Archive for PR in Fashion

Communicate with confidence, speak with style

January 25, 2008 at 11:06 am · Filed under Fashion, Media Coaching, PR in Fashion

Missed the nomination list for the Oscars again? Yes, me too. I think I was probably ignored this year since I haven’t been in, written or directed a film. In fact I haven’t been in a film since 1970, when, as a callow youth, I starred alongside Julie Christie in The Go-Between.. OK, it was a small part. A very small part. In fact, I’m in the background for five seconds, after about nineteen minutes of the film. Anyway, I’m delighted to see that my former co-star has been nominated for the best actress award this year. Good luck to her. I chaired a convention last weekend for the Independent Footwear Retailers Federation. I learnt a lot about shoes. I also learnt a lot about business, since there were some great speakers there – for example, the award-winning designer, Wayne Hemingway MBE. He delivered a funny, touching and inspiring speech about his background, and what he’s doing now to make towns and cities better places to live in. If you ever get the chance to hear him, grab it. Of course, I grabbed an interview with him, where he revealed the best advice he ever received. It’s very good advice too. Listen to him, along with an audio version of this ezine, by clicking here. Remember – you can hear it directly through your PC’s speakers – you don’t need an iPod.

A TV presenter in Croatia is MediaMaster of the week. Damir Matkovic must be good. He persuaded his employers, HTV, to spend twenty-six thousand pounds on dental work to preserve his winsome smile for viewers. One of his many fans, Mirka Radicovic, told reporters: “I only ever watch news programmes because of him. I couldn’t imagine him with no teeth, not being able to flash that lovely smile of his.” (By the way, if any UK TV presenters are thinking of the same sort of treatment, then the best man to see is Dr Surinder Hundle at Lund Osler.) I don’t like the phrase “political correctness gone mad”. My heart sinks when I hear it, since it often precedes a story which is either untrue, or mis-reported. However, this story appears to be all too true. A story based on the Three Little Pigs has been rejected by a government quango in case it offends people. The digital remake of the children’s classic was criticised by Becta, the education technology agency, because “the use of pigs raises cultural issues”. Officials also attacked the story – called The Three Little Cowboy Builders – for stereotyping the building trade, reported the Daily Telegraph. Muslim groups criticised Becta’s response and insisted that a computer program based on the Three Little Pigs should be welcomed in state schools. Tahir Alam, the head of education at the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “We are not offended by that at all.” Yesterday, the quango stood by the verdict. More fool them I say. At least they win an award themselves – the MediaMug trophy.

By Alan Stevens, Media Coach www.mediacoach.co.uk

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Evaluate your PR Effectiveness

March 18, 2007 at 8:16 pm · Filed under Media Coaching, PR, PR in Fashion, Press Releases, Public Relations

PR is a very effective method of gaining exposure, managing reputation, increasing sales and achieving long term recognition and customer loyalty. 

PR can make the difference between a brand being known or unknown, add positive spins to negative news and overall manage the perception people have of your company or brand.

But other than seeing the long term results for yourself, how do you evaluate your PR effectiveness?

Media evaluation should be an ingredient in assessing how your PR is working. With media evaluation you are evaluating how your company’s reputation or its
products or services are re
presented in the media and comparing this to the competition.There are a number of measurements and judgements to make when evaluating your media coverage:

  • Where and when the article and/or broadcast appeared.
  • The degree to which messages were picked up i.e. were your website or contact details
    printed?  Did the article address your key messages and summarise your brand accurately? 
  • Was the item generated by you / your PR agent?
  • The weight of the media – i.e.: circulation and audience and the relevance to the target audience.
  • The balance and tone of the publicity and the degree of favourability i.e. how positive was it?  Was it an accurate re
    presentation of your brand?
  • Impact of visual material – Did the article include an image to sell your brand visually?
  • Comment or opinion – how accurate and positive was it?
  • Size or length of article or broadcast – the space of the article can be quantified, half a page in a top magazine such as Grazia is worth thousands of pounds yet also the content is important as it needs to address all of your key information where possible.

If all of the above is accounted for,
press coverage can result in increased sales, often stock being sold out if it
proves popular and long term recognition which results in a loyal customer base for you.

The more your brand is seen and heard in the right places, the more recognition you will receive and your customers will soon think of you first the next time they look for your area of
product.

