Lately, I’ve been writing press releases, some for clients, others for our agency. Why? Because the press release is one of the best marketing tools available.  It’s free publicity for your company. There’s only one problem: everyone loves the press release. And, since publications only have so much space, you’re forced to compete with a ton of other people to get your press release picked up. However, there are a few things you can do to make your press release more attractive to the media.

Rule 1: Tell a good story.
Reporters get tons of press releases every day. That means you can’t just slap some words about your company on a piece of paper and call it done. You have to create a story that others will find interesting. The trick is to find a creative angle. For example, a story outlining your company’s new hiring policy is just boring. But, a story about your company hiring 500 people in the community, based on a new hiring policy, now that’s worth a second look. Same story, different angle.

Rule 2: Avoid Fluff.
The goal of your press release should be to deliver relevant information about a topic. That means get to the point. Ideally, your press release shouldn’t be more than a page. So, don’t add flowery language or include details that detract from the overall story. Just put in the details, research and quotes that support your story. And, by all means, pick a newsworthy topic. If nothing comes to mind, check out this list to see if any of the topics will work for your company.

Rule 3: Connect with Local Reporters.
Distributing your press release on the wire gets it out to publications all over the country without having to send one email or make a single phone call. But, for local papers, it helps to reach out to the reporters. Send them an email that pitches your story. The introduction should be no longer than four to five sentences telling the reporter why he/she should care about your press release. Make sure to tailor your message to the publication. For instance, if you’re sending a press release to your city paper, try to include a reason why what your company is doing is good for the city, business community, etc. And, look for reporters with interests in your topic. Have a story about your company’s newly patented technology? Send it to the technology reporter, not the one who covers entertainment. You’re much more likely to get a positive response that way.

If writing press releases seems like a lot of work, it is. If you don’t think you have time for it, you probably don’t. However, press releases are an important part of PR strategy so you can’t just forget about them. What to do, what to do…Hire someone, you say? Why yes, that sounds like a brilliant idea. Hire Echo-Factory? Even better.

If you’re gearing up for the big Shamrock Series game between Notre Dame and University of Maryland, you’ll get to see the new Notre Dame helmet. It’s a kick ass helmet covered in 24-carat gold leaf that we had a chance to shoot in our studio, making it look as impressive in photos as it does in person.

The helmet was made exclusively for this weekend’s game, the first in the 2011 Adidas Football Shamrock Series, and won’t be worn again until the 2012 Shamrock series.

To promote the game, Adidas Football created limited edition Notre Dame boxes which contain the special Adidas-created Notre Dame uniform, the helmet and other cool stuff like an iPod Nano and a golden dome glass vial. Only 11 of the limited edition boxes were made.

So, why’d Adidas pick Troy Lee? Well, there really isn’t a more respected name in custom helmet paint and design. And for these Shamrock Series helmets, Troy Lee Designs did some seriously custom work.  You can get a taste for what that means in this video.

We’ve been doing photography for Troy Lee Designs for years, and their work never ceases to amaze us. Every helmet is more bold and innovative than the one before. And, we’re not the only ones who think so. TLD helmets have been worn by some of the greatest racers in the world.

It seems only natural then for TLD to create a helmet for one of the most iconic football teams in history.  We won’t be shocked if Notre Dame’s running backs seem to be running a bit faster than normal tomorrow.

You can see the Shamrock Series helmets in action on tomorrow’s game on NBC, starting at 4:30 p.m. PST.

You don’t have to be in a creative industry to brainstorm. Everyone does it. We’ve all been in a meeting where someone says “why don’t we do a quick brainstorm?” and then opens the floor up for ideas. The trouble with this type of brainstorming is that it usually leads to really bad ideas. Why? Because no one’s had time to prepare so people just end up saying whatever pops into their heads.

I wish I knew how to stop these impromptu brainstorms from happening, but I don’t. However, I can tell you how to have a good brainstorming session.

Follow the leader. Every brainstorm needs a leader. The leader keeps the group focused, writes down all the ideas (good and bad) and encourages a positive atmosphere. Ideally, the leader shouldn’t be your boss. Bosses have a tendency to make people feel uncomfortable so they’re less likely to share ideas.


Bring Something to the Table. Think about the project before you meet with the rest of the team. Then, jot down a few rough ideas and bring them with you to discuss.


