Not only will the major film conglomerate behind the movie cash in, but other industries like the food and travel industries will also reap the benefits.

Within the last two weeks I’ve noticed a plethora of promotions surrounding the movie – especially involving companies who service the film’s target demographic of females 30-50 years old. For example, the Home Shopping Network (HSN) teamed up to launch a program devoting 72 hours of air time to Eat, Pray, Love. Throughout the allotted time frame the network will not only promote the film but also incorporate more than 400 of their products across multiple categories that are somehow related to the movie. Brilliant right? Everyone’s a winner—the studio, HSN, and even the home shopper.

Today, I saw another promotion tied to Eat, Pray, Love—this time online.  The contest, living on Self.com, plugs the film and ties it back to a chance to win a free trip to Italy to “reconnect with the pleasure of food” just as Julia Roberts does in the movie. I thought the contest was cleverly done. Not only does the studio reach their target audience online at self.com, but they also encourage one lucky winner to travel to Italy and spend more money while they’re there.  Well done marketing team, well done.

All in all, I’m a huge fan of Eat, Pray, Love. Not necessarily of the book or movie (although I do love Julia Roberts), but more of the fabulous marketing and publicity surrounding it. I appreciate the efforts to submerge our pop culture with the idea to live your life to the fullest –and spend more money while you’re at it. Hey, when it comes down to it, our economy could use a little nudge. Just my two cents. 

Technology has revolutionized the public relations industry. Almost all our communication these days is done via email, phone or social media. While all these technology advances may have made our jobs faster and easier, they have made our communications with media more impersonal.

We have spoken before about the importance of face-to-face meetings with the media. Also important, but getting lost in the hustle and bustle of our job, is the art of the handwritten thank you note. Whenever I work with a journalist on a story, I always make sure to send them a handwritten thank you note afterward. It makes a much bigger impact than an email/text/tweet. It is thoughtful and stands out from the thousands of emails and clutter on our computers, and is just one more way to build stronger relationships with the media. I keep a stack of beautiful stationery on my desk so I have them handy for whenever I want to send a gracious thank you.

Handwritten notes may be old-fashioned, but a thoughtful, personalized thank you will never go out of style.

As one of San Diego’s top public relations firms we are lucky to book a lot of TV for clients. Whether it’s bridal segments for Tiffany & Co., Busker Festival segments for Seaport Village, or live coverage from every station in town for Opening Day of the Del Mar Racetrack, the topics vary but the preparation is the same.

Live TV segments shot on location take extra preparation since they vary greatly from live in-studio segments. The biggest difference is control. When taking the segment to the streets, you can only control so much as there are numerous factors that come into play. Here are just a few to consider in advance and have a plan for:

Live Signal - This is an issue I’ve seen sneak up on many people. If it’s your first time having live TV at your venue or for your client make sure the station can get a signal. This may seem like a no-brainer, but there are often pockets where the trucks can’t bounce their signal to one of the mountains or satellites. Ask the station if they have shot live from your location before, or better yet, see if they will do a test run prior to the segment to ensure success.

Weather – While San Diego averages a lovely 72 degrees throughout the year, there are times when Mother Nature doesn’t quite participate. If you’re doing an outdoor segment have a back-up plan for rain. Consider an indoor venue you can move to if necessary, a tented area, or bring umbrellas.

Wind – This could fall under weather, but I list separately because wind can occur throughout the year. If your location is prone to wind take into consideration and try to do the segment in an area that is blocked as much as possible. Nothing ruins a segment quite like wind whipping through the microphone.

Onlookers or Crashers- There’s no way to be prepared for everything, especially when it comes to people on a mission.  Years ago I had the great pleasure of a homeless man in his underwear walk through a live segment with a former real estate developer client downtown. We managed to work through it and all got a chuckle. Truth be told, none of us were shocked by the incident, we were in an urban parking at 6 a.m., after all.  We knew what to expect in our surroundings, which is the key takeaway. Try to prepare yourself and client for the environment in which the interview will take place. Sometimes the best advice is to be prepared to just go with the flow.

Speaking of Flow – Be sure to do your homework prior to the live segment (if possible) to ensure a smooth flow and transition if there are multiple hit times. Make sure all parties are clear on when and where they should be and what is expected from them. We find down to the minute timelines work best. If the timing will be cut close (say one spokesperson jumping from station to station) warn the reporter so they don’t get nervous, and have a back-up spokesperson if possible.

