Ideas and ideologies.Written by Seamus Dolly
While inception of penicillin brought a bit of a stir, and television warranted some focus, it is somewhat easier now to fashion an idea into something sustainable.Easier again is ability to make an idea into a business without leaving house. For this to happen, we must blame our current communications networks, or more specifically, Internet. Tele commuting, as it is known, can never replace physical relocation. Nor is it likely that we will be able to download a pint of milk. We can though, order such a necessary protein. Modern society has become a blessing to infirm and physically compromised, due to relative ease with which an individual can access services and create services. Not many will claim it to be simple, as it isn’t. Few can say that it is impossible where everything but idea itself is present. It is idea and future protection of it, which will be issue, as new ideas must muscle some space in a world revolving on existing ideas. Being good enough is not enough, as competition will argue. All aspects must be covered from type of marketing to targeting of an audience. A burger joint in middle of an unpopulated dessert could only work where indigenous camels have an understanding of money, as well as convenience food.
| | "Getting PR in your town: Realities to remember"Written by Sharon Dotson
In business, getting effective media coverage is often crucial to success. Doesn’t matter how good you are if they don’t know you’re out there. But, there are realities to remember about media, wherever you do business. Some of them are: • There is a risk to all PR. Getting media coverage is a gamble. Unlike advertising, you don’t pay for public relations. Of course, that’s what makes great media coverage so sweet. It amounts to a positive third-party endorsement of you with credibility that paid advertising can never have. When a business owner works hard to get a reporter’s attention and that effort translates into a positive, enthusiastic story – almost nothing feels better. But reality is: Just as much effort can be put into securing media coverage for a story that, unfortunately, may never materialize. There are a thousand reasons why media doesn’t pick up on a perfectly good story, but timing and luck is a factor, even when all best efforts are made. • The media market you live in can determine how much and what kind of media coverage you can get. For example, I live and work in Houston – fourth largest city in United States. This can be fortunate or unfortunate. What makes Houston energetic, vibrant place it is, is also reason there is fierce competition for media coverage here. Business people who live in small to mid-sized markets like Baton Rouge, Syracuse, Santa Fe, and Mobile, can enjoy a whole different kind of relationship with local media. Here, reporters and writers are likely to have children in same schools as your kids. Their wives and husbands may work in same place where you or your spouse works. Smaller market media-types are likely to live in your neighborhood or go to your church. Lots of good stories develop out of personal relationships that just are not possible to develop in a huge city like Houston or Boston or Philadelphia. Of course, it works both ways. Business owners who live in small markets are also limited to a fraction of potential customers available to you in a big city. What can you do about these public relations/media truths? • Work smarter to get media coverage. Look at your business objectively through eyes of a reporter and decide what could be most newsworthy story about your company. This takes practice and you can hone this skill by reading some of hundreds of books available on media. Just go to Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and key in words “public relations.” You’ll be amazed at what comes up.
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