By Bethanie Lunn, Founder of Huge Promotions www.hugepromotions.co.uk

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PR Success Story

March 6, 2007 at 10:07 pm · Filed under Media Coaching, PR, PR in Fashion, Press Releases, Public Relations

Sue Donnelly of www.accentuate.me.uk initially came on a workshop that I did with media coach Joanne Mallon in 2004. She then went on to complete a Do Your Own PR 30 day ecourse and has regularly been in touch with updates on her PR successes which include:

Style writer for Health Plus with regular paid features and a monthly Gorgeous Clinic column (alongside Bharti Vyas, Jo Fairley and Daniel Galvin); regular contributor for Peterborough Evening Telegraph, Stamford Mercury, Norwich Evening News, ESP and Embrace magazines and articles in Psychologies, Essentials, My Weekly and Prima. I also was invited onto the Trisha show and have been quoted on BBC Radio Leeds and the Daily Mail.

Sue, how much time do you spend on PR?
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I’d like to say that I have a regular weekly slot to do PR but, in reality, I tend to have splurges when something captures my imagination or if I feel I have to something to contribute. This usually tends to occur every quarter rather than every week. I have 3 books published and they have provided me with great article ideas relevant to their subject matter and whatever might be happening in the media at the time. I am aware that I need to work in advance so I will plan Christmas and summer holiday articles at least 2 months before they actually occur.

What PR activities have you found that work for you?
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My first PR successes did not centre about what I do – Image Coaching – but what drove my decision to become one. I wrote articles about my change of career in my mid – 40’s and the why, what and how this had come about. Magazines at the time were interested as ‘40 is the new 20′ was in vogue and I was featured in 2 or 3 national women’s magazines.

 As a result, I was offered the column with Health Plus. I’ve kept this in mind when contacting the media. It’s not what you do but how you can inspire their readers that counts. You need to think outside the box. I always look at different magazines and try to gauge their typical reader and the type of articles they would like to read. I also keep my eye on the news and make sure my article is relevant and topical. My knowledge as an image expert gives me credibility but it’s not always the main focus of the story.

My exposure in the press gave me recognition within my own industry and I was invited to become an Executive Director for The Federation of Image Consultants. In turn, this has also lead to further PR opportunities as one of their spokespeople.

Where are you now with your relationships with the press?
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I have really good relationships with the local press and they often come to my home to interview me and take photographs. I’m also used for quotes on a frequent basis. Embrace magazine used my face as their cover (a nice surprise!) and as a result, I was recognised in the street on more than one occasion. It’s strange when you’re having a coffee in a local cafe or at your local gym and your face is staring back at you from the magazine rack!

What do you enjoy least?
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Making that initial call. I’ve always had a real dislike of any kind of cold calling and believe the recipient will think I’m a nuisance or unnecessary distraction. I’ve got over this a little but I still chicken out on occasion and send a letter or an email instead.

You can check out Sue’s company at www.accentuate.me.uk.

THIS WEEK’S ECOURSE
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If like Sue you tend to put off cold calling journalists then this week’s featured ecourse will help you get over this and build strong relationships with members of the press. The cold calling ecourse features 5 days of course work followed by a telephone one to one session with me where we work on your pitch so that you feel calm and comfortable when talking to the press. For more details see here:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/the_cold_calling_crash_course.asp

By Paula Gardner, Founder of  www.doyourownpr.com

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Fashion Buying Article

January 27, 2007 at 3:10 pm · Filed under PR in Fashion

Buying   The principal of the buying function is to ensure that the products bought for sale by the retailer are appropriate for the target market and can sell in sufficient quantities to achieve the profit margin expected by the business. This is a very complex task, and is challenging to achieve in a competitive market. Most retailers update and replace their entire stock every six weeks.  Responsibilities of the buyer include;

  1. To develop and by a range of merchandise that achieves the profit margin and is consistent with the retailers buying strategy.
  2. To source and develop products from an effective supplier base
  3. To be responsible for the negotiation of product prices including delivery and payment terms
  4. To research and evaluate all relevant product and market trends
  5. To communicate effectively with suppliers, product teams and senior management within the company.
  6. To work within constraints of merchandise planning
  7. To effectively manage and develop the buying team Seasonal Trading 

Sub-season Period Approximate contribution %
Early spring Jan / Feb 7
Spring (events – Valentine’s Day) Feb / March 9
Early summer (holiday) April / May 12
Summer sale June 11
High summer July / August 8
Transitional autumn August 8
Autumn September / October 14
Party wear November 9
Christmas presents / transitional spring December 9
Winter sale   13
Total   100

The value of an effective PR consultancy 

Huge Promotions deals with many different brands, including existing fashion labels and new designers, si it is important that we are knowledgeable about the industry and the different areas that affect our
clients. It gives us a more positive outcome for press leads and sales for the client, as well as maintaining a strong business relationship with our customers. Although we deal with the selling of our client’s products, it is still important that we know when they will be in their buying seasons, so that we can inform the press when the new collections will be launched. 

