Down To The Wire

When you want to win and woo new clients withpeople remember the company's generosity with a
national publicity -- and don't have an enormouswarm, fuzzy feeling. You can't beat free advice for
budget to distribute your message -- turn to thebuilding trust.Did you know?You can assert all you
news wires. But first, be sure you're telling a storywant. But numbers make it real. Research -- real,
that's worth printing.The best publicity draws on oneproprietary research, carried out by you, with
of a handful of tried-and-true themes. Newsworthynumbers that you own --can be a great way to get
stories have something that hits you as a reader andattention. San Diego-based Metabolife Inc. just
makes you more interested than "just the facts."wrapped up a year-long research initiative that
Think about how your company's story might workresulted in mentions and stories in several national
as part of one (or more) of the following storypublications. What did they do? They got numbers,
themes.David vs. GoliathYou were small, the oddsand they used them. Did you know that 47 percent
against you were great, but you took on the bigof people say everyone is out of shape at their high
guys and you won! Everybody loves an underdog,school reunion? Metabolife did the studies, found the
and if you can play this card, you might stir up morenumbers, then turned the statistics into a great
attention than you ever thought possible. An Orangeopportunity for publicity.The wiresOnce you've got a
County-based company, ProtectConnect ( is usingnewsworthy story, how do you get the word out?
this strategy to publicize its buzzworthy invention -- aOne option is to hit the news wire services yourself.
modular system of safety-first electrical outlets andBoth the PR Newswire ( and Business Newswire (
switches. The wiring device industry they're taking onare membership-based services that require you to
is dominated by just a handful of huge corporations,join in order to distribute your releases. Prices for
but the attention they're getting as a startup forreleases can range from as little as $125 for a
their patented product has prompted more than $1.5statewide distribution to $600 for national, or several
million in orders -- before the company even opensthousand dollars for an international release. For this
its doors for business.First, fastest, brightestIf you'veprice, which is much less than postage, your brief
really got a story that's unique -- you're the first, orrelease will cross the country or the globe, passing in
the biggest, or the strongest, or the loudest -- thenfront of the eyes of thousands of editors in tens of
you have a certifiably newsworthy story. RoseTelthousands of media outlets.There are also services
System Inc. ( a Los Angeles-based manufacturer ofthat will take on the task of distribution for you,
the world's first streaming, real-time video deliveredespecially if you're a small firm or don't have a
through plain old telephone lines, scored a touchdowndedicated staff to make contact, handle releases, or
with this angle in January 2003, when their systemdo follow up. One such service, E-releases ( for
helped the city of San Diego maintain surveillance,example, will do as little or as much as you want to
security and order during the Super Bowl. The storyhelp you get the word out. They'll even write your
became especially significant because on the day ofrelease for you, for a nominal fee, shaping your story
the big game, the Internet, which would have carriedin ways they know are likely to garner the most
other forms of video, was crippled by a global virus.attention. They'll also distribute for around $350, and
RoseTel was able to honestly state that their videosend you links showing you where your story was
communication system was the first and only one inrun online (a great deal that saves you hundreds of
the world that could have performed so affordablydollars, because it includes a national distribution via
and so well that day -- and as a result, their storyPR Newswire).Finally, no public relations expert would
was picked up around the country from one simpleever say there isn't at least some element of chance
wire release.Rags to richesStories about the GWOGinvolved in what stories get picked up and which
(Guy Working Out of Garage) who strikes it rich areones don't. It's best to take a "water drip" approach.
still unusual. Steve Jobs of Apple may be one of theEvery little bit makes a difference, even if you can't
best examples of a rags-to-riches story, but theresee them for each droplet. Still, after a while, water
are countless examples of this. Jack Daley, presidentwill wear away a stone, and your story can break
of the Triarch Group, a San Diego-based consultingthrough the clutter in the same way.Henry DeVries is
firm that works with tech-driven companies toa marketing coach and writer specializing in lead
systematize their approach to innovation, delights ingeneration for professional service firms. An adjunct
telling a rags-to-riches story from his own experience.marketing professor at UCSD since 1984, he is the
His client, the company that eventually becameauthor of "Self Marketing Secrets" and the recently
Network Solutions (still the biggest registrar forpublished "Client Seduction." Visit or e-mail questions
domain names on the Internet) was started with ato © 2005 Henry DeVries, All rights reserved.
cash advance on a credit card and eventually grewYou are free to use this material in whole or in part in
into a multimillion-dollar monster. Now that's apint, on a web site or in an email newsletter, as long
story.Free adviceRemember the ad campaign in theas you include complete attribution, including live web
1970s that urged you to write away to a majorsite link. Please also notify me where the material will
petroleum company for free booklets on autoappear.The attribution should read:"By Henry DeVries
maintenance, safety and repair? (Hint: The bookletsof the New Client Marketing Institute. Please visit
were yellow, and the logo is still red. Looks a bit like ...Henry's web site at for additional marketing articles
a seashell.) School children across America learned toand resources on marketing for professional service
write "business letters" by carefully printing "Dear Sir"businesses.
requests to that company, and even 30 years later,