Looking for PR person

If anyone can recommend a PR firm or individual who does PR, I would appreciate it. I Don't have a big budget but am willing to do part in trade. We have used FSA and ESTES ( ESTES the best) but can't afford them at this point. I know how Robin feels about PR, so if you want to remove this post, I won't be offended.

[Robin Garr]

Anthony, I'm not offended, I just think a lot of local independent restaurant owners get talked into paying money they can't afford for PR services that they don't need.

PR is not rocket science, and frankly, most news media would much rather have a quick call from an honest, straightforward restaurateur speaking for himself or herself than a hyped, exaggerated news release from a paid PR agent.

So, sure, you're welcome to post this. But if you want my professional opinion based on 25 years in journalism and careful analysis of local and national PR agencies and their work, you could easily do this yourself or, I expect, pay someone on your staff a little extra to do it for you for a fraction the cost of a paid agent.

If anyone can recommend a PR firm or individual who does PR, I would appreciate it. I Don't have a big budget but am willing to do part in trade. We have used FSA and ESTES ( ESTES the best) but can't afford them at this point. I know how Robin feels about PR, so if you want to remove this post, I won't be offended.

Just a quick warning to all of you. If a former GFS salesman named Steve comes calling, offering to do PR work or set up a newsletter, or web site, be warned, he took our money and ran...far away.... promises to pay us back have amounted to nothing but more empty promises. He is preying on small business owners. Be warned. Thank You and good luck. Bill and Susi

http://www.restaurantpr.com/

Hope this helps. The second article has some interesting ideas.

Public relations (“PR”) can generate media and public awareness for any type of business and its products and services. Ask several people to describe PR and you’ll probably receive varying definitions. That’s because: 1. Many people don’t understand the difference between advertising and PR; and, 2. PR is tailored for each specific business. Following is an outline of “PR basics” you can use for your business.

What is PR? The difference between advertising and PR is that advertising is a guaranteed paid placement arranged through a media outlet’s ad sales representative, while PR involves a story that is “pitched” to a reporter working for the outlet’s editorial department. With an ad, you buy the space (in print or on air), you control the content (by producing the ad), and it runs exactly as you wish…with PR, there’s no guarantee how, when, or where your story will run.

Why do PR? If done correctly, PR is capable of reaching a large audience on a small budget. PR and advertising work well together -- along with branding -- as part of your overall marketing mix. What’s best about PR is that it communicates in a way that advertising can’t…PR is like a third party endorsement of your business, products, and services by a credible, independent source (the media).

Tailor your PR! For maximum results, PR should be tailored to fit your business’ unique brand and identity/image, your products/services, pricing and distribution, promotions and events, the industry you’re in, and where your business is located. A written business plan -- or better, a customized marketing plan for your business -- can help define this “positioning” to serve as your tailored PR plan’s foundation.

Target your PR! Key to PR success is defining your target market (consumers you want to reach) and target media (outlets that reach your target market). Compiling a media list can be time-intensive and costly, but there are ways to streamline this effort. First, ask your customers which news publications, Web sites, and broadcast news shows they peruse. Also, limit your research to local media, and/or media that cover the products/services you offer, and/or trade media that cover your industry and trends. Become familiar with media outlets and reporters, and the types of stories they run -- especially related to your business -- and when/how/where these stories are reported.

Be Newsworthy. Create press materials (e.g., press releases, etc.) that are timely, factual and informative, interesting to your audience AND relevant to the media outlet (and reporter) you’re targeting…this characterizes your “newsworthiness” which is core to all PR campaigns. Write your press materials from an objective third-party viewpoint…this can be challenging for many entrepreneurs, so search online for free press kit templates and press release examples.

Spread The Word. Distribute your press materials to your media list and follow up. This too can be time-intensive, and it involves some rejection but don’t take it personally if media aren’t interested. Keep in mind that reporters work on deadlines and they need sufficient lead-time to cover a story.

Track Results. Note media responses you receive during your follow-up…this will help you further tailor your PR. Also, be sure to archive media coverage of your business…these “clips” go into your press kits and can be displayed in your business, posted to your Web site, used in marketing mailers/emails, and as bragging rights among family and friends!

