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Don't Send a Naked Sample, and Other Rules about Mailing Products & Media Kits

We've been taught since we were young not to judge a book by its cover.  Unfortunately when sending out anything from your media kit to a sample, that's often exactly what happens.  Because of this, there are certain rules you must always follow to be sure that a) your product gets to exactly where it's going, b) people know what it is and all the information about it they need and c) that they get the best feeling about your brand possible, and want to share that feeling with their readers/viewers/listeners.  Even in a recession you can accomplish all three, and here's how!

A) Be sure your product gets to where it needs to be: 
Never send an unsolicited product. Just don't. Well do if you want to annoy an editor by clogging their desk, or never see it again.  If you are happy to part with a product feel free to send it off, but know that if there isnt' a recipient on the other end expecting it you will most likely never know what happened to it, if they liked it, or where it disappeared to.  Instead, simply research the outlet and send your sample or media kit to your contact when you have already alerted them to its impending arrival and they expect it.  Just imagine if every day you received 3-5 random packages to your office.  Multiply this by 5 days a week...it gets ugly.  I once new a producer who went to Barnes & Noble every week to return books, DVDs, and CDs he didn't want.  Learn your lesson!

** also when you do send a requested package, write on it "Requested Product" or "Personal"

B) When you send your package to somebody other than a member of your company, whether it be a Tin Shingle team member picking it up for a press interview or a producer or editor who has already reviewed your pitch, talked to you, and requested it, don't send it NAKED!  A naked sample is a sample without the following:

Typed cover letter personally signed by you

Typed list of what is in the package and the retail prices of the items

Look Book & Line Sheet of all your products

A well presented product

Contact information as to where they can reach you with any questions

** most of this can be presented in your media kit/folder but the cover letter should be on the outside of any folder or kit, visible.

C) So here's where we get to the judging a book by its cover.  If you are sending a product to any major magazine, television program, or even blogger looks do matter.  The product world is a competitive world and merchandising and presentation from website to media kit to product delivery means EVERYTHING.  If it shows up looking a "hot mess" the feeling about your brand will be "hot mess".  If no one can figure out what it is, who it's from, how much it is, or what other colors and styles it comes in very easily they will move on.  Remember that when you send out a package, the moment it leaves your hand it must speak for itself.  The last thing an editor wants is for you to call to see if they received it and to have to chat iwth you about what was in the package.  So be sure it shows up looking like a great symbol of your brand and is easy to read and understand.

D) How to do this inexpensively?  It's not hard.  Start simple:  Go to Staples or a anywhere you can get office supplies and buy some inexpensive yet durable folders.  Create labels on your computer with your companies logo on them and print them onto nametag stickers.  Then place the sticker on your folder - Voila - a media kit folder that is branded to your liking.  **Choose a folder that's your brand's color - bonus points!  Then put all of your media information in there from line sheets to look books.  Place all of it in a nice looking bag (also inexpensive) that you found online or at a wholesale card shop (you will need several).  Be sure your product is placed in well and won't spill out or fall all over the delivery bag.  Also make sure the product is wrapped well, presented well, and will stay in one piece.

Those for steps really are all you need to know to be sure that delivery to your desired media contact is well dressed and ready to shine! 

Why I don't just look at HARO for the Leads

Unless you're a small business owner who has been living under a rock, you have more than likely used Help A Reporter Out (HARO) to get pr leads, and who knows, you even have sent a few out yourself!

Just in case you don't know HARO, in brief it's a free service that allows the media to submit leads to adventurist/ publicist/pr expert  Peter Shankman who then posts them on one of his daily emails.  It's a great tool, bringing what was once only available via PR Newswire's Profnet  (or long term, cultivated) relationships to entrepreneurs, publicists and business owners nationwide.

Now here is why I love HARO....beyond the leads....and beyond Peter's stories about his cats, Megan, trainer, and the rest of his team...

HARO is a great barometer of what is hot in short lead media.  Look closely and you'll see patterns that will give you clues as to what stories are hot, what stories are being covered too much, and some that are slowly growing from sparks into larger trend pieces.  It's almost like a short lead editorial calendar!

