Many of us work in industries where we interact with customers/the public on a regular basis. Though the kinds of jobs that fit under this description are very varied indeed, they are all the same in one important respect:

Ultimately, they are service jobs.

Now, if you have a pulse (and have had one consistently for at least a couple of decades) I probably don’t have to work very hard to convince you that there are many people in service positions that haven’t got the foggiest idea what good service is (or at least don’t seem to think it’s terribly important).

And I think that is very sad indeed.

I understand that some people (especially the young) may be in jobs that they dislike. But that’s no excuse to shortchange the customer on good, polite service.

It should be realized and remembered that:

1) Your actions or inactions in this position reflect directly on your employer. They gave you a job. They are paying you. And for this reason, for as long as you are working for them, they deserve to be represented well.

2) Your actions reflect directly on you, and determine who you are and how you develop. Don’t shortchange yourself. Be the best you can be. Respect yourself.

3) The people you are dealing with are…people. And that’s the only qualification they need to earn your respect and courtesy.

If you are in a job that truly makes you unhappy, you NEED to find a way to get out of it as soon as you can. But as long as you are there, and when you leave, serve others and yourself well.

Good luck in everything you do.

Cindy Jones is an Independent Insurance Adjuster. She publishes materials for people who want to get into Adjusting. You can find out more about her here

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To some entrepreneurs and business owners, the answer to this question might be, “it doesn’t matter – publicity is publicity and I’ll take all I can get.” True to a degree, but the smart entrepreneur knows that there is a strong difference between product and business publicity and their respective effects on your bottom line.

Sure, the bottom line is to create consumer/industry awareness of the product or business and increase sales. But how you go about increasing that awareness, that brand recognition, can mean the difference between publicity and obscurity. Determining which type of publicity campaign you need is really all about timing.

What I recommend to my clients is what I call “Diversified Publicity”. Just as stockbrokers tell their clients to diversify their portfolios, the same holds true for publicity. A diversified publicity portfolio is a vibrant and active portfolio. What I mean by Diversified Publicity is creating different publicity angles based on your business’ life cycle and timing those pitches to the media for optimum exposure.

In a typical business plan, I would recommend PR campaigns/pitches in the following order:

1) Product Publicity – described below in A
2) Business Publicity – described below in B
3) Advertising – described below in C

(I strongly suggest exhausting all “free” publicity angles before jumping into a more expensive ad campaign.)

* This cycle can be repeated over and over based on product improvements, additional product launches, business development and expansion, etc..

A) Diversified Publicity typically begins with a nationwide “new product publicity” campaign designed to create multiple media placements and subsequent consumer/industry interest. Many media outlets are seeking the latest in new products and will give you solid product profiles/reviews in their publications or on their shows.

B) A few months after the product campaign, we would launch a “business publicity” campaign or what I would consider a “corporate campaign”. This is a people-behind-the-product campaign, which of course indirectly plays up the product again, further generating sales.

In this instance, I like to highlight new developments that have occurred since the product was first launched – product acceptance, sales milestones, the product’s impact on the industry or an individual customer, strategic alliances with other businesses, etc. This is also a great opportunity to play up newsworthy stories that may have occurred during the development of the product or business.

C) Now that the new product and business/corporate campaigns have generated some brand recognition and increased sales, your budget may allow for advertising. The publicity campaigns you just launched have gone a long way in helping your customers/industry to understand the product/business. Now you won’t have to waste valuable advertising space describing who/what you are.

It should be noted that many times, especially in startup businesses, new product publicity IS business publicity – the business for all intensive purposes IS the product. You’ve all read the stories in the media describing an innovative new product. Even though the product is the main focus of the story, invariably the company behind the product is mentioned as well.

If a well-known company, say Panasonic, Schwinn, or Kellogg’s launches the product, the reporter won’t go into a whole lot of detail about the company – at least in this story. But if the company or business is new, the reporter or producer will most likely include more information to introduce the company behind this innovative new product. However, a brief mention about the company in any new product stories does not qualify as a corporate campaign. You should still follow up a few months down the road with a quality corporate campaign that will detail the success of the recent product launch.

Many businesses that have launched product campaigns over the past few months or even years have never followed up with the corporate campaigns. They only rolled one of their publicity bowling balls and there are still pins standing in this frame. Perhaps the business simply tried to ride out the product publicity as long as the media would allow and now are just hoping for continued sales. As good as the product may be, it must be understood that product publicity has a shelf life – meaning you can only take advantage of new product publicity angles for a limited amount of time.

