15 Food Stories to Pitch to the Media Right Now

Summertime is here and with it comes a lot of opportunities to pitch stories to the media about your food and wine. So what kind of stories would appeal to them?

First, we need to know the development time-frame of the various media outlets.

• TV: 2-3 weeks
• Radio: 2-4 weeks
• Newspapers: 2-4 weeks.
• Magazines: 4-6 months.

So what stories are they looking for now?


TV, Radio, Newspapers, stories such as…..

• Grilling and outdoor dining.
• Lighter wines for hot summer days (think “July”)
• Wines that go well with gourmet hot dogs (or burgers or BBQ chicken).
• New types of refreshing non-alcoholic drinks
• Grilling “secrets” for tastier foods
• Reviews of new types of outdoor cooking equipment
• How to pack a romantic picnic for two.

Magazines:
Thanksgiving and Christmas (really). Stories such as….

• Cooking the perfect turkey
• Side dishes that can be made the night before
• 11 tasty dishes that use leftover turkey
• Christmas breakfasts
• How to cook a turkey faster
• Meals that DON’T use turkey that your family will love
• Basting with wine: should you use red or white?
• 7 wines to serve AFTER Thanksgiving dinner

The possibilities are endless. Think of the experiments you do in the kitchen or new ideas you try in your restaurant…that can be the basis of a good story.

I have several friends who are chefs, and they’re always thinking of new flavor combinations or they’re trying out new equipment and techniques. If you do that sort of thing, announce it to the media!

The culinary media is always interested in new ideas, so send them yours. And when you tie it into the time of year, your chances of getting covered are that much greater.

How to Get Regular Predictable Publicity

How a Well-Known Company Gets Dependable Publicity

As you know, I’m a big advocate of using the “National XXXX Day” to get publicity (National Hamburger Day, National Ice Cream Day, etc.) There is a well-known company that takes advantage of a special “Day”, and they reap a lot of publicity for it every year. The company is Dunkin’ Donuts, and the day is National Doughnut Day.

The first Friday of June is “National Doughnut Day”. Every year Dunkin’ Donuts has a special promotion: when you buy a cup of DD’s coffee, you’ll get a free doughnut. This always gets them publicity because it’s tied into a specific day and it’s a benefit to the readers of newspapers and online news.

Dunkin’ Donuts sends out press releases to all of the major periodicals, and they also send them out to the trade magazines. In the screenshot below you’ll see how Dunkin’ Donuts has gotten free press from a number of periodicals, including National Restaurant News, the biggest food trade magazine in the industry. This is particularly telling because Dunkin’ Donuts has been doing this promo for years, but it’s still good enough to get an article in NRN. (Sorry the pic below is blurry...I don't know why.)

How YOU can take advantage of the National “Days”:

1. Create a list of your menu items.
2. Create a list of the ingredients you use. Especially any specialty ingredients.
3. Search the internet by typing the words “National (your ingredient/Menu Item)” into Google.
4. When you find a day that fits an ingredient or menu item, write down the date.
5. Create a promotion around it.
6. Put together a press release and send it out to the local media.

For example, let’s say you own an Italian restaurant and your lasagna is beyond compare. You type “National lasagna” into Google and the first listing is for National Lasagna Day, July 29. Plenty of time to create a promo! Put something together, put out a press release, and invite all the media down to your place of business to take part in the lasagna festivities.

It’s really that easy. And with all the different “days” that exist, you have a lot of opportunities to create promos and announce them to the press.

There are at least 416 food-related “days” that you can take advantage of, so it’s to your advantage to look for ways to exploit them. Yes, it takes some work, but it’s worth it in terms of getting publicity. (And, to be honest, this is why some restaurants will hire a marketing/PR person to do this for them. We creative and way-too-driven types are always thinking up promos like this, and we don’t mind doing the work).

