How to Write Effective Press Releases
The last section of the press release is called the boilerplate. This is essentially where you describe the organization the press release is being written for. If people are intrigued by the main body of the press release the thought is that they will read the boilerplate and gain further interest in the organization.
As a whole, with press releases, the shorter the better. Media outlets do not have time to sift through a long release and pick out information that is relevant to them. Through these press release writing guidelines, your releases will be concise, to the point, and easy to read. Call Image Marketing Consultants today for help with your next public relations campaign!
Public Relations is like Baseball.. In so many ways.
Written By: Tim Dupuis
Being the sports fanatic I am, I’m constantly drawing comparisons between life and sports. So naturally, when I joined the team at Image Marketing Consultants based in Connecticut, and began working in the public relations industry, I looked to find a connection. And here I am, with a full month under my belt and I have finally come to the conclusion that PR is a little like the game of baseball. It sounds like a stretch but let me explain the three things that are necessary to be successful in both baseball and public relations.
Preparation.
In baseball….. Anyone who has ever played the game knows that you are only as good as your preparation. A player that doesn’t do the proper training before the season will not succeed during the season.
In public relations…..In the same way, a public relations campaign is only as good as the people who prepare it. A well planned campaign will create some great buzz, but a poorly planned one will often times fall flat and be ineffective. A little extra time spent on the prep work will ensure the campaign is delivered in the most effective way.
Creativity
In baseball…..You can have all the skill in the world but without a little creativity once in a while you become easy to predict, and in baseball when the opponent can predict your next move, you’re in trouble. That creativity can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing.
In public relations…..Of all the factors that decide whether a PR campaign is successful, creativity is one feature that if ignored, will produce poor results. You can launch the campaign perfect in every other way but if the message is delivered in a boring way, people will ignore it. The same goes for the opposite. If it’s creative and delivers the message in a new and exciting way, people will most definitely take notice.
Patience.
In baseball…..Unlike many sports, baseball is not one that is played at a frantic pace. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to succeed playing that way. In the same respect baseball employs the longest season of the four major sports, spanning 162 games, over the course of upward of seven months. To be successful is to be patient, and understand a team cannot be judged on single games but rather on performance over an extended period.
In public relations…..What any business needs to understand is that a PR campaign takes time; it’s not a one hit job. PR works best when maintained over a period of time. A single press release or social media update are great tools and will deliver the message. But the proper combination of these tools, sustained over a period of time, will make that message stick.
Call me today to discuss how Image Marketing Consultants can help you plan the best PR campaign of your life today at 203-404-4868!
Image Marketing Consultants Blog- Baseball is Like PR
Earthquake felt in Connecticut!
Today at 1:51pm, we felt our whole office building shake from an apparent 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit in Virginia, about 40 miles from the capital of Richmond. I’ve personally never felt an earthquake prior to this, and especially not here in Connecticut. A few of our clients have already called for help with their crisis communications because their buildings have been evacuated and they need to release a statement regarding their current situations. We’re helping write and release media advisories all afternoon….An earthquake in Connecticut? I wouldn’t have quote believed it myself if I hadn’t just felt the shaking!
Lex Grand Opening was a Huge Success!
This past Saturday, Image Marketing Consultants and Image Event Planning were hired to manage the grand opening / open house event for Lex Products based out of Shelton, Connecticut. We’ve been helping their marketing team plan this event for the past five months and we’re happy to report that everything turned out better than we could have even hoped for. The weather was gorgeous, the speakers all showed up, and all in all, the guests had a wonderful time. Festivities included remarks from Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Jim Himes, Commissioner Esty, CEO Bob Luther, President Mike Scala and live entertainment by the Benny Reid Band and Black Taxi.
We coordinated family fun activities including bounce houses, face painters, dunk tank, and the hit of the day, an old fashioned ice cream truck. Over 550 people attended including clients, vendors, and employees which made it a well-rounded day for all involved. The best part of course, was the delicious New England Clambake lunch provided by David’s Soundview Catering of Stamford.
Thanks to our friends at Shoreline AV for helping make this event a success!
Great Week!
You know when you just have a great week and you feel the need to share your enthusiasm with the world? Well that’s how I’m feeling right now as another work week comes to a close this lovely Friday evening. Let me share my top ten favorite moments of the week and maybe that will help explain my stellar mood! In no particular order….
