Home
>
Public Relations
>
The Medias Muscle: Make it Work for You

The Medias Muscle: Make it Work for You

The least expensive, most effective way for you to promote your product is through media coverage. Reporters are excellent communicators. They can often tell your story better than you can. They also have the attention of the public.

No promotional tool is more underused than product news coverage. I know because my company, Media Relations, Inc. has been arranging product news stories for 18 years. We are forced to be an aggressive sales organization because of the limited demand for what we sell.

But, the more we educate people about the power of publicity, the more companies see the light and understand its value. Product news coverage is sales-rich content that meets people where they live. It's inexpensive compared to other promotions, and your competition is most likely missing it. Imagine the impact on sales if reporters were telling the masses about your product in their stories.

Most PR firms follow the textbook business model. They are all over the board, offering any service that falls between a business and its "public". These include everything from investor relations and crisis management to community affairs and press conferences. My company's philosophy is different in two very distinct ways. First, we specialize in product news coverage, and second we sell coverage by the story, not by the hour. That means you always get media coverage for your money.

I call this "Pay-Per-Interview Publicity" and it is our biggest selling feature. Many clients have gotten burned by big retainers and little coverage. They love our accountability. Although there isn't much of a market demand for our service, once a company tries us, they often become a customer for life.

Reaching people at home in such a natural way can't remain below the radar forever. With people aggressively blocking sales messages with things like National Do Not Call lists and TiVo, marketers are going to have to abandon traditional promotional methods and find more meaningful ways to connect with people. Funny thing is, newspapers, TVs, and radios are literally right under their noses. They've been buying the ads but missing the real power: the stories.

Our clients don't send a few press releases and hope reporters call them. They harness and control media content by hiring us. We help them mobilize reporters to reach and teach people about their products and we're the best in the business.

P.S.

I'm always surprised to find that even after we explain to people what we do, some of them think we sell ads or infomercials. I want to make it clear that I'm talking about putting you in touch with reporters and producers who need content for their publication or program. There is no money that changes hands between the media and us. Over the years, we have developed connections with reporters and producers who are on the look out for story ideas. We simply try to persuade them to do a story about your product and charge you a fee if they do.

We've gotten pretty good at this. Our staff of 40 makes as many as 30,000 calls to the media each month, and they have booked tens of thousands of product news stories for our customers. We would love to have the opportunity to promote your product.

Lonny Kocina is founder and president of Media Relations, Inc. He has led the company to become the top performance-based public relations firm in the country by creating a unique pay-per-interview publicity structure.

Riverside Chicago charter limousine .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which flew on Mars in April 2021, became the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on a planet other than Earth.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Thieves who have iPhones can usually detect a hidden AirTag in vehicles they are attempting to steal, and an RFID wallet may not help you.

Genmoji, the latest addition to Apple's Apple Intelligence suite, uses artificial intelligence to generate customized emoji based on text descriptions.

It's easy to find yourself swamped in unread emails. Here are a few simple steps to archiving them and clearing out some of your digital clutter.

Keep your retirement plan safe from data brokers selling your personal information. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to protect yourself and your retirement.

Turo faces scrutiny after tragic incidents involving rented vehicles, raising questions about security measures and regulatory frameworks.

A Chinese company has developed a spherical, 276-pound law enforcement robot that has been chasing down criminals at impressive speeds.

Here are some powerful online sleuthing tricks you can use to check the credibility of a website, see old pictures of places you've lived and even learn more about your neighbors.

Beware scam calls: Avoid unknown numbers and protect your personal information. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the increasingly common scam.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you crush your New Year's goals with these 12 apps to help you stay on track and succeed.

There are many untapped safeguards and tips you can learn to take your Wi-Fi knowledge to the next level, technology expert Kim Komando shares her tricks.

VPNs ensure privacy; antivirus stops malware. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says both are essential for online security.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson cites a new report that says many people still use weak passwords like "123456," risking their accounts.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a tech support scam used a fake Windows Defender pop-up, tricking the victim to call and download software.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals ways to restore accidentally deleted text messages on your Android phone.

A new study says outdoor security camera apps are among the biggest collectors of user data, including phone numbers, payment details and precise location.

In iOS 18.2 and later, Apple's Mail app enhances email management by automatically sorting messages into distinct categories to help find emails faster.

A virtual private network (VPN) allows computer and smartphone users to mask an IP and create a secure, encrypted connection between a device and the internet.

Android 15's latest feature, Private Space, is like a private vault helping to keep your personal or sensitive apps away from prying eyes.

Cybercriminals have more ways than ever to target teenagers; here are some of the most widespread scams and tricks to watch in order to keep your loved ones safe.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A humanoid robot named CUE6 has got game. The basketball-playing robot, produced by Toyota, claimed a Guinness World Record for longest shot.

With electronic signatures becoming more common, Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to produce your digital John Hancock for online documents.

Kurt the CyberGuy walks through steps he recommends immediately taking after getting new electronics — like phones or TVs — as gifts this holiday season.

The Medias Muscle: Make it Work for You

Public Relations