Even if you don’t hire someone to help with this, I highly recommend that you invest the time to select the top five most profitable items on your menu and do a search to see if there’s a national “day” set aside for any of them. Because if there is a “day”, you could be following in Dunkin’ Donuts’ footsteps and getting regular publicity for your specialties. And that’s a good path to follow.

Gordon

Good Days in June for Publicity

Get Publicity in June Using Food-Related Days

June is here, and with it comes summer! Grilling, barbecue, and lots of outdoor foods and activities. With a little creativity, you can position your foods with the media so that they’ll produce stories about you.

Now’s the time because with the warm weather there are a lot of barbecues, etc., and people are looking for something new and different for their outdoor dining.

Food Related Days in June 2010:

June is:
• Dairy Month
• Turkey Lovers Month
• Iced Tea Month
• Beef Steak Month
• Frozen Yogurt Month (!!)

Select Days in June:
June 3: Rocky Road Day
June 4: Frozen Yogurt Day
June 9: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
June 13: Lobster Day
June 14: Strawberry Shortcake Day
June 19: Martini Day (!)
June 20: Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 25: Strawberry Parfait Day
June 30: Ice Cream Soda Day

Need some ideas?
Here are a few headlines from past June issues of food magazines.
• Best grilled BLT sandwich
• Desserts cooked on a grill
• Ice cream sundaes for lazy days
• Great wines for grilled food
• 20 fast sauces and salsas
• 10 smart tips for easy grilling

Be creative with your recipes: Showing a TV audience how to make a sundae using praline ice cream and nectarine-red wine sauce will get plenty of attention on June 24, Creamy Pralines Day.

So come up with some interesting food or wine ideas for the “days” of June. It can get you a lot of publicity.

And to prove it, in the next blog post I’m going to tell you about a recurring “day” in June that one well-known food company takes advantage of and gets tons of publicity AND tons of new business every year. So come back and learn!

See you at the next post!

The one time you don't want to give out food samples

Handing out samples of your food and wine is a great way to get customers - once they try your foods, they're very likely to come to your place of business.

But there's one time when you should NOT give out samples of your food or wine. When's that? When you’re trying to get the attention of a media reporter. Sending food or wine samples could potentially put the reporters in a delicate position that might conflict with their code of ethics.

All media outlets have strict codes of ethics because the media strives to maintain its objectivity and avoid giving any impression of conflict of interest. (As a really obvious example of conflict, in the political arena this can be seen as favorable articles about a politician shortly after the politician gives a job to a family member of a newspaper editor).

But what about food writing? Surely conflict of interest can’t happen there, can it? It’s possible! Any perception of special preferences could possibly raise questions about objectivity. And any kind of “gift” to a specific reporter -even a food sample - could be potentially perceived as creating a conflict of interest.

Most media outlets deal with it in the same manner: they don’t allow accepting ANY food samples. Samples that are sent to a reporter are usually taken to a central location in the building and then donated to a charity (if possible) or thrown out. This includes cookbooks or other food-related books.

What CAN you do?
Can you invite a reporter to your restaurant? Absolutely! Can you offer them a discount if they eat at your restaurant? Only if the discount is offered to everyone at the restaurant. So if Tuesday night is always “half-price” night at your restaurant, it’s perfectly acceptable to tell them about it because everyone who comes to your restaurant gets the half-price special. Whether or not the reporter takes advantage of it is their choice. And the reporter will discuss the situation with their editor to determine if that’s acceptable behavior. But it’s NOT acceptable to tell the reporter “Come on down to my restaurant and I’ll give you your dinner for free”.

What about giving out samples when you’re booked as a guest on a TV program? That’s acceptable in the studio because you’re already a guest – you’re not trying to influence them. It’s only natural to bring in food, so take in lots of food and make sure everyone can get to it.

Radio programs are the same way. If you’re already a guest it’s acceptable to bring in lots of food for everyone to try. Just make sure EVERYONE can get to the samples. That way there’s no perceived favoritism.