Here are somethings you can do when reading HARO (beyond pitching leads that HONESTLY match your brand - don't stretch it people):

* Look for stories that are popping up in several short lead publications almost verbatim.  This query will soon be overdone so though you can reply to it if you are a match, don't pitch a similar story to the newspaper a week from now, it's old news!

* See certain authors or editors popping up time and time again?  Take the time to get to know what they write and who they write about!  Catalog this in your brain!  Someday a story you're working on may be right for them!

* See a topic that is consistently popping up, figure out if you have a new take, angle, or spin on it and pitch that to your local press or national press.

* See a hot trend story emerging?  Figure out if you can use your expert status to comment on it!

* See a hot trend story you can create an offshoot story of?  Share a new approach about the story?  Spin yourself into it and pitch that to your press contacts!

* See a section of Peter's emails that is getting heaps of queries (business, financial, health, celebrity) clearly the media considers this subject a hot topic!  Follow it and see if you can spin yourself into a story.

Remember - the media are sending out queries regarding what they are looking for on HARO.  They are basically sending you a message in no uncertain terms about what's hot for them right now.  While of course you should reply to queries, don't stop there!  If you use your pr strategy brain you may find that there is a trend story emerging that the outlets are interested in following.  Don't just reply, create a pitch of your own and go after your local and regional press! 

I myself am now off to review my HARO email myself.

Happy pitching!

Category: 

How Gossip Girl* Changes Brands (*and all those other shows you secretly watch)

If you happened to be on Tin Shingle (or my personal) Facebook or Twitter pages today, you may have heard our buzzing about three great brands featured on Gossip Girl :  Gemma Redux, Kara James Bags, and Lust4Luxe handbags.

I will be the first to admit openly and honestly that I do not watch Gossip Girl (or 90210, or Privilege or the many other hot teen programs), I do understand it's power to change a brand overnight.  Here's a quick lesson on why product placement is important, how to handle it, and great news for members who want their own chance at Gossip Girl!

WHY CARE?

I've had people say to me - "I never watch teen programming, why should I care if my brand is on?"  After I catch my breath and get over my shock I let them know these reasons:

#1 It validates you like crazy - here are a few places that will be interested:

* Weekly Magazines & Blogs:  Fastest way to great celebrity magazine press (Us Weekly, Star, etc) is to have a tie to what shows are hot and what actors and actresses are the most sought after.  Check out your local newsstand and see who they feature regularly - those are the shows and celebrities you want to be seen with or on (your product that is).

* Trendsetters:  Though we may not watch some of these shows, the trendsetters, editors, and fashion personalities who you need to impact often follow them - all it takes is one person to see your brand and you could find yourself in the pages of Glamour's next issue!

#2  It can lead to sales and purchase orders

* Sales & National Stores:  I was recently at a trade show talking to a major department store buyer, and when I inquired about what they needed to see in a brand in order to take a meeting there were some basics I've heard before:  get the major fashion magazines, get product placement in a major program or movie, and high profile celebrity interest, to name a few.

#3 Stylists will get to know you

*Whether the costumers on the show, their friends, or those who follow the fashion focused programming, they will be watching, and they will take note.  We've even had clients who had orders placed from the set after their products caught the eye of network stylists.

#4 You can toot your own horn on and offline

* Placements on national television allow you to toot your own horn as you should!  Tweet, Facebook, Digg, and spread the word!  People get excited about exciting and challenging things, and this is a great way to share your success and open the door to people visiting your website.

* Add it to your media kit - screen shots, show notes, logos, front and center - this will surely attract editors and buyers like we mentioned before!

HOW WILL IT WORK AND HOW DO I PREPARE?

* When you send your product to a wardrobe department be prepared for it to sit there for months.  At times they need the piece immediately, but  normally until they know you and what you have to offer, they will keep it there until it works with an actor or actresses ensemble.

* Don't stalk or ask when it will be returned or used.

* Be prepared to act fast - at times we hear weeks ahead when it will air,  other times (like today) we heard the day of, an hour before it went to air.

* Get a clip!  Call Video Monitoring Services and they will help you get a clip - even an e-clip, quickly that you can use to leverage your placement.

