In dealing with the tyranny of the urgent, ad agency can easily overlook publicity opportunities just waiting to be told. These opportunities are valuable in generating awareness and, in some cases, helping to establish or reinforce expertise in particular areas.
Here are my Top 20 Topics to consider:
- Awards
- New clients/customers
- New employees
- Employee promotions
- Human interest stories about employees
- Community involvement
- Survey results
- Introducing a new product or service
- Expert commentary that address newsworthy topics/trends
- Appointments to boards
- Publications (articles, books, etc.)
- New offices/geographical expansion
- Mergers/strategic alliances
- Trends, projections, forecasts
- Speeches
- Sponsorships
- Mentoring programs
- Pro bono work
- Guest columns
- Case studies that could become feature stories
One of my favorite examples of a good human interest story involves a real estate agent named Alex Delgado.
“Once I got into real estate, I got really successful really fast, and I had all this money I didn’t know what to do with,” he told our local paper. Rather than pamper himself, Alex looked to the needs of others by giving a portion of his commission for every house sold to sponsor impoverished children in developing countries.
At the time the story was published, he was supporting 53 children in 19 countries.
The article quoted from letters he received from his sponsor children, who described the ways in which his involvement improved their lives. One girl from India, who signed her letter “loving daughter,” explained how his money provides her family with food and soap.
A little boy who lost both parents to an accident, and later his younger sister, wrote, “Now I am alone. I thank God for getting you as my sponsor.”
If I were looking to buy or sell a house, Alex Delgado is the first person I’d call. And I imagine a lot of other people felt the same way after reading this story. It obviously was good publicity for his company as well.
What stories like this are in your agency or client roster that ought to be shared?
Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.
photo credit: David Boyle via photopin cc
The Art of Telling Your Story 