If you’re not sure of the code of ethics of a media outlet, check their website. Most media outlets will post their code for everyone to read. If they don’t, you can always call and ask.

What about bloggers and social media?
What about the “new” media, specifically, bloggers? They’ve come under the watchful eye of the government as well. In 2009 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created clear guidelines for businesses looking to establish relationships with online publishers.

According to the FTC’s updated stance, bloggers, Twitterers, and other online reviewers are now required to disclose their “material connection” with corporate sponsors or advertisers. As of December 1, 2009, businesses are now legally required to disclose gifts or payments to bloggers and other online writers used to subsidize posts dedicated to their product(s). The FTC also updated its endorsement and testimonial rules, now holding celebrity endorsers liable for false statements about a product. Each infringement of these rules will cost the guilty party (i.e. the business) $11,000.

Be aware and you'll be fine
What this all means is: be aware of possible ethics conflicts whenever you’re thinking of offering a sample to a reporter. Make sure that you don’t put a reporter or their office into a possible uncomfortable or questionable situation. Remember – you want to build a relationship with the reporter and the media outlet. Knowing their code of ethics and abiding by it shows that you care about them and thereby makes you more desirable as a source of information for their stories.

“How large should my press kit be?”

I'm asked that question every now and then when I’m working with a client.

The answer is: “Not very big”.

Save some serious money:
For some reason many people feel that when they first approach the media they should send a huge press kit with glossy photos of themselves and their food or wine, a lengthy bio, and copies of everything they’ve ever written in their lives, and then put all that into colorful embossed 9x12 folder. And then add a copy of their book (if they’ve written one).

You don’t need all that. Save yourself the money.

Why don’t you need it? Because it may not get read. Why? Two reasons:

1. Media people are really, really busy and just don’t have the time to go through something lengthy.
2. They get a lot of them every day. Large-city publications can get up to 100 press kits per day!
   

Many times, big fancy press kits are thrown away. The unsolicited kits are almost always thrown away. Sure, it’s a waste, but when the media folks are buried with work, it just isn't gotten to. Never send unsolicited press kits. They won’t do you any good.

What to do when the reporter says “Send me something”:
Send them enough information to support the story that you suggested in your press release (or your phone pitch). Don’t bury them with a lot of extra material.

For example, when I got Lisa Reinhardt the chocolatier onto a local TV station, I first sent a press release suggesting the story that the antioxidants in dark chocolate helps prevent heart disease. That got attention.

When I was asked to “send some information”, I sent:

1. Two photos of Lisa’s chocolates.
2. Short excerpts of clinical research that showed how dark chocolate had, indeed, helped prevent heart problems (One page, six paragraphs, important points highlighted).
3. A short (one page, two paragraphs) bio of Lisa.
4. A list of suggested questions for Lisa. (One page).

Notice the “theme” that runs through that? All of it was laid out so that the reporter would get the gist of the message by quickly scanning the pages.

So what should YOU send?
First, remember that it has to support the story you suggested to them. So (for example) if you’re a winery and you’ve gotten interest in a story about your Chardonnay that pairs well with ice cream, you would send:

1. A short bio of yourself and your winery. (Your name, the winery’s name, and what makes you unique. Don’t tell them about your vast history and all your kids’ names, etc.)
2. One or two photos of JUST the Chardonnay that you’re talking about.
3. A one-page description of how you know the wine pairs with ice cream, any testimonials from people who’ve tasted it, the type of ice cream, and why you think it pairs so well.
4. Any questions you can answer that might give some interesting insights.

That’s all you have to send. If they want more they’ll ask for it.

What if you’ve written a book? Send it after the reporter has requested it. If you’ve gotten a call from a reporter about the suggested story that’s contained in the book, then send the book, and bookmark/highlight the pertinent paragraphs. DON’T make the reporter search for the relevant information. In other words, make it really, really easy for the reporter to do their job. Trust me…they’ll love you for it.