Once that shelf life is over, it is time for the next step in you Diversified Publicity campaign. As a former TV reporter and producer, I can tell you from a media standpoint – I always wanted fresh meat, different stories and new angles. Whether a reporter/editor/producer used your new product pitch or passed on it, hit them again with how the product is now impacting the industry – a newsworthy angle that has developed since the product was launched a few months back. Ideally, you’ll get coverage from both pitches.

The media targets for these campaigns differ greatly as well. The new product campaign is going to have a strong consumer and general interest editorial base. The corporate campaign will have a much stronger business/industry slant and will therefore be focused toward completely different editors or producers. Researching the expansive media markets and outlets to find the most applicable media targets is the key to your publicity success.

Whether you are at the new product publicity stage or the business publicity stage, use these tips of diversified publicity to take advantage of the ever-increasing media market – keeping you, your product and your business in the equally diversified public eye.

Todd Brabender is the President of Spread The News Public Relations, Inc.

His business specializes in generating media exposure and publicity for innovative products, businesses, experts and inventions.

Visit this Site

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Tags: public relations, publicity, industry, product, business

It’s a well established marketing maxim that what’s read in a newspaper or heard on the radio carries greater weight than copy in an advert, simply because it has the endorsement of being published or broadcast on merit.

And with the explosion in content-hungry print, broadcast and online media, the opportunities for any business to grab its share of the spotlight have never been better.

You can reach all manner of media sites and news channels economically through online distribution channels. If your market is local or specific to a trade or industry, a brief ‘get to know you’ chat with your local paper’s business editor, or your trade magazine’s news desk, is essential groundwork. Even if you do nothing else but post releases on your website, you’ll give it a regular injection of fresh content that will help your search engine rankings.

So what’s stopping you? Maybe you don’t consider your business to be sufficiently newsworthy. Well, take a look at your product or services. Have you launched anything new? Or has an existing range been revamped? Perhaps you’ve built customer experiences of what you do into a newer, better offer.

Maybe you’ve responded to a customer need in a way that speaks volumes about your levels of service and commitment, and if the outcome had a particular benefit then that could be the raw material you need for some well-earned coverage.

And don’t forget expansion – a change of office, new personnel – or event sponsorship within your industry, or in your local community.

If you’re still stuck, then get creative by taking a closer look at what your company does. Review some recent customer history and feedback. Is there some positive stuff you can rework into an industry trend to which your business is responding? And don’t overlook those soapbox opportunities for a chance to comment on your industry’s wider issues, or at least your particular niche within them.

Plan a programme of releases and get them out there on a regular basis. Target a length of between 350-500 words and make sure you include the nub of your story in the first couple of paragraphs. Don’t bury your news out of sight.

As to style, be matter of fact and avoid blowing your own trumpet. Back up any claims with hard evidence and vary the flow with a quote or two – from you, other key members of staff involved in the project, or from partners or customers.

Once you’re in gear, you’ll soon identify plenty of press release opportunities that should give your business an excellent return for very little upfront marketing cost.

Christopher Snowden of Moving Finger is a UK-based marketing copywriter and editor specialising in b2b communications in print or online. Chris helps businesses from sole traders through to large corporations get their words fit for purpose so their marketing communications earn their keep. Go here for the full story. He also publishes KeyNotes, a bi-monthly e-newsletter about writing and editing for business, and words in general — you can try out the latest issue here

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Tags: industry, public, relations, companies, careers

Public relations can be the ultimate tool to use to make a name when trying to enter into the music industry. The music industry is polluted with individuals with talent and cracking the code to become the next big thing takes so much more. Paying for advertising promotions is very expensive and most people starting out don’t have major advertising budgets.

Firstly, PR also known as public relations is a perception of public image. How it would work; usually starts with a public relations expert distributing a media or press release. PR professionals know how to creatively write media and press releases that will get picked up for publication in different media sources. Additionally, PR professionals often have strong relationships with members of the media and often able to develop relations on your behalf. Once media and press releases are picked up for publication free publicity begins. The same publication can be published in different newspapers, magazines, blogs, podcasts, etc. This then leads to requests for interviews, television, radio, appearances, etc.

Here is how to use PR to break into the music industry:

1. Hire an expert PR representative to help you launch a professional PR campaign to promote your talent. The music industry is an industry that highly respects professional representation and only acknowledges individuals who are properly represented.

