10 Advertising and PR Stunts to Get Your Brand Noticed

10 Advertising and PR Stunts to Get Your Brand Noticed10 Advertising and PR Stunts to Get Your Brand NoticedIf you want to get a great return on investment (ROI) for your advertising and public relations campaign, stunts are a fantastic way to get thousands of free dollars in earned media. If youre unfamiliar with the term, earned media is publicity generated by your campaign, stunt, or promotion, and its something you do not pay for. This comes in the form of TV and radio nachrichtensendung reports, write-ups in newspapers and magazines, mentions on all the social media sites, plus shares by the general public. If you do a stunt well, people will do all the heavy lifting for you. Almost everyone carries both a camera and a video camera in their pocket these days, and they are mora than happy to take photos and movies that they can share online. If that is, its worth sharing. So, how do you grab their attention? What can you do that will actually make thousands, if not millions, of p eople advertise your brand or product for you? Well, these 10 ways are a great start. Just remember, dont rip-off other stunts already done and in the media. Its not as shareable if its been done before, and it also makes you look tacky. 1. Do Something First Ideally, something very entertaining or impactful. And you need to consider the context of the worlds first attempt, and how it relates to what youre selling. Its no good being the first CEO to sit in a bathtub filled with baked beans for 48 hours if youre selling car insurance. What does one have to do with the other? A classic recent example of a worlds first stunt that paired beautifully with the brand welches the Red Bull Stratos Space Jump. You will have heard of it, every news outlet and online source covered it. In 2012, Felix Baumgartner became the person in history to break the sound barrier without the help of a machine. He literally jumped to Earth from a capsule in space over 23 miles, reaching incredible speed s. The stunt pulled in over 8 million live viewers, and Red Bull was seen throughout the jump. 2. Poke Fun at a Competitor There is a fine line to walk here. You have to make sure youre not coming across as too snarky, or over-indulging in schadenfreude. But this is business, and it can generate a lot of buzz when you openly pour scorn on the failure of a competitors brand. The most famous example comes from the Mac vs. PC ads, in which Mac skewered the PC in a series of commercials that were watched and shared millions of times online. Then, there was the Audi vs. BMW billboard war. Audi started it with Your Move BMW, but few people at the agency thought that BMW would come back with a billboard right next to it saying Checkmate. And in Britain at the turn of the millennium, the British Airways London Eye was having all sorts of problems being raised. Thats when challenger brand Virgin Atlantic jumped on the chance, floating a balloon close by saying BA Cant Get it Up. Classic Richard Branson. 3. Zig When Others Zag One of the biggest issues facing the creative department of an advertising agency is convincing the client to do something that its competitors are not doing. It goes back to the 50s and 60s when clients would turn away interesting work saying that doesnt look like an ad for our product. But this is the ideal way to grab the attention of the public. When other companies are going small, go big. When theyre being loud, be quiet. When theyre using comedy, use drama. A great example of this is Doves campaign for real beauty. At a time when all other beauty product companies were using female models that were tens, Dove decided to use real women in their ads. And, they showed the behind the curtain moments of how any woman can become perfect by using Photoshop. The videos went viral. 4. Hijack an Event or Holiday It doesnt have to be a big day, like Christmas or Halloween. If its an event that will get any kind of news coverage, you have an instant advantage. During the U.S. Election of 2016, many brands jumped on the bandwagon and caught the attention of the public. Labor Day is an ideal vehicle for many products and services to do something big, and different. And events like the Oscars, the World Cup, the Olympic Games, and even local events have some built-in newsworthiness that you can take advantage of. Its important to tie to the context of the event, though, and if you do it badly, you will come across as foolish. If youre doing something on Presidents Day, youd better have a natural connection to it in some way. 5. Break a World Record The Guinness Book of World Records is known around the world. There are thousands of records archived, and new records are broken every day. It has become such a great way to capture the imagination of the public that Guinness has sections of its website devoted to corporations getting involved in new or existing records. They list the advantages of record break as boos ting brand awareness, team building, good cause promotions, and anniversaries. Recently, the Porsche Cayenne broke the world record for the Heaviest aircraft pulled by a production car a record that was previously held by the Nissan Patrol. Dont worry if a record doesnt even exist simply create on that fits with your brand, even if its something silly like number of cookies balanced on your nose. Someone, somewhere, will plektrum it up. 6. Create a Viral Event and Release the Footage The word viral has become painfully overused in marketing and advertising. Most of the time, its very hard to capture lightning in a bottle. People will either interact with your brand, or they wont. However, there