(Originally published in the New England
Real Estate Journal, November, 2009)
YOU DON’T NEED A 300-POUND
GORILLA:
JUST GUERRILLA MARKETING &
PR
By
Stanley Hurwitz
Some people are
naturally creative. That doesn’t make them good at PR. That requires a
combination of (a) something you’re born with and, (b) something you learn
along the way.
Among the keys to great
PR and Marketing: (1) Know your target
audience; (2) Create the message or brand; (3) Get the target audience’s
attention; (4) Tell the story; (5) Make the sale.
My earliest memories of
writing and Public Relations? Dorchester -- across from Franklin Park Zoo.
From our dining room we watched animals graze. I thought the song “…where
the deer and the antelope play” was about Franklin Park. Seriously.
What does that have to
do with PR? A few years ago, Little Joe, a 300-pound gorilla, escaped from
Franklin Park and terrorized residents. The story brought fond memories of
my old neighborhood. At age seven or eight, my twin brother and I stood
near the same T stop where authorities
tranquilized and recaptured Little Joe – and we sold original
stories and poems to harried commuters disembarking from streetcars. Did
they buy our writing because it was good, because we were so adorable, or
out of pity? Maybe it was a combination.
We didn’t realize that
early lesson about PR and Marketing: (1) We knew our target market; (2)
Created our message; (3) Got the audience’s attention; (4) Made our pitch;
and (5) Made the sale. I don’t’ recall anyone trying to shoot us with a
tranquilizer gun.
Some business owners
want to do their own PR. They may (or may not) have the talent, but they
should focus on running the business. Successful owners and managers know
they need a pro to develop the message, identify target audiences, develop a
budget and game plan, create materials, implement the plan, and keep it on
track.
Although I no longer
accost T commuters with my writing, I still use guerrilla tactics to help
clients boost their brand and sell more stuff. You need to be out there
constantly, using different vehicles to tell your story. The successful
business has someone devoted to -- and capable of -- this task – either on
staff or on retainer. Not a 300-pound gorilla – but a 156-pound guerrilla.
Let’s talk.
(Stanley
Hurwitz, based in Stoughton, Mass., has 25 years of experience in Public
Relations and Strategic Marketing. 508-269-0570 / stanhurw@comcast.net)
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