* Write a press release (short and sweet with a link to your product) and send it to the weeklies and fashion magazines asap.  You want some buzz!  If you can get a screen shot too, go for it!  This is a great reason to PING your  favorite outlets you've been building a relationship with.

* Include the news in your newsletter and if you feel up to it, use a promo code for the product that was featured. 

* If it looks like the hit will be huge, prepare sales wise!

* Send a handwritten thank you note after the email you send the moment it airs.  You want the department to reach out to you in the future.  I would also send Fretzels, Sweet Muse, or Gourmetibles ; )

POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW:

Are you a Tin Shingle member?  We're pulling soon for future Gossip Girl tapings and would love to find some hot new fashion brands to showcase.  Stay tuned to find out how you can submit!

What Worked: Pitches

Yesterday I had a lovely afternoon chatting with another female entrepreneur, partly to catch up and partly to celebrate a slam dunk she had with her own pr campaign - Crains and NPR - great, serious business plugs!

Of course I was thinking of all of you and how I could translate her success at pitching those outlets into yours!  Then I began thinking, as the president of an agency that has placed clients everywhere from O Mag to CNBC, and with the great fortune of working with amazing strategists, entrepreneurs, and publicists who have done the same for themselves and others, why not show you real examples of what worked?  

And so it was written!  What Worked: Pitches will launch this week, and I will search far and wide for real examples and anecdotes of what worked that YOU can use!

Stay tuned, this week we will begin with Crain's Business & NPR!  If you yourself have a great pitch that worked, send it to us, and perhaps you'll find you and your business in  a What Worked: Pitches blog soon!

Happy Pitching!

 

Sabina

It's Mother's Day in Short Lead Media!

Hey Ladiesssss!

Happy Monday!  To steal a line from Sesame Street, "M is for Monday's"  and it's also for Mother's Day!  If you are a product that would make a great Mother's Day gift now is the time to reach out to your short lead outlets and not a moment later!  May is also sweeps time for television which means competition is even stiffer so be sure your pitch pops!

Short lead, constituting blogs, newspapers, radio, and television (as well as any weekly magazines) are already planning their Mother's Day issues.  Have you submitted your line sheets, samples, or pitches?  If so you should definitely be in follow-up right now! 

Be sure you keep your pitch quick and to the point and make it clear via your headline why you are emailing them.  For instance, be sure to mention if it's:

Eco-friendly Mother's Day Gifts
Under $100.00
Edible
Under $25.00
Personalized
etc.

When you pitch rememeber to quickly introduce yourself, explain why their readers/viewers would enjoy the product, and be sure you have a great looking website with a functioning cart to share with them.  Don't send attachments, and copy/paste your most recent press release in the body below your pitch for more information.

Clock is ticking!  Get moving!

Your Local Press: How & When to Pitch

Telling your story to your local press is key to your company's publicity campaign plan.  Whether you live in New York City or San Diego, pitching your local news has multiple benefits:

It's less competitive than your national news stations, and a local story with an interesting, trendy angle which both female entrepreneurship and small business are:

Is easier to land than a coveted spot on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

It can convert to quick sales and perhaps local retail interest, local partnerships, and allows you to create
relationships with the press for future stories.

Local press allows you to practice for the "big leagues" and get footage for a reel, necessary for national
television press

You can severage your local and regional media hits!  Local press often turns into more local press of different mediums such as newspaper and radio.

That said there are specific ways you should go about pitching your local television stations:

Watch the station you wish to pitch and decide what time slots and segments you fit into the best. 

Call at an opportune time, ie, know when not to call...If you are reaching out to a producer or even the news desk during there larger news hours (drive time before or after work, lunch news, evening news) your chances of having a useful and unrushed pitch are slim to none.  Reach out after the morning news or after the lunch news break when things have slowed down. 

Don't forget weekends and holidays: Just because most of the working world has weekends off doesn't mean the news desks close down.  Reaching out to producers and assignment desks is actually much easier on weekends and after hours.  You are competing with fewer callers (including go get 'em publicists) and it's also a great time to find the producers who cover weekends segments, which tend to be lighter and not heavy news, what many of your stories most likely will be.