1. Tim Dupuis started working with us on Monday. Not only was it great that he started as part of our team, heading up our business development efforts for the office, but it was even better that he came back every subsequent day after that! He’s a great guy and we’re lucky to have him.
2. Karolina created gorgeous new business cards for us. This might seem like a little thing to most people, but when you review about 20 revisions, it’s wonderful when the 21st just clicks! I love them and can’t wait to get more printed.
3. We met with numerous new prospects this week and sent out about 10 new proposals. Can’t wait to send out just as many new marketing contracts!
4. I found a new workout buddy for 6:30am walks. Love that!
5. One of our favorite clients asked for an extension on their contract. We’d be happy to, of course!
6. Mike started looking into new SEO programs where he can learn the ‘ways’ to get great organic search results. I’m so proud of him and am thrilled he’s staying with us for another semester.
7. We are being looked at to act as the in-house event planner for a beautiful historic museum only ten minutes from our office. Back to Saturday night event planning dates… sure why not!
8. Had a wonderful front page article written about us in our local Southington Citizen newspaper and received congratulations notes left and right. So glad to see that people still read the paper!
9. Interviewed a potential new member of the team who had a great blue dress on today.
10. My favorite moment of the week…. the fact that Amanda is my glitter glue and keeps everything together in the office with a certain sparkle that only she can possess. I really do have the best#dream team.
And that, fellow blog readers, is why this week was a fabulous one. And I didn’t even feel the need to throw in marketing keywords once in this… 🙂
Kate
Tim Dupuis joins the Image Marketing Consultants Team
I am excited to say I have joined the Image Marketing Consultants team effective this week! There is a lot of excitement around the office this time of year and I have taken an immediate liking to the atmosphere. I will be serving as a point of contact for all new marketing, public relations and event planning business opportunities, and am looking forward to getting out there and meeting new clients.
Prior to joining IMC, I worked as a public relations intern with the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League. Here I was able to gain valuable experience in business development and client relations while also having my hand in various forms of public relations, such as media pitching, press release creation, as well as event promotion and operations.
Outside of the realm of marketing and public relations, I spent a year playing professional baseball in the Washington Nationals Organization for the Viera Nationals of the Gulf Coast League.
My first week has been exciting and I look forward to everything the future holds here at IMC. I can be reached by email at Tim@imagemarketingconsultants.com or directly by phone at 860-604-3616.
Client Spotlight: Dressed to the Nines
Dressed to the Nines provides the professional gentleman with an opportunity to design, personalize, and customize a high-end wardrobe by working with the most exquisite fabrics, leather goods, and accessories. Every detail is tailored to the needs of the customer including hard-to-fit sizing and detailed customization.
One of the specialty areas of Dressed to the Nines is custom dress shirts. These shirts are tailored to emphasize a clean and professional look. Shirts off the rack often fail to provide an adequate fit. Custom shirts are designed specifically for the individual to create a more professional and high-end impression.
Dressed to the Nines specializes in custom suits as well which include business suits, casual sport coats, and trousers. All aspects of their suits are completely customizable to fit your needs.
Accessories such as neckwear, cufflinks, and leather goods are also available. Neckties are the most important aspect of a man’s wardrobe; however, they are often overlooked. With crisp colors and creative patterns all of our neckties are completely customizable to individual needs and act as the focal point of any ensemble.
The cufflinks at Dressed to the Nines provide gentlemen with jewelry to accent their look. With both formal and dressy options we provide our clients with a variety of options to match their personality.
Follow Dressed to the Nines on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dressed-to-the-Nines/197001080339358
Congratulations to Kate on Winning 40 under 40!
Congratulations to our owner and leader, Ms. Kate Terricciano Sirignano, on being selected as one of Hartford Business Journal’s Class of 2011, 40 under 40 winners! We know she’s worked long and hard to get where she is at a young age, and we’re so proud that she’s being recognized for all her hard work.
Read her full article here below (courtesy of Hartford Business Journal):
Kate Terricciano Sirignano
AGE: 27
TITLE: Managing director
COMPANY NAME: Image Marketing Consultants
COMPANY’S LOCATION: Southington
RESIDENCE: Southington
Winner of 2011 40 under 40
What do you do: Our business has really grown over the past few years so I’ve quickly had to learn how to manage both my professional and personal time more effectively. Image Marketing Consultants has morphed from a boutique event planning company back in 2007 into a full-service marketing, public relations, and event agency now and that’s brought lots of new challenges, projects, and friends along the way.