These are just a handful of tips for live TV shot on location. Have any points you’d like to share? Or perhaps your own PR war story in regards to live TV?

In my last blog post, I wrote about how to prepare for a TV interview to make sure you could tackle the hardest questions and squeeze in the most important details.  Now that you’re prepared, I’m following up with some TV interview tips to make sure that your body language, position and your mindset don’t trump your thorough preparation.

TV Interview Tips for Success:

• What appears to be a comfortable living room on TV is a distracting set in real life.  Arrive early to take in the scene and familiarize yourself with the distractions such as lighting, cameras and a busy crew.

• Have a cup of water or tea to soothe your throat before the interview.  Avoid carbonation or dairy.

• Expect last minute changes and be prepared to handle them on the spot.  Live TV almost never goes as planned.

• Always look at the reporter, not the camera.  Shifty eyes can make you look suspicious.  Envision that you are having a conversation just with that reporter.

• Turn your cell phone off or leave it with your PR “handler.”  What an embarrassing distraction that would be.

• If you MUST have a note card as a security blanket, don’t hold it.  Tuck it under your leg or next to you in the seat.  If it’s in your hand you will inevitably you’ll find yourself waving it around when you talk.

• If seated, position yourself about three-quarters of the way back and lean forward.  Don’t sit back and slouch, it looks uncomfortable and let’s face it, tacky.

• Have your hands free for gesturing and your feet on the ground or ankles crossed. This is most comfortable, flattering and the least distracting.

• Avoid crossing your arms.

• Use your head, your eyes and your facial expressions to make your words come alive.  So much of communication comes from our body language.

• Enjoy!  Remember that the reporters are humans too and it is their job to make TV interviews run smoothly.  If you stumble, freeze or falter, a good reporter will take care of you.

Lastly, if all these interview tips have your head spinning, remember that being under those hot lights doesn’t come naturally to everyone.  For that reason, it’s very common to put a spokesperson through media training.  Your PR guru should be able to coordinate an in-depth training session with practice interviews and the works to get you feeling comfortable in front of the camera.

Here’s a quick video i took last week in preparation for the Seaport Village Spring Busker Festival last weekend.  I enjoy the 10 second warning followed by a frantic moment from the buskers!  Our lovely client, Megan Capizzi, does a great job in this one!

So your trusty PR pro just set you up with a great opportunity to share your message with the public in a TV interview. While you know your company better than anyone else, it is important to note that a TV interview is much different from your day-to-day conversations and has its own set of rules and etiquette.

At Bailey Gardiner we work closely with our client Tiffany & Co.’s New York based corporate PR team.  They recently passed us a document reminding us of best practices for interviews and I found many of their points to be worth sharing.  Below I have compiled many of theirs, along with a few of my own, to help you work with your PR pro to make sure you have all your bases covered in preparation for a TV interview.

Proper Preparation for a TV Interview:
• Identify why the reporter wants this interview, not why you want it. This will help you determine what type of questions will be asked.

• Prep for the time you’ve been given and build your points around that, don’t try to squeeze too many points into too short a time frame.

• Learn about the reporter.  Will he or she ask you hard questions, are they high energy and likely to throw you off guard or will they be having a polite conversation?

• Learn about the station or show.  Do they take a political stance that may affect your interview?  Who is their audience? Cater your messages to that audience to maximize the outcome of your interview.

• Take advantage of the pre-interview. This may come in the form of a call the day before or a quick chat 20 seconds before you go on air.  If you communicate your message either in that interview or first thing in your interview, you are likely to steer the conversation in that direction.

• Always put your preparation before the media’s needs. If you feel ill-prepared to make a statement, buy yourself as much time as possible until you can do it right.  Contact your PR pro and be sure that you aren’t leaving the media with a “no comment” unless you absolutely, positively must.

• Less is more.  Simplify your message and be clear and direct.  Know the core points you want to get across and stick strictly to those.

• Support your points with facts, numbers or personal experiences that show the reporter and viewer that you were needed for this interview.  Be cautious not to overwhelm with facts and keep in mind that often while people are watching morning news, they’re only half watching while they get ready for their day.  Too many facts and figures will go right over their heads.