2. Prepare a professional press media kit that reveals a very newsworthy storyline. Professional PR experts will know how to assist you with preparing a press media kit that helps to get you noticed. The music industry is very focused on an artist background and how they got their big break.

3. Generate buzz from releasing media and press releases. Professional PR experts know how to write, release, and distribute media and press releases that receive publications in media outlets. It is very important that music industry media and press releases are properly targeted to match the right publications.

4. Start pitching to media outlets for features and article publications. Additionally, make sure to pitch for interviews and appearances. This is where professional PR experts come in very handy, as they have experience in dealing with media outlets to pitch storylines. The music industry takes notice of strong article circulation and appearances.

Public relations can be a cost-effective solution to help standout in the crowd. Mosnar Communications, Inc offers public relations representation starting at $499 monthly. Breaking into the music industry is no easy task and finding winning solutions to standout can be the difference of making it or not.

“CR” Cataunya Ransom is the Co-founder of Mosnar Communications, INC. She developed a niche for Luxury PR & Global Marketing. Guiding clients on how to brand, market, and promote luxury products, events, and services. Highly respected as a luxury public relations expert! “CR” consults clients and speaks to audiences about luxury public relations and global marketing practices. Feel free to visit this web

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Tags: industry, pr, music, campaign, promotion

Over the last few years we have seen extremely high oil prices and most of this is due to supply and demand and it is not always OPEC, which is doing it to the American citizen. Sometimes it is the fact that we lack refining capability and capacity in the United States. But how can this be you ask as oil companies are making billions in profits?

Well, it is simple even if you have the crude oil you must refine it before you can make it into gasoline and then use. If you are using up gasoline faster than the refineries can refine it then the possibility of price spikes is inevitable.

Why does this happen you ask? Well, one reason is environmentalists attempt to shut down every big refinery project at the environmental impact level. The environmental impact permits might cost as much as $250 million alone. And that is before you turn a single shovel to get started on the project.

If more people understood the need for big refinery projects to keep the oil prices low then perhaps some of these issues could be mitigated in advance. It behooves the big oil companies to get their projects past planning commission stages quicker and it is better for the citizens to have lower gasoline prices. But if we attack the big oil industry then we will be feeling the brunt of the problem with higher fuel prices at the pump. Perhaps you will consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online ThinkTank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: public relations, oil, industry, project, environment

When it comes to tobacco companies in the United States of America we all know what they have been through with class-action lawsuits and we watch as much of the tobacco industry in the United States has been destroyed by lawyers. Of course some people who were heavy smokers are very upset about tobacco companies and the nicotine that has been put in the cigarettes to keep them from going out and enabling them to stay lit.

Most people may not realize that the tobacco industry in the United States helped get the country going and without it we may not have had enough to trade with the rest the world in order to make our nation economically viable. It is unfortunate that sometimes we do not realize these things or address the real issues.

Public relations for tobacco companies is extremely important and that’s why they hire the very best public-relations firms and specialist dealing in the industry. Lately the tobacco companies have done a lot of community goodwill and can actually helped get younger people to not smoke.

Some might think this is against their future profits however, the tobacco companies realize that fewer people in the United States are smoking and that there are 1.3 billion people in China who do not have a problem with smoking.

It is a much bigger market than the United States ever was. Perhaps this is a good case study when discussing public-relations issues in large older industries and how to keep them from going up in smoke. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online ThinkTank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: public relations, tobacco, company, industry, profit

Not all industries are easy to develop good public relations strategies for. As a case study let us consider the roofing industry and how difficult it is to develop a good public relations program for something that is above our heads but no one seems to consider. Of course people know when the roof leaks it is a very big deal and gets their attention right away.

Weather issues during the first rain of the season always have roofers very busy trying to fix things. In the roofing industry roofing manufacturers need to promote their products as long-lasting and environmentally friendly. These are two issues that concern most consumers, citizens and the general public. But how can you do a public relations strategy for the roofing industry, as it is something no one really talks about?

Well, many roofing industry specialists spend lots of money in writing articles to put in to trade journals and they spend lots of money on trade shows and seminars and CD-ROM training materials for all the contractors. Often roofing material industry manufacturers will put someone in building material retail outlets to talk with contractors one-on-one and assist them in using their product and explain how it works.

It is not easy to develop a strong public relations strategy in the roofing industry, but the trick is to get the public talking about it and hopefully before it rains. Please consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online ThinkTank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: public relations, roofing, industry, environment, friendly