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Tuesday, April 15

Nearly Everyone Uses It, and So What?

by Marcia Yudkin

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Jack of All Trades

Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Nearly Everyone Uses It, and So What?

by Marcia Yudkin

By putting a spin on something ordinary, or identifying some
unusual aspect of something ordinary, you have a good chance
of getting major media hits. For instance:

* Create a controversy. E.g., claim that 90% of Americans
use each toothbrush far too long.

* Give an award. E.g., a prize for the world's rattiest
wallet.

* Offer surprising facts about your product. E.g., how long
ago people were using toothbrushes surprising similar to
today's.

* Show an unexpected clientele using your product. E.g.,
wallets for toddlers or for nudists.

* Piggyback on the news. E.g., play up the connection if
there's a toothbrush scene in a new feature film or a
popular sit-com.

* Do a survey. E.g., what percentage of people never leave
the house for any purpose without bringing their wallet.

* Compile a set of useful tips. E.g., ten ways you should
never use a toothbrush.

* Donate your product or a gift certificate to a good cause.
E.g., a new wallet for every high school graduate in your
home town.

* Offer a freebie. E.g., a free call-in line for questions
about dental hygiene.

* Invent a new use for your product. E.g., wallets designed
for efficiency at security checkpoints.

* Tie your product to economic trends. E.g., what toothbrush
sales reveal about recessions and economic booms.

* Do something anachronistic. E.g., create wallet carriers,
which a butler can hold out for the man in the house when he
comes home from work.

* Sponsor a charity event. E.g., the Toothbrush Ball.

* Do something about your environmental impact. E.g.,
recyclable wallets.

* Celebrate an anniversary. E.g., your 10 millionth
toothbrush sold.

* Create regional variations. E.g., the Tall Texan wallet,
the Seattle Surprise, the Plains Packer.

* Get offbeat endorsements. E.g., from a punk rocker, a
bartender, a has-been politician for your toothbrushes.

* Feature employees with stories. E.g., an over-80 wallet
designer, marketing vice-presidents who are twins.

* Run an event for kids. E.g., develop a show that travels
to day-care centers on how to brush teeth.

Once you have a newsworthy angle, then the ambition to get
your story into every household in the country makes more
sense!

Marcia Yudkin marcia@yudkin.com is the author of the
classic guide to comprehensive PR, "6 Steps to Free
Publicity," now for sale in an updated edition at Amazon.com
and in bookstores everywhere. She also spills the secrets
on advanced tactics for today's publicity seekers in
"Powerful, Painless Online Publicity," available from
www.yudkin.com/powerpr.htm .