Hospitality marketing -
Restaurant Marketing & Promotion
Make friends with the media
Copyright 2009 PromoHelp
Don’t wait until you need some good publicity to approach your local newspaper or TV station. By developing some useful professional connections beforehand when there’s no pressure, you’ll have friends in the right places when you need them. Find out the names of editors, hospitality feature writers and restaurant critics from local publications and presenters from your local radio and TV stations. Treat them to dinner or lunch occasionally, maybe spend a little on advertising with them. Explore the possibility of a joint marketing venture which would allow them to promote themselves whilst giving you some good publicity at the same time.
Dave, one of our readers, told us how he cultivated a useful relationship with his local paper. When he opened his restaurant, he wanted to run a series of features so contacted the paper’s advertising rep to discuss requirements. After a couple of meetings they agreed on a series of adverts and articles aimed at raising the restaurant’s profile within the community.. Afterwards, Dave traced the rep on Facebook and added him as a ‘friend’. Every now and again he would comment on something he’d seen in the rep’s newspaper or about a comment or photo he’d posted on the site. Result? He and the rep became firm friends and Dave is now in a strong position to approach him when he needs publicity.