This is how press relations work in retail - Part 1

You have a new product range and would like to tell the whole world about it? You've put a lot of dedication and heart and soul into making your shop look smart and no one is writing about it? There are ways and means for successful retail PR: simply follow these three steps to success.

The first step to success is to approach the right journalist in the right way and at the right time. To ensure that the press will cover you and your business in the future, you should first of all get an overview of the local media landscape. This is especially important because your customers are also from the region and are connected to the local newspaper and local publications. In your list, you may by no means forget the local bloggers. Because bloggers are important and above all authentic opinion makers. Especially among younger target groups, they are often considered more credible. Online event directories are also an important component for successful PR in trade. The free advertising and community newspapers should not be underestimated. 

Find contact persons

No story, no press

You have written down all your questions and want to call the editorial office right away? Stop! Before you get started, you first have to internalise the basics of PR: no story, no press! Even if you as a retailer think your new product range is great, the journalist has certainly seen it a thousand times before. And even if he doesn't know it, why should he write about it? That would be a pure product report and the journalist lacks a suitable hook. The journalist sees a new product, a new range or a new service as a normal economic achievement of a company, as a matter of course. This has no news value for a journalist and is therefore not worth mentioning. Journalists do not make advertisements for a particular business or product, because that would be the responsibility of the advertising department and they would charge you for it.

Of course, there are exceptions to this: If you have a revolutionary product, like Apple's iPhone at the time, that is worth a report for journalists. Journalists also write about certain products if there is a high level of interest on the part of consumers. Apple is a good example of this, because the Californian company has created a hype around its products. Another exception are products or services that are considered cultural assets of our society. Examples here are books, music or even plays.

Conveying added value

But unless you are Apple or have an absolutely revolutionary product up your sleeve, you won't get very far with commercial stories. The press lacks the added value of the message for the reader. They need an extraordinary message that goes beyond the product, the range or the service. This is where our second step comes in: Your message must bring something to the reader or entertain him. Because journalists want to impart knowledge to their readers and tell them something new. It should be useful or meaningful to the reader.