes might be interested to know about a $72,000 bike that can go 200 miles per hour. However the biggest audience is people who like or adore Tom Cruise. Many of these people don't even care about motorcycles but they want to read about almost anything that Tom Cruise does.

This is the win-win outcome. The media publishes a story that their readers want and Ducati gets the coverage both inside and outside of their market.

Notice too that the photo that accompanies each of these articles is of Tom Cruise. Not the Ducati, not even Tom Cruise near a motorcycle.

The big mistake would have been to write a news release that starts with "Ducati is pleased to announce..."

And yet that is the way that too many marketers write their news release.

So, tip of the hat to Ducati media relations people on a job very well done.

Here's another thing for you to think about. Do you think that Tom Cruise asked to be first? Of course not - why would he care. And do you think that Tom Cruise paid for this $72,000 bike? Of course not. I wonder how much Ducati paid Cruise over and above the value of the Ducati.

If you are launching a new product and you want publicity how will you tie it to a bigger story? Remember when Microsoft launched Windows 95 they used the Rolling Stones song "Start me Up" as the theme song

PS: I posted the photo of the Ducati here - because I would rather look at that than Tom Cruise.

PPS: If you want to see Tom Cruise photos click here

How to write your news release click here.

More tips on grabbing media exposure click here


George Torok
Marketing Expert and Author
Marketing Speaker
George Torok in the media

----------------

Tom Cruise 1st in line to snag Ducati superbike - Autos- msnbc.com
29 Jan 2008 ... Tom Cruise is the first on the list to get Ducati's newest motorcycle — a $72500 superbike bristling with titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber technology

Tom Cruise Gets a Pricey Ducati - Luxist
With only 1500 of these primo bikes produced, he'll be part of an elite group of motorcycle enthusiasts and Ducati collectors. Now Cruise will have the ..

Top Celebrity News Stories for Wednesday Jan. 30, 2008 Donald ...
Sugar Bits — Tom Cruise Gets First Ducati Superbike ... Tom Cruise will be the first customer to receive the new $72500 Ducati "superbike,"

Valleywag: The Tom Cruise Ducati bike
This is the Ducati superbike that Hollywood star Tom Cruise will become the first person in the world to own.

Radio Interviews - how to be guest expert

Radio Interviews - you as the guest expert

One simple way to build your brand, your credibility and reach is to be the guest expert featured in radio interviews. It is simple efficient and effective - if you know the techniques.

I love radio because of the simplicity compared to TV. I have been featured in dozens of radio interviews and as host of my own radio show, Business in Motion, I have interviewed over 400 business leaders.

So how do you get on radio and what tips should you know?

Here is a collection of helpful tips and articles from a company that specilializes in getting people like you on the radio. Read the tips if you want to try it yourself of call them to do it for you. The articles offer alot of useful information.

-------------------

Articles about Getting Featured on Radio Interviews

Bryan Farrish provides free articles about radio interview promotion (i.e., "radio publicity"), and they are available for reading and printing here:

1. Why Radio Interviews?

2. Which Radio Stations to Choose?

3. Picking the Proper Format, part 1 of 2

4. Picking the Proper Format, part 2 of 2

5. Best Topics for Radio

6. How to Practice for Radio Interviews

7. Paid Benefits of Free Interviews

8. Why Repeated Phone Calls Are Necessary

9. Why The Topic Does Not Matter

10. Why Smaller Stations Can Be Better

11. Dayparts

12. Investors, part 1

Click on any of the above to read that article or see the whole list here.

The above list is from

Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion

---------------------

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Business Speaker

Marketing Expert & Author

Dirty Hotel Glasses

Dirty Hotel Glasses

Do not drink from the glasses in your hotel room! The little paper cap on the glass does not mean that the glass is clean or sanitized. It seems that the hotels have been scamming us.

Before you visit another hotel watch this video exposé. And if you are relaxing in your hotel room right now – be prepared to puke.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7f_1194813218

This revelation is certainly both a problem and an opportunity.

How would you react to this marketing opportunity?

I welcome your comments.