What do you want to be doing in 10 years: I’d love to be speaking throughout the country on how professionals can take their image to the next level. I love helping other young people market themselves and it would be great to be able to continue doing that for the next 10 years.
What’s your biggest strength: My biggest strength is being able to relate to people in new and unexpected ways. I love meeting new people and finding the similarities that connect us. I also love public speaking and aspire to someday make it a full-time career.
Where do you go for new ideas: Lately I’ve been going to my interns for new ideas. I’m in no ways “old,” but compared to them, sometimes I feel ancient. They always know the latest and greatest news in the social media and marketing world and keep me up to date on the latest trends.
What’s the best advice you received: From as far back as I can remember, my mom has always told me that no matter what happens to me in life, I just have to pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep moving. That one piece of advice has lent itself useful in almost every aspect of my life, both personally and professionally, and I’ll always be thankful to her for instilling it in me at a young age.
What service or charitable cause has your attention: I sit on the board for both the Rotary Club of Southington and the Southington United Way so those are two that definitely keep my interest. I also had a very personal experience seeing an orphanage in Guatemala from where my brother was adopted, and that really has left a lingering impression as well.
What is Public Relations?
Here at Image Marketing Consultants, we get asked the question “What is Public Relations” all the time, and we thought it was about time to post a blog about it!
The public relations (PR) field is aimed at producing a positive image of an organization or individual in the eyes of the public. The two major techniques that we use most often are story pitching and developing our media relationships. We try to create PR campaigns that include both hard copy and online articles and that are supplemented by a complete marketing plan as well.
For example, many of our clients participate in charity events. We typically help organize the special event from a logistical perspective, but then pitch media as well to get the word out about our client participation in the event. Therefore, the public will know our client is taking an interest in their community which fosters goodwill and positive public image.
Public relations professionals can also use the media to promote consumer/producer relations. For example, if a new restaurant is coming to town a PR firm can use a local newspaper or blog contacts to publish a press release about the new business, and how it will benefit the area. For example, we have great relationships with our media colleagues locally in Connecticut at the Hartford Courant, Hartford Business Journal, Connecticut Magazine, New Haven Register, and many more. A little relationship building goes a long way!
Social media is an emerging aspect of public relations as well. Social media gives organizations the ability to communicate on a personal level with clients. With proper social media management, an organization can significantly heighten their positive image and interact with their customers on a personal basis. Social media is also great for increasing search engine optimization, as well as increasing natural search engine traffic to a company’s website.
Overall, PR professionals are concerned with the brand of an organization. An organization’s brand is essentially the public opinion of that organization. Through the use of PR professionals an organization can promote their positive image and brand which has an additional positive impact on that organization’s bottom line. If you think you can use Image Marketing Consultant’s services to help with your organization’s public relations, event planing, or marketing needs, feel free to give us a call at 203-404-4868.
Connecticut Public Relations
Golf Tournament a Success!
Southington Rotary Golf Tournament a Success.
This past week, Image Marketing Consultants was proud to chair the 9th Annual William S. Thomson Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the Southington Rotary Club for the first year, held July 13th at Southington Country Club. We had a record-breaking attendance with almost 150 golfers and 80 hole sponsors, an almost 30% lift from last year’s event. Our entire staff was out there, along with a few select family members as well, which only made the day that much more fun and go by that much faster.
As professional event planners in this area of Connecticut, we’re used to seeing lots of golf events throughout the warm weather season, but we were especially proud to be a part of this specific one, where we know that each and every dollar gets donated back to the local Southington community where we work.
We wouldn’t be doing our due diligence as event planners if we didn’t include a few highlighted holes, but our personal favorite was a tie between the Jimmy Buffett margarita hole, sponsored by Anthony Jacks, and the Italian cannoli hole, sponsored by Napoli Deli. Both, in our opinion, were superb additions to the festivities throughout the day. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Kate Sirignano’s husband, Erick, won the $1,000 shootout on the 9th hole, sponsored by Southington Care Center!
All in all, it was a great day for all those involved and we’re already looking forward to making our 10th Annual in 2012 even more of a success! Only 363 days to go….
