So, you've got everyone on board with your new gardening brand. You know how to describe your brand in three simple words; and, you've answered the 4 W's.
Now, you've have to work on making the world love your gardening brand.
To do this, you've got to get your brand in front of local and national media.
The best way to ensure you get placements on t.v., magazines, and newspapers is to humanize your garden brand.
Topics: garden marketing, audience, branding, advertising vs public relations, Digital Branding, garden business, case study
In the late nineteen twenties the two largest manufacturers of breakfast cereal, Kellogg's and Post, were vying for the hearts and wallets of the American people. But with the Great Depression looming in the distance, and spending on the top of everyone's minds, only one company could come out on top. Can you guess who?
Topics: garden marketing, branding, advertising vs public relations, case study, advertising
Social media has been a big play for over five years. Whether you’re a public relations professional or a member of the garden industry, you know you have to be on social media.
It’s the absolute perfect blend of advertising and public relations. Plus, it’s FREE. Social media outlets of all kinds let you connect with your key demographic on a daily basis. Here, you get to interact with your clientele in a cool, friendly, funny manner.
Managing social media is without a doubt one of my favorite aspects of the job. But, realistically, it’s also one of the hardest. It seems like there’s always another social media site popping up, and to stay trendy, you and your garden business have just got to be on it.
How in the world can one business, especially a new, small, blooming business, manage all of these sites?
First, load up on social media tools. Next, take the advice of the pros at Garden Media Group to make sure the social media element in your public relations media plan is realistic and effective.
Balancing social media is an act you’ve got to learn to master quickly—before you burn out.
Topics: advertising vs public relations, lawn & garden public relations, Digital Branding, internet media, public relations media plan, social media
Our latest guide for mastering public relations strategies is out!
Growing Your Business with Public Relations explains the differences between advertising and PR, offers tips on creating public relations media plans and how to write a mission statement. It also includes a guide on writing a modern day press release.
Public relations is a powerful tool more businesses should be using to grow their bottom line. With public relations, you can fast track a product, build a credible reputation and drive demand. Our new eBook covers PR 101: how to get started.
We broke down the things we do on a daily basis and chose what were the most important to include in the eBook. Our insider tips will help businesses understand how to incorporate PR into daily marketing operations.
Topics: Public relations, advertising vs public relations, public relations media plan, garden industry public relations
The morning after: your hopes crushed or validated, your stomach full, your jersey messy as anything, your hands still have a bit of dirt on them, and your head's buzzing with PR lessons learned.
It’s none other than the Monday after the Super Bowl and Super Sow Sunday.
Being lovers of yummy food and beautiful flowers, we had to take part in both. Yup, I sowed my seeds this year with the brawling noises of the Super Bowl in the background. Which seeds, exactly? Sustainable Seeds, of course!
With our seeds planted, let’s reflect on the Super Bowl and the hysteria that surrounds it every year.
The Super Bowl is PR GOLD. It’s the most watched sporting event of the year, it has its own culture, and each year, the paper is chock full of Super Bowl articles for weeks.
Recapping the best Super Bowl PR lessons of 2013 below.
Topics: Public relations, PR Strategy, advertising vs public relations, marketing
In the business of marketing, there are countless theories as to how best to promote and brand a business, product, or services. Some say advertising. We of course say, “PR’s the best!” Others say SEO, search engine optimization.
Topics: garden marketing, advertising vs public relations, lawn & garden public relations, garden business, SEO, advertising
You've perhaps seen this
Topics: advertising vs public relations, lawn & garden public relations, gardening
The client doesn’t understand the publicity process. PR folks need to better educate people about how publicity works. The first thing many clients ask is, “Can you get me on Oprah or the front page of the Wall Street Journal?” The answer might be “yes,” but the process to get to the “yes” may take months or years, and may first include a series of smaller placements.
The scope of work is not detailed and agreed upon by both parties. Here’s a typical example: a client signs an agreement to spend $3,000 per month. Client expects to get three publicity placements per month. PR person expects to work 20 hours, regardless of the outcome. The inevitable disconnect leads to customer frustration and the feeling of being “burned.”
The client has not been properly trained on how to communicate with the media. Proper training for interviews is crucial; otherwise, key messages can be misconstrued, and even negative stories can result. Clients seldom blame themselves when this happens.
The client and the PR person or firm are not a good match. Example: Client hears about a local PR person, meets and likes the PR person, and figures it’s a good match. Or the client chooses the lowest price PR option. And the PR person, instead of referring the client to another practitioner who is a better fit, decides to take on the client—and the money.
The client has not gotten results quickly enough and ends the relationship too soon. Client should plan on conducting a campaign for a minimum of six months. And even that is aggressive. A year should really be the bare minimum to commit to PR The media works on its own timetable, which is usually much longer than the client’s.
PR people don’t explain the kind of publicity placements a client will most likely receive. Every client wants a big profile of the company on the cover of a major magazine or newspaper, but most stories are about a “trend,” several companies, or some recent news with quotes from experts. Profiles are few and far between. Yet, instead of explaining this, PR people often tell potential clients what they want to hear, in order to get the business.
Clients don’t realize that what happens after you get the publicity coverage is sometimes more important than the actual placement. My smartest client didn’t care if he got a quote or a profile—he just wanted to be included in major media. When it was time to get an agent and publisher for his book, he handed them a list of all his media placements, and this clinched the deal. The agent and publisher figured that if all of the major media was willing to include him as a source, then he must have something important to say.
Clients refuse to be flexible on their story angles. One of my clients once said to me, “We only want profiles.” When the media wasn’t interested, they refused to consider other story angles that the media was interested in. Now I make sure clients are willing to have us pitch three to four angles.
Clients get upset when the media coverage is not 100% accurate or not the kind of coverage that they wanted. One of my former clients said, “That TV segment on me was only a minute long.” When I explained that length of time was impressive in TV Land, she refused to understand.
Clients won’t change their schedules for the media. Clients need to drop everything if the media calls. This may be inconvenient, but the media waits for no one. If you want to be a “media darling,” then you need to make yourself available at any time. Those who do will reap the best benefits and placements.
Topics: Public relations, branding, advertising vs public relations
If there is one question we get asked at the Garden Media Group all the time it is: What is the difference between advertising and public relations?
Topics: advertising vs public relations, Garden Media Group, garden industry public relations
