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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza


If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicity
windfall awaits at the end of the year - but you need to start
working in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest,
the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reporters
assigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sources
of information:

1. Phone interviews with local store owners

- and -

2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.

Let's deal with Point 1. Here's a cool trick: In early
November, write a letter to stores and major websites that carry
your product. Remind them that they may be hearing from
journalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that they
consider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out a
few reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best or
whatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an e-mail or give you a
call if a story results that mentions your product.

Now, on to old-fashioned publicity. When to contact the media
depends on the publication or program's lead time (how far in
advance of publication or airing the material is developed).
Magazines like Woman's Day have a lead time up to six months, so
get materials to them now. Newspapers have a lead time as short
as a week for feature material, so send materials in November. In
between are wire services, medium-lead magazines, "in-flight"
magazines and others. To learn the lead time of a particular
media outlet, call the editorial department. If that doesn't
work, try the advertising department.

What you send should be kept simple -- a press release about your
product/service, a pitch letter explaining why it's such a great
gift idea, and, if applicable, a disk with color product photos.
See our articles "How to Write a Great Pitch Letter"
http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp and "How to Write a
Great Press Release" http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp
for more details.

As you craft the materials, think about where your
product/service fits. Based on its nature, cost, rarity or
usefulness, it may work with a variety of typical Christmas Gift
stories such as: Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas, Gifts for
Teenagers, Gifts for the Person Who Has It All, Gifts for
Executives, Gifts that Relax, etc. By suggesting a category for
your product, rather than simply stating "Here's a product that
would make a nice holiday gift", you're making yourself stand out
-- and maybe even giving the journalist an idea for a story angle
that he or she wouldn't have thought about otherwise. Either
way, your chances of getting coverage are greatly improved.

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp ,
he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring
big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Cosmos Holidays Announces its 4000th Croatia Customer
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LONDON, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- UK tour operator, Cosmos Holidays has announced that record numbers of holidaymakers are travelling to Croatia this summer, after their 4000th customer booked a holiday to this popular destination.

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More holiday travel forecast for state
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Shavuot: A Holiday Form Another Dimension
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Op-Ed: If Passover is the question, Shavuot is the answerJewish Post
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Cornwall's Greenest Holiday?
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Daily Mail

Holidays are over! Hard work starts now for rested England stars
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By Sportsmail Reporter Roy Hodgson will have the chance to start working with the bulk of the England squad for the first time ahead of Euro 2012 when they report to their Manchester base on Wednesday afternoon. Liverpool defender Martin Kelly will ...

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Bronto Software to Host Series of Events Preparing Retail Marketers for ...
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The series of half-day events, to be held in select cities across the US in June, will help multi-channel commerce marketers to kick-start their Holiday 2012 planning and be in a position to capitalize on the busiest and most important shopping time of ...

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PAM DZAMA | Holidays to celebrate — and remember — those who serve
Kitsap Sun
The Armed Forces Day parade was a perfect prologue to next week's holiday. Recognizing and honoring the sacrifice made by service men and women in defense of our liberties is exactly what will be commemorated next Monday on Memorial Day.

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Cruise Holidays Luxury Cruise Counselors Celebrates Christening of Oceania ...
MarketWatch (press release)
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Four of Cruise Holidays Luxury Cruise Counselors cruise experts returned last week from the naming ceremony and christening cruise of Oceania Cruises' newest luxury ship, Riviera.

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Red River Radio

Spain's Beloved Four-Day Weekends Are At Risk
NPR
Portugal, for example, recently cut four of its 14 annual holidays. And Spain is shuffling its calendar to shorten extended weekends — something the prime minister says it can no longer afford. The change could mean the loss of a celebrated tradition: ...
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Al-Bawaba

Tourists cancel their Lebanese holidays as security situation deteriorates
Al-Bawaba
All except one of several hotels contacted by The Daily Star admitted that they have started to see cancellations since last week, when clashes started in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-biggest city. While some hotels reported that only a handful of clients ...

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