Create a reputation as a local expert in your area of expertise.  This way when a breaking national news story that you can address occurs, you will be the first they call, or when you reach out to them after seeing a story you can bring a new angle to (which you should) you will be a familiar and trustworthy source.

Reach out and get your company active in your community - another great way to raise visibility.

Let them know you have great: visuals, facts, food, drinks....all great ways to lure in the press.

Finally, when you do a segment, be easy to work with, organized, and always send a thank you note. 

Great first impressions often lead to second and third opportunities!

**Core Members:  Can't find the number for a local news station?  Email us and we'll put it into our media database asap!

Patient Persistence Pays Off - A True Lesson

Hey Ladies

A common frustration in pitching is simlar to this one:

"I've pitched Cookie 10 times and they never called back, should I give up?"

or

"InStyle is NEVER going to return my pitches and I send them emails every two months"

or

"Am I not a good enough expert for Fast Company, they never seem to return my calls"

Well here's a secret - sometimes I feel the same way!  Not to toot my own horn but in my years in PR I have landed everything from O Magazine to Daily Candy to CNBC to Entrepreneur and all things in between, but I often have the same frustrations.  Case in point, I have been pitching a major lifestyle magazine since my early days at Escada and I never get a great response.  Does that stop me?  Heck no!  

Sure I could give up and say "they don't like what I have", but instead what I say is "they don't need what I have right now", because that is the truth!  Magazines and television go by what they need, what the trends are, what the price points are, trend stories, breaking news, SO MANY FACTORS!  If you have a great product and good pitch (see our how to's on pitching) chances are they just don't need you yet.

Chances also are that you need to be patient and persistent to be sure they keep you in the back of their minds.  This magazine I pitched finally got back in touch with me last month, and the result was a huge success.  The funny ("funny") thing was that the editor said "how have we never worked together in the past?"  I wanted to say "because you never called me back" but of course i could not, and I knew she was too busy and I was lucky we were creating our relationship now - better late than never!

If you feel funny pitching monthly follow these rules:

* Do it - you must reach out every month IF you and your brand have something new to say or share

* Find something new to say or share

* Piggyback on trends, news stories, seasons, breaking news, or popular stories that you could be an expert on

* Share new products or new pricing or fabrications

* Create a reason to briefly get in touch

* Keep track of these monthly emails so you know when you contacted them last and what you sent

* Read their ed cals if they are a magazine to see how you could help them - if you are a Core member you can find those online at Tin Shingle

* Never give up - have an actor's mentality:  audition, audition, audition and never look back!

Eventually if you are a good fit they will come to you - but only if they remember you, your product, and how patient and easy you have been to work with!

 

How to Stay up-to-date with Oprah

Oprah - we all know that even when I tell you to stop focusing on her program you won't, so I figured I'd give you a few pointers....

I was talking to one of the executive producers at Harpo yesterday, and she let me know that they are currently working on their April programs so first of all, know that they are only about 3-4 weeks ahead in lead time at the moment....so if you are pitching, pitch accordingly.  Other pointers that will work?  Take some notes from our playbook!

* Go online and check out what the producers are looking for:  A show like the Oprah Winfrey Show creates amazing programming because they have outstanding producers creating it, and if you want a quick and easy sneak peek (and a chance to submit your brand for an appropriate story) just go to their website to see what they are working on next:  http://www.oprah.com/tows.

* Think seasonally, 3-4 weeks ahead, and big!  Pitching a product will most likely not get you a segment.  They may hold it for a future gift guide, or if it's appropriate for a different topic show, but you should really be thinking about how your story fits into a larger concept, and perhaps even bring a few more brands in on the pitch.

*  Remember that Oprah is now doing Hot Topics a la The View.....if you have a cool product or are part of a hot topic, this would be a better place to pitch.

* At Oprah there are actually groups of producers who are working on things in teams.  They have a schedule that shows what their specific shows are that they need to fill, as well as what other teams are working on.  If you create a great relationship with one, they can often find out who to pitch if they are not your best bet.  Want to get to know the teams and their styles?  Join them on Facebook!!  Read the Producers Blogs in the show's Facebook Group. 