are ways to almost guarantee a video will go viral, and thats by staging an event and filming it. Then, you release the footage on YouTube, Facebook, and other sites. Classic examples of this in recent times include TNTs Push To Add Drama, the Chucky Comes to Life Poster and the Telekine tic Coffee Shop. Every one of those stunts garnered over 50 million views on YouTube, and there were countless more shares on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. If you put in the work, it will pay off. 7. Go Big. Really Big. If you do not want to be ignored, make something so big its impossible to ignore. That is not talking about the scale of the event, but building something that is physically huge and impressive. When Michael Jackson released his album HIStory, plus the accompanying tour, giant statues of Michael (over 30 feet tall) were placed in various locations around the world, including London, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, Milan, and Prague. Every single one of these statues made the news in countries around the world, garnering millions of dollars in earned media. When Maryland launched a limited edition Unbelievably Fudgey Object (UFO), the PR agency Cunning created an enormous cookie and crashed it into the middle of Trafalgar Square. Game of Thrones created a massive d ragons head and placed it on a beach in England. And then there was the 50ft dead parrot used to promote Monty Python. These projects take time, money, and a lot of planning, but they will grab the headlines. 8. Use the Power of Celebrity There is another easy way to grab the attention of the public, but its definitely not the cheapest option. If you work with a big celebrity, you have a guaranteed audience of millions that will watch almost anything he or she does. Of course, you have to find the right stunt, the right product or service, and the right time to do it. In 2004, Tiger Woods was at the height of his success, and the worlds tallest free-standing hotel, in Dubai. Although he was paid a cool $1 million to play in the tournament, it was his tee shot from the top of the 1,053ft building that made the headlines. Attach your brand to Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Ashton Kutcher or Dwayne Johnson and youll get millions of view, but it will likely cost millions to get them. 9. Do Something Outrageous If you have an idea that you think is just pushing the boundaries too much, dont shelve it yet. Its possible it could be the perfect solution for gaining awareness. In 2007, Lifelock CEO Todd Davis printed his real social security number on ads, billboards, and in TV commercials. He was so sure of his product, he literally put his own security on the line. As it turns out, several criminals took advantage of it and took out some small loans. But the amount of media attention he got dwarfed those small amounts. In 2000, eBay paid the city of Halfway, Oregon to change its name to Half.com. And just look at all of the outrageous stunts that John Oliver of Last Week Tonight is pulling, including the establishment of a church, and buying student debt for pennies on the dollar. 10. Focus on a Landmark Major landmarks around the world always have eyes on them. And that makes them perfect fodder for stunts that will quickly get attention. In 2002, Greenpeace activists scaled the statue of Christ the Redeemer to protest the results of the World Summit. In 1999, popular magazine FHM projected an prestige of a nude Gail Porter on the Houses of Parliament. And in 2016, Nat Geo promoted Big Cat Week by placing a giant lion made from clock parts in the center of Trafalgar Square. Monuments and landmarks are protected though, so make sure you get all the appropriate permissions beforehand or risk the consequences. You cant just hijack the Statue of Liberty or the Tower of London without a lot of paperwork.

Four ways to make this your summer of success

Four ways to make this your summer of successFour ways to make this your summer of successIts tempting to bask in the heat all summer long, losing track of what you want inyour position, and your career as a whole.Heres a better idea think ahead instead, and make steady progress through the summer. Between trips to the beach, hikes in the mountains or even a classic staycation in your neighborhood, theres time to work on your career so youre prepared when things kick into high gear again in the fall.Heres how to stay on top of your goals before the cooler months roll back around.Bring your former colleagues togetherIn the summer, people feel more loose and more social. Use that time to get to know people and strengthen your network. Getting back in touch with those you used to work with could be a fun way to both catch up and to find out whats happening in your industry.J.T. ODonnell writes about this in a 2015 Inc. article.All of us have colleagues from old jobs. Even those crazy su mmer jobs you had while in school. Use social media and pull together a meet-up at a local restaurant and invite all the alum from an old employer. Its a fun, easy way to network with former colleagues face-to-face. And, it could stir up some new partnership or job opportunities, ODonnell writes.Get some informational interviews on your calendarEven if you dont want to switch jobs, its good to know whats out there - and what may be a fit - before youre feeling a crisis about jumping.Marisa Torrieri writes about booking informational interviews during the summer in an article for LearnVest.If youre planning to spend some time this summer figuring out your next career moveespecially if an industry change is in your futuretry to squeeze in as many informational interviews as you can