100 Ways To Generate Publicity/Exposure

By Jan Luongo, APR, CPRC

Here’s a list of 100 ways you can generate publicity for your company, brand, product or service. Some are
simple that can be accomplished in an afternoon, and others might require some outside help. Think about
what you want to accomplish and what message you want to send to your audience(s) and get started!

1. Do a survey about the changes in your industry and publish the results.
2. Turn a customer’s success story into a magazine feature by linking it to a current industry issue
and demonstrating your customer’s ROI. Get their permission and approval first.
3. Run a contest in your local community or industry – it could be to name a new product, select a
winner for a ‘best of’ contest, etc.
4. Do you have a unique office setting, location, structure, etc? Tell that story to the media.
5. Talk about how your company is handling a unique crisis in your industry (Healthcare and
HIPPA, for example)
6. Identify a unique use of technology in your organization and tie it to results of your firm.
7. Share a successful marketing approach (blog, direct mail or ad campaign).
8. Do your employees enjoy unusual benefit packages or flexible work arrangements? Tell the
world!
9. What about your company’s history – is there some historical aspect that still affects the
company today?
10. Have you experience a recent management shift that has significantly benefited your customers
or service?
11. If you have a new product, who benefits, and how?
12. Hire an artist to do a large-size impression of your product or something that creates a visual
effect in the community.
13. Form a partnership with a complementary firm.
14. Demonstrate the benefits of your product in a customer’s web site.
15. Enter awards. Even a finalist status is good publicity.
16. Write a case study about an achievement with a customer.
17. Get involved in industry issues.
18. Write an opinion article for your local paper or trade magazine that’s about something related to
your industry – just make sure it’s informative rather than self-promotional.
19. Start a blog and write about industry-related issues.
20. Does your company do anything to accommodate balancing work and family issues? If so, write
an article that other businesses might be able to learn from.
21. Tell a story about your firm’s success when they grabbed an unforeseen opportunity.
22. Create a series of how-to tips related to your business. Submit it to industry publications or post
it on your web site.
23. Sponsor a local kids’ sports team.
24. Explain a complex new technology or scientific product.
25. Prepare a research report or white paper and make it available online.
26. Announce a new client, employee, location.
27. Do a press release about a new product development.
28. A new employee hire can be the basis of a story on your company’s growth.
29. Invite the local television media to your office to “try” your product or to “be a customer” for a
day.
30. Identify a new buying/spending trend with your customers.
31. Position yourself as an expert in your field; give speeches and presentations as much as possible.
32. Form a group that specifically relates to your firm’s focus area.
33. Suggest a follow-up story to a piece published one year or more ago, even if it’s not about your
company.
34. Present an award.
35. Give something away – your services for free to a local community organization, a large
quantity of your product to help the homeless or to meet a specific social need.
36. Deliver a standard press release in an unusual way, especially if it involves something to do with
your product or service (ie, a fish in a fish bowl for an Aquarium press release).
37. Give advice in an article or column. Contact a paper or mag that your target market reads and
volunteer to write a column.
38. Send a letter to an editor or journalist in response to a recent story.
39. Make a presentation at your local community group or business association.
40. Hold an open house. Invite vendors, customers/clients, employees, prospects and the press.
41. Take a poll. You can easily do this on your website and publish interesting results.
42. Tie your story to a celebrity – how have they –or could they – benefit(ed) from using your
product?
43. Define your unique position in your industry by suggesting a story highlighting the different
types of players in the market space and using your own company as one example.
44. Expose the myths of your industry.
45. Tie your product to a current holiday season.
46. Pitch a story to coincide with a magazine’s editorial calendar.
47. Tie your story to a political issue.
48. Treat your product story with a playful angle – ie. A CEO support organization could play on
privacy issues with a story entitled: "CEOs Anonymous"
49. Be controversial. Pick a stance on an issue and stick with it.
50. Shine a spotlight on a customer, employee or partner.
