Proactive Publicity

Proactive publicity can be one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools. Publicity is free, approximately six times as many people read articles as read ads, and articles are more credible as they are perceived to be third-party endorsements vs. self-promotion. Here are some examples of proactive publicity:

• When Hallmark launched the industry’s first personalized, computer-generated cards, they sent cards to talk show hosts.
• EasyJet invested a large portion of its marketing dollars in a lawsuit against KLM, claiming unfair competitive practices, positioning itself as the underdog on the side of the public.
• Trivial Pursuit marketers sent games samples to celebrities featured in the game and to radio personalities who had an affinity for trivia.
• The Peabody Hotel in Memphis has ducks march out of the elevator down a red carpet to its lobby fountain twice a day with great fanfare under the direction of the Peabody Duckmaster. Hundreds of people watch and take pictures, many of which are posted on social media.

Excerpted from Brand Aid, second edition. © 2015 Brad VanAuken. Available here.