Whoever said "no news is good news" was an idiot. If you've just launched a product... something new, something incredibly innovative, you want news... and lots of it.
Good press can mean getting your company on the map and a huge increase in sales. Bad press can mean... wait, is there such a thing as bad press?
If your product has broad reach (think USA Today over the business section of your local daily), you're ready for the big time, and most likely, the big national media markets like NY and SF.
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Have a great product
A great product tells a great story, and that's what you'll need to get attention from the press, who like telling great stories.
I recommend: For the most part, this is going to have to come from you, but the PDMA
http://www.pdma.org/ (an association geared toward product development) may help you turn a good idea into a great product. Another key to great products is to listen to your customers... Zoomerang (
www.zoomerang.com) is a good, fast, easy way to survey real users to help you get your product to solve a real need in the marketplace.
Get a Great PR Firm
Like many things in life, connections are key in PR. Hiring a great firm to help you hone and deliver your message is a must. You may be an expert in your business, but if you're like most entrepreneurs, you don't know your way around a newsroom. Trust a firm for that expertise and those connections.
I recommend: I've worked with large (
www.edelman.com) and I've worked with small (
www.brewpr.com) - both are great but fill slightly different needs. To better understand your needs and to find a good match, try The Council of Public Relations Firms' "Find-A-Firm" service
http://www.prfirms.org/findafirm/Find-A-Firm.asp.
Get Your Story Straight
Your story ought to be crisp and clean and focus on a very brief background of your business, the market you're addressing, the problem you're solving and how you're solving it. Basically, think about the components of your investor pitch and focus more on the finished product.
I recommend: If your product is web-based, a live demo is always better than a canned demo, and for that, you should have a wireless card - Verizon makes a nice one
http://b2b.vzw.com/productsservices/wirelessinternet/If you must do this over the phone, try Webex
www.webex.com as a great online meeting platform. This way, YOU control the flow of the demo.
Travel in Style
This is actually more function than form, but you'll need a car service as you travel from interview to interview. You don't want to be thinking about getting a cab when you have 20 minutes to get to your next interview.
I recommend: For NY, try
http://www.dial7.com/. For SF, try
http://www.sanfranciscolimo.com/
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