• “Off the record” doesn’t exist.  Whenever in the presence of media, speak carefully. This starts from the moment you reach the studio to your pre-interview and after (cameras may still be rolling).  The media aren’t bad guys but their job is to get all the info they can.

• Use your company name whenever possible. Avoid using “we” and “they” when you can replace it with your company name.  Some interviews are taped and if they are edited, your company name may get cut if not stated enough.

• Anticipate hard questions.  Practice not only your responses but your bridges to the points you want to be making.

If you work for a public relations firm, why wouldn’t you do your own PR and practice what you preach?

A while back, Jennifer from our advertising team blogged about Bailey Gardiner’s ad in USA Today. But like she mentioned in her post, advertising is only part of the strategy in branding yourself and working with the types of clients you want to represent. Creating an integrated strategy by adding public relations and social media to the mix is like the one-two punch. Ready? And go.

Here are just a few ways to PR your agency’s work:

Share Agency News

You’re proud of the work you do, right? Announce new hires and share your agency wins with PR trades like PRWeek and Bulldog Reporter as well as local business publications and online. PitchEngine is great service that makes it easy to create a social media news release and your own social media newsroom.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

Whether it’s creating mobile video or doing industry-specific public relations,  showcase your agency’s brilliant thinking on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, or make it easy for people to find you with a Twitter handle or Twitter hashtag.

Position Key Staff as Experts

Another way you can use PR to promote your agency. Pitch senior staff as experts available for interview and for speaking opportunities.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

When I read this hilarious post from The Oatmeal, I remembered back to when I decided to major in Communications/Public Relations at San Diego State University. I was informed that I had to pass the GSP (grammar, spelling, punctuation) test (I know I’m dating myself). Each student was only allowed three times to take it and if you didn’t pass, you had to take a semester-long course. It totally freaked me out only because I heard a lot of horror stories from other students.

My head was buried in my AP Stylebook for weeks and I ended up failing. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t really understand how knowing all of this information was going to be useful to me in my career. That’s what spell check was for, people. And, come on. I was a sophomore in college, pledging a sorority (insert joke here) and just wanted to graduate and get a job. This little GSP test wasn’t going to hold me back. I had things to do.

Well, after nearly 10 years of working in this profession, I’d like to go back and tell my college self just how important it is to know the difference between “their”, “they’re” and “there” and “loose” and “lose.” Now, I did end up passing the test the second go at it, but it wasn’t without some help from a study course. And, it is my mission in life to make sure that every intern I come into contact with, any aspiring public relations professional I speak to, or anyone that reads this post, knows that having an AP Stylebook handy at your desk (even it is from 1998) is the most important book you’ll own.

Why is it so important you ask? Well, pressing send on an email to a client or media contact with “How’s the whether in NYC today?”, or “Hope to see you their” in the copy probably isn’t going to score any points, or land my client the feature story in the Wall Street Journal. Even posting a status on your personal Facebook page as, “I definately can’t wait for the weekend.” is almost guaranteed a public call-out from my sarcastic and slightly critical friends.

I’ve listed a few below you should absolutely have memorized. The rest you can use a dictionary and that trusty little thing I like to call my “save me from public humiliation book.”

1. Affect vs. Effect: As written on The Oatmeal- “Most of the time effect is a noun and affect is a verb. If you’re unsure, try substituting a different verb and see if it works.”
2. Don’t start a sentence with a numeral. Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence, or re-write the sentence so the number appears later. The only time you can use an actual numeral to begin a sentence is when it’s a year.
3. They’re, their and there: Honestly, this is the most commonly misused word I see. They’re is a contraction for “they are.” Their is possessive. There refers to a place.
4. “I before E except after C”: Receive- not recieve, Friend- not freind, Thief- not theif.
5. Finally, if you’re going to get one thing right, it’s “loose” not “lose.” You don’t loose your keys, or your shoelaces aren’t lose.

We have all had a client that wants to be on Oprah or wants a full-page feature in the Wall Street Journal, whether they are a fit or not. And wants it tomorrow. PR pros often encounter a client with unrealistic expectations, and it is the public relations firm’s responsibility to properly manage a client’s expectations. When starting a new public relations campaign or a new relationship with a client, an agency should remember:

Don’t over-promise.

When you are pitching new business or planning a new campaign, don’t promise the moon if you cannot deliver. Be realistic about what outcomes and successes can be expected for your public relations campaign and it won’t come back and bite you in the butt later when you cannot achieve what you said you could.