George Torok

Personal Marketing

George Torok in the media

Mattel Toy Recall is Marketing Opportuniity

Mattel Toys mistake is opportunity for you

Good news and bad news both present opportunities to be leveraged to get good news for you. The example of Mattel’s Toy Recall is highlighted in this message from Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound.
___________________________________

Mattel's Toy Recall

Mattel's second toy recall in less than two weeks presents publicity opportunities galore for smart Hounds:

--Pediatricians and other medical experts can offer advice on what parents can do if they think their children have been exposed to hazardous toys.

--How do you take toys that have been recalled away from childrenwithout resulting in temper tantrums from them and long explanations from you?

--Can your company, agency or school offer other alternatives to entertain kids? What about simple home-made toys you can make yourself?

--How can parents best protect their kids against dangerous toys and jewelry? Consumer experts can comment.

--Should we be more suspicious than ever of anything with a "Made in China" label? Let journalists know if you have manufacturing experts who can comment on this topic.

--If your company makes things that are used by children, what kinds of safety regulations do you follow?

--Mattel did a lousy job of damage control when this crisis hit. If you're a crisis counselor or PR expert, what do you think the toy maker should have done?

--Mattel has warned that it could announce more recalls. That has led some experts to question the fate of the Mattel brand in the wake of the bad news. Branding experts should offer comment on how this crisis might affect Mattel.

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," anezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating freepublicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a NewsRelease."
______________________

Joan Stewart is a former journalist so she knows her stuff. Lots of good ideas there for savvy marketers to get your share of free media exposure.


George Torok
Get The Unfair Marketing Advantage
Read Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your copy of the Networking Success Guide

Bring Back the Brand

Brand Come Back

Bring back the brand. Is that a good choice? Here is an intriguing news article about the planned come back of the brand Pony shoes.

I was interviewed by Jennifer Davies of The San Diego Union Tribune for this article about the planned come back of Pony shoes.


Pony sneaker brand seeks a return to its glory days
By Jennifer Davies
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 12, 2007

The comeback is a central theme in American life. Celebrities stage comebacks all the time, as do disgraced politicians and injured athletes.

Is it possible for a brand to do the same?

That's the key question for Pony, the once-hot sneaker brand that in its heyday counted Pelé, Dan Marino and Muhammad Ali among its stable of celebrity endorsers.
The Pony brand, which has bounced around between owners since the late 1970s, was recently bought by Infinity Associates, an investment group that previously acquired Converse Inc. in 2001.
Read the rest of Brand Come Back article.


Jennifer Davies of the San Diego Union Tribune has written a helpful article about the challenges of bringing back a brand.

From what I heard, Pony is too broad in their brand resurrection. Bringing back an old brand is more successful when the new brand is focused. It seemed to me that Pony was too wide with their brand resurrection. Pony seemed to be targeting casual, fitness and teens. There is little in common among those diverse groups.

George Torok
Brand Specialist

Be available to the media

A common myth that I hear from business owners is, “The media hates business”.

That is not true. The media is a business. Why would it hate business?

However, the media is a business that most other business owners don’t understand.

I saw this demonstrated in a recent news article. The article announced the entry of a relatively unknown (I never heard of him), local business owner running for political office. The article sounded like it was picking content from a news release. It was boring stuff, nothing that convinced me of this candidate’s capability or commitment. The last line of the article stated that the new candidate was unavailable for comment.

Not a good start to a political campaign. A political wannabe who is “unavailable for comment” does not understand the power of the media.

The media operates on deadlines. When you send a news release to the media – be available.

PS: My early prediction in this political race is: This candidate will not win the seat.


George Torok
Power Marketing

Media Friendly

Make your website media friendly

Create a media section on your website. This demonstrates that you are willing to talk to the media. Yes, I know the media can sometimes be cynical and might not use what they find in your media section. Showing that you respect and are willing to work with the media is more than a good start.

Many will use your words. In fact it will surprise you when some of the media use your propaganda word-for-word. It has happened to me. Sometimes you get lucky.

So, how do you make your website media friendly?
Below are some ways you can make your site more media friendly along with links to examples of how to do just that.

Post all your news releases on your website.

Post a collection of your media appearances – radio, TV and print.

Provide fodder for new stories.

Include photos and logos.

Include mock interviews.

Include a FAQ section.

Tell the media how to contact you – by phone, email and snail mail.

Maintain a blog for your informal comments (like this one).


George Torok
Power Marketing
Business in Motion
Speech Coach for Executives