* Watch the show!  Sounds silly I know, but if you haven't watched since you were in college you really don't know the current style and content.  Want to be an even better detective?  When you see an episode that is similar to content you cover, watch to see who produced it....this is the producer you should target for your pitch!

FINALLY....the more press you get in other outlets and in other venues, the more likely the producers will see you or hear about you and have you in mind for another segment!

Go get em!

Moderating a Columbia College Women's Panel of Women Entrepreneurs and was Fascinated

Very early on a Thursday, I stopped my workday at 5pm to begin to get ready to moderate a panel put on by Columbia College Women (Office of Alumni Affairs and Development) and the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium, thanks to an invitation from Tin Shingle member Stacie Bach. It was held in a beautiful boardroom on Park Avenue surrounded by oak, the perfect setting for an intimate gathering to learn from six extremely different entrepreneurs.

During the panel, we realized that a thread of similarities ran through these women, as different as their businesses were. The most common themes were: delegating to others; having more than one business; and solving problems. Here is a little bit about what we learned at the panel:


Magaly Colimon-Christopher

creator/writer/producer/director/actress/entrepreneur
Magaly Colimon ChristopherMagaly dashed into the meeting in full production garb. She was bundled in sweats because she suddenly had to fill in as producer on her new web series, and they were filming on location, where it's cold outside.
What we learned from her: Magaly is recently married and chose someone who is not only supportive of her many career outlets, but works with her. She has found it a nice balance to have someone else catching the balls as they are juggled. As we heard about how Magaly's mind works, and how it knows no bounds when exploring different areas, we couldn't help but notice her flawless and glowing skin. Not gonna lie. Her secret? Drinking fish oil, and using her own skin care line, AhRomanticSoothers.com, which she developed because she recognized how to solve her own skin care needs with shae butter.


Yscaira Jimenez

Founder of La Pregunta Arts Cafe
La Pregunta Arts CafeYscaira is a an unstoppable entrepreneur. Where others may falter from analysis by paralysis, she jumps in. She took a giant risk, and a major pay cut, to start La Pregunta Arts Cafe, a Cultural Social Club, founded to stimulate the neighborhood with gallery exhibits, open mics, improv comedy nights, live music, Capoeira and any other expression of Afro-Latino culture.
What we learned from her: Yscaira saw a problem in her neighborhood: there were no cultural outlets for reading, coffee drinking, and expressing. Originally, she wanted to open a bookstore, but there wasn't enought demand for a local bookstore becauase of online and larger bookstores. Sometimes an entrepreneur has to cede to the lack of demand. What she did answer, however, was to be a cultural outlet that serves cultural food. By chance, she named many of her sandwiches after Cuban leaders who happen to be socialists. A large socialist club is now one of her biggest customers. Who knew socialists had money to spend! Most recently, a new problem has arisen for Yscaira to solve: everyone wants her food, so she is branching out into catering. This is the blessing of the entrepreneur: recognizing a need, and delivering.

Erica Woda

CEO and Founder of Level the Field
Level the Field

Erica played soccer for the Columbia University Women's Soccer team, graduated, and then was accepted into the New York City Teaching Follows Program. She taught for two years in a high need district school in the South Bronx and then went on to teach in a charter school in the Bronx. She recognized a problem: kids were not being stimulated outside of school, and therefore, were not developing vital social skills to succeed. She created Level the Field, a program which merges Columbia athletic programs with these kids to keep them active, socialized and succeeding.
What we learned from her: Pitch yourself. All the time. I think it is her natural tendency, as an athlete, to see the end goal in mind and run strategically towards it. When she saw the end goal of Level the Field, she had the vision and the belief. She had no fear pitching her concept to her social circle from various spheres to raise capital. And now she have quite a team behind her.