Push Past the First Idea. Often, the first idea is what everyone would think of. It’s up to your team to push beyond the clichés and come up with an original idea. This may mean you have to go through hundreds of ideas to get a good one, but once you get there, it’s worth it.


Share the Spotlight. Brainstorming is supposed to be a group process. The project suffers if the only ideas you’re interested in are your own. Remember, it’s ok to let someone else come up with a good idea. You don’t have to do it all by yourself.


Be Nice. The easiest way to kill a brainstorming session is with negativity. Sure, there will be ideas that sound so stupid, you’ll look at people and wonder if they were dropped on their heads multiple times as a child. You can think it, just don’t ever say it.


The next time your team decides to brainstorm, try these tips out. You’re sure to get better ideas as a result.

Halloween is just another excuse to eat lots of sugar, play pranks and dress up like Rambo or sexy nurse #3. But, the holiday actually gives us some good insight into marketing.

#1 Go for Variety.
As a kid, it wasn’t a successful Halloween unless I had a huge variety of candy at the end of the night. The same goes for marketing. The best ad campaigns use multiple media to reach a target audience. Each medium presents the same message, thereby reinforcing the campaign’s other media vehicles.

#2 Don’t Chintz on Treats.
Back when I used to trick-or-treat, I hated the houses where people would pass out apples or dental floss instead of candy. On Halloween, kids want candy. Give them anything else and they’re disappointed. While you may think you’re doing customers a favor by giving them what they need, adage.com says successful brands try to give customers what they want.

#3 Team Up.
At Halloween, it’s unusual to see single trick-or-treaters. That’s because it’s more fun to travel in packs. In marketing, being part of a team is just as important. You get better results when you work with an ad agency that understands your brand and has the resources – creative, media, research – to help your brand grow.

#4 Don’t Play Tricks.
We all know most practical jokes don’t stop after just one prank. The person you pranked has to prank you back and then you have to prank them again and it never ends. Similarly, if your company makes false claims, i.e. you said you were a green company then you’re seen dumping toxic waste into the river, it can cause irrevocable damage to your brand. Transparency is key. Without it, even the best marketing falls flat.

#5 Check for Razorblades.
It just makes sense to skip unwrapped candy or that brownie from the weird guy down the street. For companies, not every medium will be right for the message you’re trying to send. Using the wrong media can dilute your message. For example, using a 30 second TV commercial to tell people about that extremely complex technology you’ve just developed will only serve to confuse your target audience. If you’re unsure about which media to use, find an agency that understands media (cough Echo-Factory cough).

Happy Halloween, kids. Hope it’s filled with plenty of sweet stuff.

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This week, we were in Orlando, FL for the 58th Annual NALMCO Convention and Tradeshow. If you haven’t heard of NALMCO, it’s the interNational association of lighting management companies.

What were we doing at a lighting convention? Good question. When we first made plans to go to the convention, we did it to support our client, NALMCO. We were just planning on hanging out at the event and meeting some new people. Then, NALMCO called and asked us to host a booth. All of a sudden, we had a lot of work to do.

As an ad agency, we help clients prepare for trade shows all the time but we’ve never actually hosted our own booth at a tradeshow before. So, we decided to take the advice we normally give clients and apply it to the NALMCO tradeshow.

We made it fun.
Unless you’re Magnum P.I., mustaches are funny. By comparing brands to mustaches, we got people laughing and opened the door for conversation about branding, advertising and our agency. 

We kept it simple.
Most people want to clutter their trade show graphics with thousands of words about their company and every single product and service they offer. But, we grabbed people’s attention by keeping it simple.

We created an experience.
During the tradeshow, we sponsored a photo booth where people could get their picture taken wearing mustaches and other wacky disguises. It was a huge hit – people loved posing for the camera with their coworkers, friends and family.

We gave stuff away.
To make a lasting connection with people, we gave out postcards to help them remember what we do and how to contact us when they get home.

We made a lasting impression.
The last night of the convention, we created a quick video with a slideshow of all the pictures taken at the photo booth. We didn’t mention our agency at all, instead we chose to focus on the people at NALMCO and how much fun they had at the convention. The video was a great way to wrap up the event and send people home with happy memories about the experience we created.

Big thanks to NALCMO and all the people who came out for the convention – We loved every minute.