while your workload is light. Picking the brains of some of the smartest and most capable people in your extended network could give you the push you need to make the leap to your dream job, Torrieri writ es.Give your skill set a major boostDuring most of the year, its incredibly stressful to improve your skills while handling a heavy workload. In the summer, when most industries slow down a little, its the perfect chance to fill in any holes on your resum with classes.In a 2017 Forbes article, Alisa Cohn writes about bettering your skills in the summer.The summer pace gives you some breathing room, and this is a perfect time to build your skills. Attend a learn to code workshop investigate conferences sign up for a management training seminar or class. Putting these on your calendar early in your summer will ensure that you achieve something substantial when the busy fall resumes. Another way to build your skills is to investigate volunteer opportunities where you can get some new experiences. One of my clients wanted to improve his business acumen so he spent time last summer researching non-profit boards. He wanted to find a cause he cared about - of course - and he also wanted to serve on the finance committee of the board so he could participate in those discussions. He learned a lot through that process and also met people who helped informally guide him, Cohn writes.She adds that you can read books, blogs and magazines in your industry.Do a personal annual reviewNormally people review their goals at the end of the year, amid New Years and its resolutions and the frenzy of holiday parties and year-end benchmarks. But the summer is a much better time to take a look at whether youre where you want to be.Les McKeown writes about this concept inTIME.Theres something seemingly magical about the calendar year end that has us all trapped in its spell. We see the turn of the year as a time for reflection and a time to plan the year ahead. But the reality is, the calendar year-end is an entirely mechanistic construction. An annual review (looking back at what you learned, what you achieved, what you missed out on, and rearranging priorities for the incoming year ) is an incredibly useful exercise, but theres absolutely no reason your need to conduct it in the middle of a much-needed holiday, and during what is a busy time for all of us. Do what I do. Move your personal annual review to the summer. You still get to review the entire previous year, but you also get to do it in a much less frenzied state, and with much more likelihood that you will actually implement the lessons you learn (remember all those never-happened new years resolutions?), McKeown writes.Use the slower pace of warmer months to your advantage this summer.

2 things you should focus on instead of social media

2 things you should focus on instead of social media2 things you should focus on instead of social mediaEvery Monday and Wednesday, I pay a guy to push my hespecies rate into the stratosphere and turn my muscles into mush. His name is Tyler, and hes my personal trainer.For years, I worked out on my own. Haphazardly. Id run a bit here, lift some weights there. I seldom warmed up and frequently forgot to stretch. Afterwards, Id come home and reward myself with a beer.When I was younger, this exercise approach basically worked. I built some muscle and stamina. However, as I aged, injuries started to mount. My shoulders became stiff. I gave myself tennis elbow from too many curls.Last year, I finally bit the bullet and coughed up some dough for a twice-weekly trainer. Thats where Tyler comes in. He went over my entire health history, injuries and fitness goals. Then he measured my body fat, fashioned a training plan and we were off to the races.Now, every Monday and Wednesday, whether I want to or not, Im at the gym. We focus on core training, sort of like CrossFit. After the workouts, Im exhausted, but its a good kind of exhaustion.When I get home, I stretch, shower, and drink lots of water. No more beer. In fact, I eliminated alcohol and caffeine from my diet completely.When you pay for a personal trainer, its harder to flake on workouts. Paying makes it more of a priority. While everyone else in the gym is snapping Instagram photos or getting lost on Facebook, Tyler is putting me through the paces. Now, even when I work out alone, I always leave my iPhone in the car.What does any of this have to do with social media? Mostly, that there are no short cuts to any place worth going. Social media sucks a lot of time out of your day. It may be entertaining, and it can be helpful to market your business or art. But it distracts you from achieving greater, personal success.Authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan wrote the book, The One Thing The Surprisingly Simple Truth Be hind Extraordinary Results. The book drives home the importance of priorities. Some of the points they touch on includeAchievers use a success list, not a to do list. They have a strong sense of priority.If you want extraordinary results, you need to narrow your focus.Do your fruchtwein important work, your one thing when your willpower is strongest. For many people, thats early in the day.Ask the question Whats the one thing I can do that will make everything else easier?Essentially, the authors suggest that in every aspect of your life, prioritize the one thing that is most important. For most of us, social media is probably not whats most important.Being an artist. Thats my one thing.A seemingly invaluable toolApart from mindless entertainment, social media has become a seemingly invaluable tool to promote your business, entrepreneurial ambitions, and creative