Bethanie Lunn, MD of Huge Promotions  www.hugepromotions.co.uk

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Guest Speaking and Networking

January 27, 2007 at 3:06 pm · Filed under PR in Fashion, Public Relations

Guest Speaking and Networking. 
Bethanie Lunn, Managing Director of Huge Promotions Ltd aka ‘Huge PR’ speaks to Striding Out about her role in managing an innovative fashion and lifestyle PR Company and how to boost your company profile the way she does… 

I often get asked what PR is and what it involves and there are many answers to this complex question.  Mine?  PR is about thinking on your feet, selling ideas and making things happen.  PR is opinion management and creating positive publicity, creating a recognized name and image for brands, products, people and services.  PR is the difference between a brand being ‘known’ and ‘unknown’. My role as MD for Huge Promotions Ltd is a very varied one, involving an awful lot of multi tasking.  Being based between office and on location, my role involves a lot of traveling and no day is ever the same!   

My responsibilities include business development, managing clients and staff, creating and implementing memorable stunts, composing new angles to attract publicity for our clients and making all of this (and more) happen smoothly and consistently. I also teach part time and promote my company, attracting both business and new work experience candidates –and even future employees!  I teach at four different universities across the UK in the areas of fashion forecasting, marketing, fashion in society and ‘My Story’ where I share the successes and pitfalls of having set up my own business, offering transferable skills for any other budding entrepreneurs. 

Offering yourself for lecturing will promote your company as well as spread word of mouth – it is a great form of advertising.  The more people you meet, the more contacts you make – which is a must for an individual or brand that wants to be seen and heard.  I also advise that you go to as many networking events as possible – you never know who you will meet who will prove to be a useful contact.  The best networking is natural, and just requires some planning, the ability to hold a conversation, and the goodwill and manners to put others first. Seize the moment: Don’t leave a gathering without speaking to the person you need to talk to. Rather than making a pitch there and then, exchange business cards and suggest that you follow up with a call or email within the next few days, and importantly – keep to that promise! Most of all, for a raised company profile – the media can make or break you – so get them on side.  A PR Company will offer you specialist expertise in approaching and handling the media in order to maximise the exposure and coverage of your company.  Give me a call to find out how we can help you, or follow these bite size tips: 

  • The best PRs have all the information at their fingertips, and are ready to back-up-photos and more information. 
  • Research the market – read the paper you are targeting, watch the TV programme.   
  • Read the section of the newspaper you are trying to target a press release at – a clever PR will know what a particular editor will pick up. 
  •  PRs need to think of a good news angle, of something that will make a good picture.  Know what you are speaking about, and why it will be useful for them specifically! 
  • What’s Your Angle?  Why should a publication write about you?  Know this, and remember key details to make the relationship between PR and journalist more genuine and effective.

Bethanie Lunn, MD of Huge Promotions www.hugepromotions.co.uk,

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How to write a Press Release

January 27, 2007 at 2:53 pm · Filed under PR in Fashion, Press Releases

Press releases are a form of communicating a message, story, news or idea to the media.

Set out your press release with the date and the words ‘press release’ marked clearly at the top, it is important that you identify its purpose. 

Use an eye catching head line, possibly one that uses shocking statistics or poses a question to intrigue the reader into reading further. 

You have to remember, journalists get 100’s of press releases through each day and decide within five seconds whether they are going to use it or throw it away, so yours must stand out! 

Try to keep releases to one page to avoid scrolling down/ turning the page – simple is best. 

Throughout the release, ensure that you answer these questions in relation to your brand (the 5 w’s and the ‘h’): 

  • Who? (are you writing about)
  • What? (is the brand, what’s it all about, what are you selling?)
  • Where? (can people get hold of it/ hear more)
  • When? (is it available to purchase)
  • Why? (should anyone be interested?)
  • How? (can they get hold of it, contact you)

..You get the picture. 

Tips: 

Face to face meetings are always good. Take along your portfolio and some samples, give Editors a personal gift. You must, however – get the right contact name. Try not to bother the chief Editors too much, as they are very busy people!  Try their assistants instead. 

You should ask each journalists preferred method of contact for best results, and try to get the right name, as opposed to the actual Editor.  For example, if you wish to promote a clothing label, contact the Fashion Editor or Fashion Assistant.  If you wish to promote a catering company, contact the Food or Lifestyle Editor.  Where you are unsure, try the Features Editor. 

Tailor your release to each media type – try to mirror the language of each publication, the language of More! for instance is very different to that of Vogue! 

Keep in mind their lead-times, consumer press (glossy mags) work 4-6 months in advance so they’ll be writing about summer when it’s Xmas!  Nationals (newspapers) often work last minute, but it varies. 

Finally, good luck! 

Bethanie Lunn, MD of Huge PR www.hugepromotions.co.uk  

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