Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Top PR Tips for 2011

Feeling Snowed Under by PR and Marketing?
Now that the freezing conditions are gone don't get snowed under by your PR and Marketing in 2011.

Many people dread the idea of developing a PR and Marketing Plan envisaging hours spent typing, researching, doing competitor analysis to ultimately abandon the plan as being redundant or running out of budget to keep up the implementation.

Keep it simple - even a one page plan can prove to be more realistic by keeping the following tips in mind.

1. Pick a Market and Stick to it.
Although you might offer your handmade chocolates to everyone because 'everyone loves chocolate', trying to target 'everyone' unless you've an infinite budget, is going to prove exhausting, frustrating and quite possibly ineffective.

Instead choose a niche, and develop your marketing and PR plan directed and tailored to this market. For example a chocolate brand aiming their recent marketing at females aged 25-45, adverts depict a professional lady sharing an apartment with two other girls takes time out to enjoy her hidden chocolate.

Contrary to what you might believe, targeting one particular market will not alienate other markets who will still buy your product but it will help you position yourself and build brand strength.

If you produce a niche product stick to it, for example if you operate an Italian restaurant then exclusively offer Italian food. You might feel tempted to add Fish and Chips to make your menu a more 'something for everyone' type of offering, you will be diluting your brand and then fall into the trap of trying to market to 'everyone'.

Find your market and stick to it, use this as your basis for your Marketing and PR Plan then become very, very good at servicing that market and become known for it. Which brings us on to Top Tip number 2.....

2. Communicate Clearly and Consistently
Once you have decided on the marketing niche you will pursue, or are very clear on your niche offering communicate this throughout all your marketing and PR activities. Develop tag lines that concisely communicates to your market. Develop packages that would appeal to this market i.e. if your market is honeymooning couples don't keep shouting about how child-friendly your resort is. Keep the message consistent and keep the messages frequent.

3. Develop relations with other suppliers or producers targeting a similar market.
Looking at year ahead mark months where a new PR and Marketing campaign will be launched. For a clothing store this could be as simple as an End of Season Sale or something more intense like a Fashion Show.  Then using this as a base look at hooking up with other complimentary suppliers who are aimed at a similar market and join forces for one of your marketing campaigns. For a teenage clothing End Of Season sale perhaps consider working with a music store on discounts and vouchers with each purchase. By aligning yourself with other stores or businesses targeting a similar market will strengthen your positioning and reinforce who and what your target market is.

There are many forms of inexpensive marketing and PR tools at your disposal. Consistent communication with your target market is what will make one business stand out from another. For businesses developing an ongoing plan spending little time often is more effective then high impact one hit campaigns. Get creative, but most of all stay true to your niche.

Best of luck in 2011 and a very Happy New Year.

Monday, December 13, 2010

A World Of Spanish Wines



Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar on Dominick Street in Galway have launched a new extended Wine Menu to include over 140 carefully chosen wines originating throughout Spain. Included on the new wine offering are wines exclusive to Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar plus new and exciting cavas and sherries.

For the novice the wine menu has been designed to be easily navigated taking all the hard work out of choosing the right wine. Suggestions for complimentary foods are offered on each. Cavas are catagorised by sweetnesss while the reds and whites are marked according to weight i.e. light, medium or full-bodied.

The region the wine comes from plays a major part in the taste of the wine, ultimately the grape type used making the difference for example the riojas use the tempranillo grape. Cava have illustrated the regions from which each wine originates along with a brief tasting note on each wine.

Jp McMahon, chef-patron explains "The new wine menu represents a journey across Spain, just as our tapas menu showcase over 50 regionally inspired tapas. We wanted to showcase the depth, quality, and regional diversity of Spanish wines. In the last ten years Spain has really found its footing with its own indigenous grapes and has started to produce amazing quality wines and sherries."

The philosophy held at Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar is one that promotes the Spanish way of eating, the unique tastes of regional Spain and a sense of introducing people to the colourful culture of Spain.

To view the exciting wine menu at Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar see www.cavarestaurant.ie






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