pursuits.Everywhere you look these days, youll find online life coaches, aspiring writers and artists, as well as all man ner of businesses leveraging social media to promote themselves. Yet, for many of them, the stuff theyre peddling is not that unique or valuable. It doesnt stand out from all the other noise.Technology has removed the gatekeepers of the past. Anyone can create an online platform for their art, music or business. They dont have to convince agents, editors or investors anymore.Unfortunately, there is no quality control. As a result, many aspiring writers, artists and entrepreneurs have their hearts broken. They spend a lot of money on fancy websites, logos, photos and newsletter services.They launch their websites, post like crazy all over social media, and wonder why the response is crickets. Its sort of like building a fancy sports car, with a spectacular paint job and accessories. Except the car doesnt have an engine. Sexy on the outside, but dont look under the hood.Social media success is a side effect of quality, not the cause. You can pretty your Instagram account all you want, and upload all kinds of lovely pictures on your Facebook page. None of that stuff, by itself, will make your art or business take off.If you want to be successful with your art or business, stop spinning your wheels on social media. Instead, focus on these two thingsRare and valuableProduce things that are rare and valuable. Instead of wasting all day grooming superficial stuff on social media, pour your energy into mastering a difficult skill. If its not difficult, it wont be rare. You wont stand out, and success will elude you.A better writer and artistAuthor Cal Newports book So Good They Cant Ignore You Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love argues that following your passion is bad career advice. Rather, you should pursue work that interests you to develop skills and career capital along the way.Its helpful if the work aligns well with your aptitudes, too.Not everyone agrees with Newport, but I think hes on to something. When I was a teenager, I dreamed of bec oming a rock star or cartoonist. My father urged me to get an education and pursue a reliable, stable career. Enjoy your cartooning and music, but have something solid to chose back on, Dad used to say.So, I went to college and studied criminal justice administration. On the side, I performed in a rock band and drew cartoons for the campus newspaper. Later, I went to grad school, attained a Masters degree, and enjoyed a 26 year career in law enforcement.My police career taught me volumes about people, responsibility, leadership, and more. The last ten years of my career I served as Chief of Police. I learned tons about politics, community issues, budgets, recruitment, retention, media relations and the fact that its impossible to make everyone happy.I dont know where Id be today had I tried to become a rock star or famous cartoonist. What I do know is that I developed invaluable skills in my law enforcement career. I honed a strong work ethic, personal discipline, good habits, solid writing and speaking skills, and the ability to delay gratification.The many experiences, skills and abilities I developed over my career helped me become a better writer and artist.Rare and valuable skills are what tischset you apart from everyone else. You have to create value to get value.Be like the Mona LisaAuthor and marketing expert Seth Godin wrote a short but excellent blog post titled, Social media is a symptom, not a tactic.Godin points out that if youre doing remarkable work and your organization has built a social ratchet that works, youll have a significant social media presence.Godin addsOn the other hand, if you spend all your time beginning at the end, grooming your social network, tweezing your Insta posts, hyping your tweetsnothing much is going to happen.To drive home his point, Godin points to the Mona LisaThe Mona Lisa has a huge social media presence. Her picture is everywhere. But she doesnt tweet. Shes big on social media because shes an icon, but shes not an icon because shes big on social media.Rome wasnt built in a dayRecently, I began studying figure drawing with Scott Waddell, a classically trained and talented painter. Also, Ive studied landscape painting at length with Scott L. Christensen, a master artist.The time, travel and expense of studying with these artists is considerable, but as noted above, There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.I could waste time wellenreiten social media, and paint only when inspiration strikes. But when I upload my artwork on Instagram and Facebook, I shouldnt wonder why no one pays attention.The solution, rather than trying to endlessly spruce up my website and social media posts, is to put in the hard work. Get up early, or stay up late honing my skills.Seek the best instruction you can afford. Relentlessly practice. Constantly compare your work to better artists, creators or entrepreneurs. Continue to focus on the ONE THING that you need to do to move forward.Are you producing things t hat are rare and invaluable? If not, stop grooming superficial work online and start developing the skills to produce rare and beautiful things.It may take time. Rome wasnt built in a day. Some of the skills youll learn might come from unlikely places. Keep focused on your ONE THING. Get the best instruction you can. Work hard.In time, youll start producing rare and valuable work. People will start to notice. And then, maybe your stuff will be the talk of social media.Before you goIm John P. Weiss. I paint, draw cartoons and write about life. Thanks for readingThis article first appeared on Medium.