Stacy Taylor is principal of Taylor Public Relations (http://www.TaylorPublicRelations.com/), a Huntington Beach consultancy specializing in media relations, writing, and events. Stacy has more than 15 years of PR experience, working with consumer product and service businesses, nonprofits, restaurants, retailers, and more.



Restaurant PR: Don't Wait, Get Out There and Get Noticed
By Miriam Silverberg
In my Delivering Food to the Media article I discussed garnering free publicity through delivering food to your local television weather person in honor of Television Weather Person's Day. But you don't have to wait for that or any other special day. Make your own.

One of your big desserts is a special ice cream dish. June 21st is the first day of summer; in honor of which set up a table outside and give away ice cream for an hour or so. You might even alert your newspaper so they can mention it in their calendar. Bastille Day? A French restaurant celebrates by giving away treats. If you're on a side street or you know someone in city hall (you'll need to get the street closed), you might consider a race with waiters carrying trays of wine! That's always good for photographs and crowds. A Mexican restaurant does the same thing on their national day of independence. Any ethnic place can. And don't forget American restaurants celebrating July 4th with special foods and contests. Our embassies in Europe always make a big event out of the 4th and you should, too.

If your restaurant has been in business for a really long time, on the anniversary of its opening, roll back the prices to what they were when it opened. A Manhattan steak house over 100 years old did that and they were mobbed. If there's a special day in honor of a charity, or a local hospital is having a fund-raising drive, contact the media that you are selling food and all the money raised will go to that charity.

Everybody complains about hospital food but no one does anything about it. Now you will. Contact your local hospital and offer to come to their kitchen and prepare a meal for the patients. Then contact the media and let them know what you're doing. Of course, when your local newspaper and television reporters descend upon you, do be nice and allow them to take photographs!

Do the same thing with a school. Adults always complain school cafeteria food is not nutritious and the kids complain they don't like the taste. Offer to prepare a lunch at your local grade, high school or college. The parents will love you for it and if you go to a college, you have a vast new audience of potential new customers. And never underestimate the amount of money college kids spend. Especially in bars and restaurants. Even if you're a fairly upscale place, plenty of college kids have disposable funds from mama and papa and are happy to spend it on dates.

This brings us to another point. Every college has a school newspaper. Contact them and ask them to send someone to review your restaurant. You know who the student is and you make sure he's thrilled. From personal experience I know that a good review in a school newspaper (and it's always a good review), acts like a magnet.



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Miriam Silverberg is the founder and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a New York City publicity firm. She can be contacted by e-mail at silverbergm@mindspring.com

Thanks for posting that article-sometimes PR does work and there are PR people out there that WORK VERY HARD for their clients! Everyone has their area-Chefs cook, Managers manage and PR creates awareness!

If anyone can recommend a PR firm or individual who does PR, I would appreciate it. I Don't have a big budget but am willing to do part in trade. We have used FSA and ESTES ( ESTES the best) but can't afford them at this point. I know how Robin feels about PR, so if you want to remove this post, I won't be offended.

You might want to look into getting a book entitled, "Guerilla Marketing"...basically provides Marketing/PR/Promo ideas for smal businesses w/little or no budget...the book has been around for years, but the advice remains timely (check Amazon.com)

As a fan of your work, let me say that your food speaks for itself and will keep me coming back.

As a communications scholar (MA from WKU) let me echo Robin's sentiments, YOU CAN DO IT BETTER AND CHEAPER YOURSELF.

PR is an art, just like cooking. And at this point you have already done most of the hard work that a PR firm would do for you - you have already developed your reputation and clientele. Utilizing the painting metaphor, your piece is complete, you just need the right lighting.

Remember to have specific goals if utilizing a PR or advertising agency (or when developing your own strategy). Not just broad categorizations (NOT - we'd like an increase in sales of 10%, INSTEAD -we'd like to increase the number of diners on mondays through thursdays and increase their average check by 10%, preferably in appetizers or desserts for a period of at least three months.)

I'm more than willing to offer some free advice via pms if you're interested.

In my opinion, the most important thing is knowing what you want to do - increase sales, increase national exposure, increase catering/special event presence, etc.