Wendy Friedmann

Partner RW Delights - Heavenly Souffle


Heavenly SouffleO.M.G. Wendy was a former successful sales and marketing professional in the technology and advertising industries. She took a hiatus to have a family, but soon got the urge to get back into the business world. One might mistake this urge for a serious chocolate craving, because that is what Wendy and her partner and dear friend, Roxann Kam, created: frozen chocolate souffles that you can bake yourself in just 18 minutes called Heavenly Souffle. The first time I ever tried one of these was courtesy of a FreshDirect.com coupon for a free dessert. It was beyond my expectations.
What we learned from her: Diversify. Their product is sold from the website, via licensing, and via other revenue models. Yet they know their limits in terms of dealing with the drawbacks of each as they grow their business. Shipping for them is a huge issue. A glitch in shipping large truckloads of frozen chocolate souffles has different ramifications and stress then shipping an invidvidual order from the website. You may be surprised at her answer as to which stress she prefers.

Caitlin Friedman & Kimberly Yorio

Co-Owners of YC Media, & Co-Founders Girls Guide
Girls Guide SeriesCaitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio are public relations and marketing professionals, authors and entrepreneurs.  Caitlin and Kimberly are the co-owners of YC Media, a boutique agency specializing in cookbooks and the co-founders of Girls Guide, a company created to help women achieve professional success. As authors of the best-selling Girls Guide series (The Girl’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business, The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch), The Girl’s Guide to Kicking Your Career into Gear and the upcoming Happy at Home, Happy at Work), Caitlin and Kimberly have been featured on CNN and The Today Show as well as covered by magazines ranging from Time to Parade.
What we learned from them: Partner. Partner when it feels right. When these dynamos branched out on their own, they were getting each other's clients. Meaning, whatever wasn't a solid fit for one, ended up being a fit for the other. As competing PR women, they could have continued on competing. But something about them worked. Their first expense was an office space to get out of their bedroom offices. One of their major leaps of success was based on a declaration of failure - of all of the decisions they've made that have gone wrong in managing their business. But did they stop there? Like any good entrepreneur, the identified a problem, and created a solution: The Girls Guide series.

Hopefully we will hear more from these ladies. Until then, we've got a lot to work with in terms of how their experience can help shape our businesses.

Keep on problem-solving!

Learning from your Competitors can help your Pitches

When branding our products or ourselves we often try to distance ourselves as much as possible from our competitors.  There are times, however, when we can actually learn a lot from them about what works for our pitching and outreach portions of our pr campaigns.

When you are launching your campaign you know your unique selling points, you know who the demographic is you're reaching out to, and you most likely have already created a pitch and a media list of the outlets to which you will be reaching out.  As you continue to pitch I encourage you to look at brands who create products similar to yours, or experts who work in similar areas to yours.  Look at where they have been placed editorially, and what television programs covered them.  This will let you know where there is bound to be interest in the categories and topic in which you work.  If you are a product-based brand it will let you know what outlets work well with your price point and aesthetic.  It can also show you which areas of the magazine or television show might be best to pitch - even which editors or producers work in your beat.

When you see products similar to yours in a blog or even in a newsletter like Shefinds or Daily Candy, check out their website to see other places they have been covered, as it could lead you to other placements for your own brand.  For example, I recently was reading People.com's Style Section while checking out Michele Baratta jewelry, a popular picture frame jewelry brand we work with who was being profiled there.  While reading through the placement to review it, I looked at the other brands that were featured in the story.  I already knew they had to be fairly similar in price point and style and most likely shared similar customer demographics since they were in the same trend story.  Next I visited the websites of these brands to see what I thought of them and if they seemed like they could be put in similar product categories as Michele's jewelry, and I confirmed the could.  So the last step was checking out the press they've received in the past.  This led me to discovering a few great blogs that would be right up her alley, as well as discover that a popular magazine I never would have pitched her to in the past was now working on a new column her story would be a perfect fit for! 

Part of getting great placements in the press for your brand is a) pitching the right editors and outlets, and b) always learning about new places to pitch and reach out to.  With so many television shows, websites, magazines, and even taxi cab news programs emerging, there are hundreds of places to share your story and your brand.  In order to be sure you aren't ever barking up the wrong tree, and to help guarantee you aren't missing any great possibilities out there in the world of media, be sure you keep up -to-speed on where your competition is telling their story, and if you could be telling yours there too!

Now get out there and do some research!

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