So before you put together a huge press kit so send out to every reporter in the world, stop yourself. Send out press releases first, and then, when asked, send a simple packet of story-supporting information and a couple of photos. The reporter will be much happier and you’ll save a bundle of money.

Five steps to get your summer menu into the media right now

Spring is here and people are thinking of being outdoors and eating lightly. Your local media, knowing full well that their audience members are thinking that, are now looking for stories that will help them enjoy their summers.

You’ve just come out with your summer menu and you’d like it to get some coverage. Here’s how you can get the media’s attention.

1. DON’T start your press release with “Good Food Restaurant Announces Their New Summer Menu!” The media gets hundreds of releases like that every day. Remember, they’re looking for a story, so give them one.

2. Select a specific item from your summer menu that is particularly tasty and/or artful that is a favorite of your diners.

3. Create a list of tips based around that item in your summer menu that will help the audience enjoy their outdoor cooking more. For example:

• “Five creamy yet fat-free sauces for BBQ Chicken Wings”
• “Five burgers that go well with a light red wine”.
• “Five light wines that pair well with burgers”
• “Six strange-yet-effective grilling tips for large crowds”

4. Create an email to your list of media contacts. Put the name of the tip list in the subject line, and include the tips as bullet points.

5. That same day, snail-mail the press release and the tip list to your media contacts (use a 9x12 envelope). Put the name of the tip list on the outside of the envelope (“Inside: Six Strange-Yet-Effective Grilling Tips for Large Crowds”). (Why? This will pique the media person’s curiosity about what those tips are. Like a true foodie, they’ll read the list. When that happens, your chances for coverage have improved.)

Foodies and wine-drinkers LOVE new tips and ideas for more enjoyment of their outdoor dining. And the media knows this. So when you provide new and unusual tips and ideas, the media will give it some consideration.

Here are some tips lists that have been in the grilling issues of magazines like Food & Wine and Bon Appetit’, and online newspapers:

• 5 summer wines to try right now
• 3 sauces for grilled chicken
• 30 top pinot noirs
• 8 grilled steak marinades that don’t use Worcestershire sauce
• The 4 most unique barbecue tools available

Those sound interesting, don’t they? Kinda makes you want to find out what those BBQ tools are, doesn’t it? (One of them is the "turkey cannon" (!)) That’s what I mean about the power of lists.

When you get your media appearance, make sure that you (subtly, of course) let the audience know that yes, you make that chicken/steak/wine at your place of business. Don’t make it a sales pitch, just tell them that you have it in an “Oh, by the way…” manner. The result: you’ll get customers because most people would rather have the food or wine prepared by an expert (you) than to do it themselves.

So give it a try. Get out those summer recipes, make up a tip list, and let the media know that you have the Five Best Creamy but Fat-Free Sauces for Grilled Chicken in town, and you’ll get noticed.

Good Days in May for Publicity

Get Publicity in May Using Food-Related Days

May is here, and with it comes a lot of food-related days that you can use to get publicity.

Food Related Days in May 2010:

May is:

• National Barbecue Month
• National Hamburger Month
• National Salad Month
• National Strawberry Month
• National Egg Month
  

Select Days in May:
May 4: National Orange Juice Day
May 4: National Homebrew Day (Make wine at Su Vino Winery.)
May 6: National Crepes Suzette Day
May 11: National Eat-What-You-Want Day (!)
May 13: National Apple Pie Day
May 20: National Quiche Lorraine Day
May 25: National Wine Day!
May 28: National Hamburger Day

Let’s get creative and come up with some ideas for these special days. As we talked about in the last post, the reason Sedona Pies was a guest on Into the Soup on KFNX AM 1100 was because her pies were tied into National Blueberry Pie Day in April.

So think of how you can tie your food or wine into a particular day of the month and then submit a press release to your local TV stations and newspapers. You'll find that many of them will be interested in your story when it's tied into an interesting day of the month.