I love your food, and i love it when a real owner/chef speaks for their own product.

shawn

Thanks to everyone for their advice and recommendations. I appreciate it very much.

One more idea.

You have 230 fans on Facebook that talk with 100's of people on a daily basis. It is a 100% free way of advertising or PR, use it to your advantage.

Robin & Todd

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you regarding PR representation. For the majority, PR firms work very hard for their clients and do an excellent job in promoting their clients. Case in point, you can look at the Louisville dining scene. Looking at the restaurants in this area that get not only regional, but national exposure, and you will find that they have PR representation. The media just do not give the time of the day to a restauranteur or chef that is trying to promote their restaurant or themselves.

If you are looking to increase sales, I agree that advertising can certainly meet those demands to a point. And there are certainly many venues that can satisfy that need. But if you are trying to promote awareness in a certain restaurant or chef, to more than just a local scene, but to a more regional or national recognition, then a PR firm can attain that goal. Case in point, recently a local chef was promoted on a national morning show, where he spoke of his restaurants and was able to perform a cooking demonstration on the air. There is no way that he or any of his employees would have been able to make those contacts and establish that type of national exposure. He was well represented and promoted by his PR firm.

If you look at the last 3 years, and the local restaurants that are featured in national publications such as "Nation's Restaurant News", " Chef" magazine, "Bon Appetite" magazine, and "Food & Wine" magazine, you will find that they all have used PR representation. It all depends on what direction you want your restaurant to go. I am acquainted with several PR firms and there are a few that truly specialize in restaurant public relations. They are true "foodie" organizations, and have the talent, contacts, and savy to promote a restaurant or restaurant personality. It's true, they can be costly, but so can a four-star meal, a fantastic bottle of wine, or week in Napa, but the results are most rewarding.

Anthony, your talents and restaurant are on everyone's tongue here in our locality and you more than anyone knows your advertising budget. But if you want to go to the next level like many your fellow restauranteurs, than I would suggest looking into the PR option.

[Robin Garr]

The media just do not give the time of the day to a restauranteur or chef that is trying to promote their restaurant or themselves.

David, for a PR guy, you know a lot about coffee.

Trust me on this: A smart restaurateur would do much better to save his money and handle PR in house. Some very unfortunate things have happened in the restaurant business around this town recently as the result of some ham-handed PR efforts. This is a tough time in the industry, and no time to be paying for a service that most of these folks can do better by themselves.

[Robin Garr]

One more idea.

You have 230 fans on Facebook that talk with 100's of people on a daily basis. It is a 100% free way of advertising or PR, use it to your advantage.

You've got to use Facebook in a smart way, though. Frequent commercial spamming (something that Anthony does not do) is a very good way to see a lot of those fans "unfriend" a Facebook page fast.

Robin-

I certainly agree with you that this is a most turbulent time for our local restaurants and they have to be very selective as to how their funds are distributed. But to have PR done by someone in house would be like the owner of the restaurant have his parking valet come into the kitchen and start working behind the line. It's not going to have very good results and all credibility will vanish in the haze. To become a chef, it takes true professionalism and it is something someone cannot do on a part-time basis. Chefs are professionals, just as there are professional PR firms. True there are some "fly by night" firms out there, but that is why it so important to check the track records and examine the results of restaurants that a certain PR firm represents.

As I mentioned earlier, if you want national exposure, done it a professional way and you want to do it yourself, then open your window and throw your time and money out of it. It is just not going to happen.
You see Robin, I'm a man of many talents.

[Robin Garr]

As I mentioned earlier, if you want national exposure, done it a professional way and you want to do it yourself, then open your window and throw your time and money out of it. It is just not going to happen.
You see Robin, I'm a man of many talents.

David, I'll just leave it to our readers to follow this thread and draw their own conclusions.

But to have PR done by someone in house would be like the owner of the restaurant have his parking valet come into the kitchen and start working behind the line.

I'd be willing to wager that Anthony has at least a handful of staff members that possess degrees that would offer some benefit to in house PR pursuits.

If you go with a firm, question their credentials and strategies.

shawn