Explain the public relations process to your client.

Not all clients understand how public relations works, what is a normal time frame for getting press, and what is a reasonable outcome. Share the process with your client. Explain the details of your strategy, objectives and tactics. It could also be beneficial to share case studies with your client to help frame reasonable expectations for a public relations campaign.

Set and agree upon your scope of work, goals and benchmarks in advance.

Establish in advance how your success will be measured. Write down how you will be evaluated, discuss with your client and get approval. Make sure your client knows what falls under your scope of work and what they are responsible for doing. This should all be agreed upon before work begins.  Once work does begin, always provide your client with detailed reports on your progress and report your benchmarks clearly.

Communicate with your client, and communicate with them often.

This is most important, as the key to a great client relationship is communication. Having consistent communication ensures everyone is on the same page and your client is not in the dark about what you are doing, when they can expect results, and what those results might be.

Any other tips for managing client expectations?

Whether your public relations campaign lasts three months or 5 years, it’s important to develop an accurate and timely calendar to keep your campaign on track. From magazines to local events, each outlet and opportunity operates on a different timeline, some of which are easily spelled out and others which are more of a guessing game. Either way, miss their deadline and you’re toast.

Here are 5 tips for developing a PR calendar that works.

• Think Long Leads: Long lead publications operate anywhere between 4-6 months in advance, which makes it easy to lose track of what kinds of stories they’re looking for (when we’re thinking about hitting the beach, they’re thinking about holiday gift guides). Depending on the goals of your campaign, it can be nightmarish to miss these opportunities because you didn’t act in time.  By adding long lead pitch ideas and reminders to your calendar you’ll keep yourself thinking 4-6 months ahead all year long. Now, what are we all doing for the 4th (of July)?

• Editorial Calendars: Want to be included in a “Top 10″ list that runs annually or a “Best of” section. More often than not, long and short lead publication have an editorial calendar that outlines the months these will occur during the following year. Even if you don’t have something specific in mind, Ed Cals will tell you exactly what publications are planning to cover and when. These can often be a gold mine of information and should always be top priority when developing a PR calendar.

• Include Short Leads: While short lead publications don’t require much advance notice, they typically plan special sections and some feature stories further in advance. For topics like back to school, summer travel stories, and holiday gift guides it’s best to allow more time than less; especially now that papers have smaller staffs to cover the same number of stories.

• Events: If your client is interested in having a booth at, attending, or sponsoring an event, there’s a deadline for that. When kicking off a PR campaign see if your client is interested in national events, local events, sporting events, charitable events, etc. and then bring them opportunities that will help them grow their brand and image. Just make sure you bring them that opportunity in time. Even if the deadline hasn’t passed, booths and space fill up.

• Awards: There are awards for everything. Trust me. Submitting your client for appropriate industry and media awards can be an important part of a PR campaign. (Plus, everyone likes winning). When developing a PR calendar, look at major industry awards and awards in appropriate publications and make sure you note the deadlines and submission information.

Media relations and writing successful pitches are two skills that get better with practice, much like how wine and cheese get better with age – two of my other favorite things, in addition to public relations. My first successful pitches were written during my days as a PR intern at Bailey Gardiner, and I’ve since learned a few tips on writing pitches that work and deliver results, like one to LA Times’ Brand X for Electra Bicycle Company.

Electra bikes featured in LA Times' Brand X

• Consider starting with a question and keep the intro brief. I started this pitch by asking, “Are you familiar with Electra Bicycle Company?” Then, I summarized what the company is known for in one sentence. Reporters are people. Have a conversation.
• If what you’re pitching isn’t new, make it sound new. It’s all in the delivery and how you phrase your sentences.  Are you pitching a story angle the publication has not yet covered? Can you offer the reporter an idea of what’s to come next from your client and when?
• Pick one angle and stick to the point. Electra has four bike lines and more than 200 different styles of bikes. Where to start? I picked three bikes and explained in three bullet points why readers would want these specific bikes.
• Be specific in your ask. Instead of closing with something general like, “Please feel free to contact me with questions or more information,” try closing your pitch with something more specific. Offer photos or an interview.

Now, it’s about landing the PR hit by following up and calling the reporter. What other tips do you have for writing successful public relations pitches?