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Topic: Advice needed for yoga studio publicity
| Author | Message |
| redsocks | Posted – 11/12/2007 6:46:23 PM | show profile | email poster A friend has asked for my help with publicity for her small yoga studio. She is holding a personal challenge event beginning in January and would like to get a local TV anchor to participate and thus show his or her progress on the news. I've seen this done before with area gyms--especially right after the holidays, when health stories are big. I'd like some advice on how to approach this. Do I send a mass press release out and risk getting multiple people to sign up from competing TV stations? Or do I target multiple anchors from the same station? And when do I contact these people? Is now too soon or too late? Any help would be much appreciated! |
| linjohn | Posted – 11/12/2007 7:09:47 PM | show profile | email poster I wouldn't take a mass approach this. I would target the number one station/program in your area (or the one it seems best suited to, anyway) and pitch the story to them to gauge their interest. If they decline, go to the number two, and so forth. Getting the anchor to participate might be tricky. In your best interest, you'd want someone fairly obviously overweight so that the results look more dramatic and make for better television; except, you aren't going to suggest to an anchor that he/she needs to lose weight, right? Ouch! I would have a back-up plan, maybe find someone you know to act as the subject and be featured each week, or, when you are pitching, offer the show the chance to cast this part. It may end up being an anchor, but that will have been their kind suggestion, not yours! While I can see the value in having the anchor participate, I think it's more important that they cover someone, anyone from week to week. I would start pitching soon, like now, since it may take some time to finalize the details. Good luck! |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 11/12/2007 11:15:18 PM | show profile I would start at the top station, contact their PR person, and tell them your plan -- see if any of their anchors are available. And then move on to the next station, and the nexr. |
| redsocks | Posted – 11/13/2007 10:58:05 AM | show profile | email poster Great advice...thanks! |
| yesvirginia | Posted – 11/13/2007 3:53:00 PM | show profile Question What market are you in? This will be a tougher sell in a big city like NYC or L.A. Also, I doubt any anchors at top stations are overweight. And, if this is one of those stories that needs to report on progress over a specific period of time, it is going to be difficult to line up an anchor or reporter. If there is a weekend morning show in your market, I think this is a better fit. Also, you may suggest to the producer you pitch that you will find some over-weight, out-of-shape people whose progress you want the show to monitor over the next several weeks. You are right about pitching this as a New Year's type of story because so many peoplel make resolutions to lose weight and get in shape. The yoga studio's owner/teacher should be pitched as the person who can advise viewers on the best ways to do this and the idea of following the progress of a few people should be your hook. Most reporters will probably be too busy with stories to participate, but they can cover the results. |
