* Disclaimer: Please consider seeking the help of an experienced PR pro when pitching these story ideas. You should be aware of them all so you can alert these pros of newsworthy happenings at your company. So often, clients are surprised by just what may be of interest to the media. All of these ideas are tried and true, meaning that I’ve had ink from each and every one. Enjoy!
Operations
- You are moving locations
- You are adding a location
- Company name change
- Expansion plans are announced
- Company adds a new division/new services
- Cutting edge program no one else is offering
- Construction begins on a new project
- Announce first, best, only program
- Quarterly/yearly earnings
- Unusual office policies
- Announce expanded service area
- New clients, customers, contracts
Digital (the preponderance of health and lifestyle reporters have been replaced by tech reporters who are always looking for new stories!)
- Announce new website
- Announce website redesign
- New or redesigned blog
- Online promotion, like a Twitter scavenger hunt
- Announce a social media campaign
- Host and promote a webinar
HR
- You hired a new employee
- You promoted an employee
- Employee wins certification/award
- Employee appointed on a board
- Executive profile for business magazines
- Summer internship program
Marketing
- New logo/brand
- New ad campaign
- Promotion/giveaway
- Grand opening
- Story about company featured in national media outlet
- Announce new customer incentive
- Customer appreciation event
- Send photos into the social pages of local and regional magazines after a high-profile event
Industry
- Industry-specific trend story for trade publications
- Industry-related event promotion
- Announce staff attendance at an industry conference
- Announce speaking opportunity at industry event
- Announce membership/leadership in industry associations
- Byline article on best practices
- Company earns industry honors
- Ways you are leading the industry
- Sponsor an industry event
- Announce participation in trade show
- Make a magazine’s list of best, fastest-growing
Corporate Social Responsibility
- Announce employee-driven program like canned food drive or sending care packages to the troops
- Announce new corporate giving program
- Announce title sponsorship for charitable event
- Announce major donations to charitable organizations
- Anything that involves kids! Maybe you host the local Future Business Leaders of America for a day to teach them what you do.
- Announce a one-day promotion to donate your service/product to area non profits
- Challenge another business or organization to beat or match your fund raising goal
Human Interest
- Company anniversary
- Employee with unusual hobby
- Employee who overcame the odds
- Office weight loss challenge
- How is your office going green?
- “Good News” story to counteract all the “bad news”
- Random acts of kindness
- Random acts of randomness (I knew a business that got press because it saved a piece of pound cake in the company fridge because it had the image of the cartoon, ZIggy in it. I also knew a law firm who got press because its employees were taking care of a nest of baby geese in their backyard)
- New art installation in office
- Office interior design and how it relates to productivity
Problem-Solution
- Offer advice that solves readers/listeners/viewers problems
- Regular segment on TV news (great for chefs, landscapers, financial planners)
- Become a guest columnist for the newspaper or local magazine
- Make a list (best places to eat)
Trends
- Holiday-themed story
- Season-related story (think summer and dematologists)
- Pop Culture-related story
- Animal-related story
- Economy-related story
- Current events (like Wimbledon)
