Annual Publicity Event Small Business

annual publicity event small business Should Your Small Business Create an Annual Event, Just for the Publicity?

Annual Publicity Event: Victoria Secret

Every year Victoria’s Secret, the lingerie store, creates a “Fantasy Bra”. This is a bra that they unveil at the end of their annual fashion show, and it is typically jewel encrusted and worth millions of dollars. The bra isn’t for sale, merely a publicity opportunity that they started in 2001 …. and it does get lots of press from television, print and online media. #VSFantasyBra even started trending on social media simply when they announced which model would be wearing the bra. That is how popular it has become.

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Annual Publicity Event: Pantone

Next week Pantone will announce their color of the year. This isn’t a haphazard pick, but based on extensive interviews with fashion designers worldwide about which colors they plan to use in upcoming seasons, as well as sales of certain color swatches. Pantone’s announcement, which first started in 1999, has become an annual event that captivates not only the fashion press, but also the mainstream media.

So, would your small business benefit from an annual event, merely for the publicity it would generate? The key is to think of what it is you sell or offer, and how you can “own” it (so to speak) for an annual event. It can be in conjunction with a holiday or just the start of end of the year.

Here are Some Publicity Ideas to Consider:

A bar that annually runs a contest to choose its “Locally Brewed Beer for 2015”
A dental office that makes its yearly list of “Top 10 Celebrity Smiles”
A photography studio that sponsors the announcement of the first baby born in the new year with a free birth photo
A hair salon that chooses their “Hair Style of the Year”

Whatever event you decide to go for, simply pitch the story idea to your local press who is always looking for that fun, common interest story to write about. It may take a few years before the momentum for your event really takes off, but once it does you can leverage that local exposure into national exposure for your business.

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A 20+ year marketing professional, small business consultant, ebook author & blogger, my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Forbes, Success Magazine, Yahoo Finance, American Express, GO Banking Rates, Big Commerce, Business2Community, SheKnows to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

I sell online on Shopify, Etsy, Gumroad and on Amazon back in its early years. This, combined with my decades of marketing & business experience means I can advise, mentor as well as come up with creative new ideas for your business. It really does help to talk to someone who is objective to get a new, but professional, perspective.

I have also written publicity pitches for clients that resulted in them being featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Martha Stewart, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride – just to name a few. Be sure to try my Publicity Pitch and other Marketing Services.