51. Attend a trade show as an exhibitor, speaker or attendee.
52. Join industry, business and local business community groups.
53. Put your press releases, news and clippings on your website.
54. Hold a conference for users of your product or service.
55. Put a webcast about your company on your site or that of an industry organization or a
customer.
56. Hold a special event to introduce a new product or service or to highlight something unique
about your company.
57. Take photographs of your product or service and use them in your communications. Have them
available in high resolution for the media.
58. Make an mp3 of your CEO’s speech and allow it to be downloaded as a ‘podcast’ on your
website.
59. Send newsletters, printed or email, to your customers and prospects.
60. Publish an annual report, even if you aren’t a public company. Use it to publish your strategic
messages.
61. Write a book about something related to your industry.
62. Ask for referrals from your existing customers. You’ll be amazed how many people want to
help.
63. Get promotional products with your message and hand them out to prospects and customers.
64. Create a Frequent Buyers Club or other like club for customers who are repeat customers and
offer them something special.
65. Frequently survey your customers about their likes, dislikes, frustrations and preferences in
regards to your product or service.
66. Partner with a complementary company to buy larger ad space in a publication targeted at your
Alliance Communications Inc. – page 2
(813) 335-7625 • www.alliancecommunications.net
 target audience.
67. Have an anniversary celebration for your company.
68. Get t-shirts or polos made for everyone in your company. Encourage them to wear them outside
of the office. Think about putting your message or slogan on them rather than just your logo.
Don’t forget to have your website or phone number on it!
69. Make a banner or sign and hang it outside your building, on your door or location, or in your
lobby area.
70. Start a blog or chat about your company, product or service. Keep up with it daily.
71. Volunteer.
72. Create a customer advisory group
73. Create a slogan around a theme or current marketing campaign (e.g., Nike’s “Just Do It”)
74. Create a memorable business card.
75. Prepare a 30-second commercial about you and your business ready even if someone asks what
you do in an elevator.
76. At trade shows, sponsor a spouse program at the industry’s trade show or sponsor bus tours
around the host city.
77. Do something philanthropic with your product or service such as giving a percentage of sales to
charity.
78. Create a corporate video that tells your company’s story. Put it on your website or use it at a
trade show.
79. Provide some of your products as giveaways to local radio stations or as prizes at a charity
function.
80. Create your own special celebration or occasion for your industry – if you own a bakery, create
a “Chocolate Lovers” day; An IT Staffing Company might create “Hug a Techie” day.
81. Send thank you cards to customers, vendors and employees.
82. Act on current events.
83. Send Thanksgiving cards instead of Holiday cards.
84. Remember clients’ birthdays, anniversaries, etc. with a card, discount or other recognition.
85. Put your brochures, case studies, etc. in your lobby.
86. Wrap a company vehicle in company logo and message.
87. Create a press kit for your company, complete with bios of key executives and professional
photographs.
88. Put your message on your phone so when callers are on hold, they hear more about your
company and its mission.
89. Write a jingle for your company. Better yet, ask your customers to write one for you!
90. Display awards won and, articles published about your company in your lobby.
91. Write a list of 100 tips for your industry and offer it to your prospects.
92. Create your own code of ethics or promise card and distribute to clients, vendors, prospects.
93. Have an artist – or several artists – create artwork for your brochure/event/annual reports and
put the artwork on display at a local bank as the artwork of your company (buy the rights).
94. Pick a holiday and celebrate it every year (St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.)
95. Highlight an innovation that has led to company success.
96. Publicize key employees’ advanced education or industry accreditation.
97. Hold a seminar of interest to prospects.
98. Write a local angle to a national industry story.
99. Work for a non-profit on their advisory board.
100. Create a strategic plan and execute it.

Of course, if you need help creating a strategic plan, your branding messages or incorporating a social media
campaign into your communications plan, call Alliance Communications at (813) 335-7625 or visit
http://www.alliancecommunications.net.

Alliance Communications Inc. – page 3

(813) 335-7625 • www.alliancecommunications.net