I have to say that I was pretty skeptical of Twitter, the “microblog” that only allows for 150 characters or so. Most people put pretty mundane things on there - but I think it might be a useful tool for promoting products and it’s certainly hot and sexy (in the marketing sense that is.) If you’re posting then you’re “tweeting” and some people are gaining tens of thousands of followers. Why? We’re interested in what people are doing in a mundane way I guess. Here’s a good article on the business value of Twitter. Hit the Twitter itself to find out more.

Well I couldn’t resist sending you to the New York Times article I found (it’s also buzzing up on Yahoo right now) about the best and worst marketing moves. Who knew you could put a video screen in someone’s armpit? I’d like to know what you all think about these marketing ideas! Here’s the article.

As a small business owner it can be really hard to give product away for promotional purposes. To many people it feels like throwing money down a hole.  To others it feels like you never get a direct return on the money. But you really can’t look at it that way. Perez Hilton is prancing around in one of my client’s products all over MTV right now. We must have sent him those slippers 8 months ago and who knew he’d start wearing them now? You NEVER know who is going to say what to whom about your product, and start that process of “tipping”. (Again, if you haven’t read the Tipping Point you need to.) I just got hooked on Kashi granola bars at the spa I went to this weekend. I doubt I would have tried them otherwise. Bottom line, put a budget together for promo products and send them out. You can trust the universe to deliver, you just have to be patient. Here’s a great article on promo products by Mario Churchill if you want to find how word of mouth and promo products work together!

Remember that you can’t just go on and get a ‘free’ ad. You’ve got to suggest something that will give the listeners some real content. For example on Mother’s Day we had Lisa Hammond of Femail Creations once talk about the worst mother’s day gifts people had ever received. Or the folks at Madcap Logic, who are busy promoting the cause of visual literacy. Make sure you pitch something of real interest. Then it’s your job to figure out how to insert shameless and sly plugs during the whole interview!

Radio is hopping right now. I will talk about it more in the newsletter but two things are going on - first it’s summer which is slower for advertising. Second it’s a slower economy and ad budgets for mediums like radio often get cut. So what does that mean? In a nutshell, program directors have more airtime to fill right now. Why not come up with a fun promo and some excellent content and pitch some stations in your area? If your really ambitious and you want a great list to purchase for national talk shows, Gordons Radio List is an excellent place to start.

This is the new Will Smith movie where he plays a drunken superhero in need of an image makeover. Enter the PR guy with the heart of gold, played by Jason Bateman. Although I have to say the movie’s constant “head up the ass” references were hilarious I am still annoyed by the ease at which Bateman’s character seems to change this superhero dude. And how exactly is he getting paid, although that was a side note. (If you want a list of movies about journalism and pr, click here)

If it were only this easy to change a bad image into a good one. Hancock does a tiny bit of his jail sentence, shaves and does one good deed and he’s reborn in the media eye. No wonder people think it’s so easy. But to have a publicist as one of the main characters, and a nice one at that, is progress I’d say. 

I have to say I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff over the past few years. People took guerilla marketing and went crazy with it, or so it seems. But what I found today on my front door when I got home from work takes the cake. My house is more than a hundred years old. So the door, solid oak, is also that old. A company called www.energizecareers.com  (although their website says they are unified wealth solutiosn so who knows) left a 12″ flyer STUCK to the door with what looks like some kind of strong adhesive. On the back, it clearly gives instructions for the “Stick-It” and says to apply “Stick-It” only to metal, glass or plastic. And it isn’t responsible for damage on other surfaces.

Now, what kind of damage that may or may not have done to my door is irrelevant. What kind of damage did this do to the reputation of this company? I would bet there are a ton of unhappy folks coming home from work today finding this stuff on their door. (I think murphy’s oil will take the adhesive off. At least I hope so)

To add insult to injury, I had to listen to some woman named Wendy Stevens for 15 minutes talk about how great an opportunity this was. So by the time I left my message I was steamed. So make sure you know how your message is getting out there. This one sure was “sticky” but not in the right way. So do you care to share any of the dumb marketing moves YOU’VE seen lately?

Timing is crucial when you’re pitching but summertime is strange for all of us. Here are some quick tips to when and how to pitch your targets from June to August. Hopefully it will save you some time!

First of all, remember that talk shows go on hiatus from taping in the summer. Oprah is done, so is Ellen. You need to realize that if you want to go on a big show, you’ll have to wait until later in August. It’s a barebones time for the staff, and not much is going on at the production companies. That’s not to say you might catch a producer at their desk with time to listen to a pitch during this time. But it better be one that is non-seasonal.

July 15 can be the cut-off for HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES for many print publications believe it or not. (Sometimes here at Wax we put up Christmas decorations to get in the mood) So if you plan to get your product or service in a national monthly publication, you’d better get on it now. One of the best resources I’ve used is GiftListMedia . Owner Amy Stumpf and her team assemble well researched, up to date lists of editors, preferences, and all kinds of info that should help your pitch be right on target. But remember, you better get it done by August 1 or you’ve missed the boat.

I promised you a GOOD example so here you go.  Strange as it may sound, I have had excellent experiences with pageant queens. (here’s where you need to think outside the box!) I’m not suggesting you use pageant queens for your business, but let me walk you through my thought process and why I’ve used Mrs. Minnesota from time to time for events. Think about it - pageant queens  (with a few exceptions) are trained to be perfect spokespeople. They know how to speak in sound bytes. They’re attractive. They can stand for hours and wave or sign autographs without breaking their smile. And they come attached to a cause, so you’ve got an automatic non-profit association. Best of all, they’re usually FREE.

Who do you know that is a semi-celeb in your local area? What cause do they have to promote? How can you partner up to provide them a platform and you some extra notice? Celebrities don’t start out famous. Someone has to help them get there. Why not choose someone that personifies your brand image and see if you can’t promote together?

Check this story out in the LA Times Business section today. The bunny slippers just keep getting more and more popular. We must have sent these to him months ago. Why did he choose to wear them in his big write-up in the paper? Who knows? But this is such a great example of why it’s important to be patient. AND why you need to keep sending things out. Thanks Perez, we love you and your site!! If you want a pair visit Barefoot Parties you can’t get them anywhere else.