Buzz Builder: How to Get Favorable National Television Coverage on CNBC and Other Networks

September 2011

July 05, 2011

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How to Get Favorable National Television Coverage on CNBC and Other Networks

In mid-June, I was involved in a CNBC Television story that provides valuable lessons for businesses interested in landing favorable press coverage.

A CNBC Television producer contacted me asking whether I knew a business owner in the Portland, Oregon area who was feeling the effects of inflation. I passed the lead to Wade Clowes who chairs a successful Vistage group in Portland that I spoke to recently on "Galvanizing Your Business with Word of Mouth Marketing." Wade emailed the PR opportunity to members of his group.

One Vistage member, Ryan Moor, the founder and CEO of Ryonet (the country's largest screen print supplier), responded immediately with bulleted points on how his company is feeling the effects of inflation and what it is doing to ease the pain of its customers. It was easy for me to turn around and share this information with the CNBC producer.

Ryan also boosted his chances of being included in the story by providing from his employee ranks something the producer was struggling to find: a family coping with the effects of inflation. Not surprisingly, Ryan's company was selected for the story since he responded quickly with appropriate and detailed information that addressed the specific needs of the producer.

Ryan also took the time to do a media training session with me. Preparing for an interview is something that too many business leaders ignore causing them to miss out on maximizing the value of press coverage. They forget that getting an interview is only half the battle. The other half is turning it into something that benefits the busines (Note: I explain how to prepare for a successful interview here). With adequate preparation, Ryan and his company received favorable coverage as you'll see in the CNBC television story with Jane Wells.

I am also impressed that Ryan has leveraged the story by posting it to his company blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. He understands that the real advantage of positive press is how you use it over time. A good way to do this involves sharing the news with your customers and prospects through your online press room and via social media.

July 05, 2011 in Blogging, Creating Buzz, Customer Service, Managing Buzz, Media Relations | Permalink

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Websites

Galvin Communications
The website for my word of mouth marketing and PR firm. Sign up for The Buzz Bulletin, a free monthly eNewsletter.
WOMMA: Word of Mouth Marketing Association
An outstanding resource for word of mouth marketing information. This respected organization also puts on a variety of well-organized and information-rich events and conferences which are worth attending.

Books

Bella the Boxer: Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success
Bella, a boxer dog and my company's director of goodwill (D.O.G.), teaches overworked and overstressed humans how to live successful and meaningful lives by thinking like a dog. Bella has improved our family's life so much since we brought her home five years ago. Read this book and you'll wonder why it has taken you so long to listen to the wisdom of dogs.
Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz: Go for No!
A great parable about a salesman who learns that every "no" brings him closer to "yes" - an important lesson for anybody who wants to create buzz.
Chip Heath: Made to Stick
This is the best business book that I've read since The Tipping Point since it provides a new way at looking at how you try to tell people about your products or services. You'll have lots of new ideas for promoting your business when you've finished reading this book. And, you'll discover that the best way to promote yourself doesn't involve spending money on marketing rather its all about learning how to tell your business stories better.
T. J. Walker: Media Training A-Z
Walker, an accomplished media trainer, provides great practical insight into maximizing the value of the media spotlight. By following his simple suggestions, you'll go into interviews much more confident and come out of them with much better results for your business.
Andy Sernovitz: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking
This is the perfect book for an entrepreneur looking for a "how-to" on word of mouth marketing rather than a theoretical or academic overview. Andy Sernovitz built the Word of Mouth Marketing Association using many of the intriguing word of mouth marketing tactics he describes. His strategies are practical for both small and large businesses as his interesting case studies demonstrate. You may put this book down a few times while reading it so you can start implementing some of its excellent ideas.
Fred Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth
Too many companies are addicted to bad profits. These corporate steroids boost short-term earnings but burn out employees and alienate customers. Learn why the answer to one simple question can determine your company's future: Would you recommend us to a friend?
Ben McConnell: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
An interesting look at how to develop evangelism marketing strategies and programs that will create communities of influencers who will drive sales for your company.
Mark Hughes: Buzzmarketing
This book contains some great stories from an experienced buzz marketer that illustrate the importance of finding angles that make you stand apart from the competition. I loved the story of how getting the town of Halfway, Oregon to change its name to Half.com generated a flood of publicity. You'll learn some great practical tips from this book.
EMANUEL ROSEN: The Anatomy of Buzz : How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing
Rosen pinpoints the products and services that benefit the most from buzz and offers strategies for creating and sustaining effective word-of-marketing campaigns.
Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Why do major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly? Ideas, behaviour, messages, and products often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. This book will help you understand how social epidemics take off and reach critical mass.
Al Ries: The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR
Credibility is the crucial ingredient in brand building. This book explains why PR should be used to launch a brand while advertising should be used only once major PR opportunities have been realized.