Piggy Backing

I've got two kids and I therefore know exactly what piggy backing is, just ask my Chiropractor for the x-rays if you don't believe me. But just about anyone with a full set of limbs, a reasonable amount of fitness and an undying desire to hear kids squeal with laughter can do that.

However, piggy backing in PR terms requires a little more thought, a finger on the pulse of your product/service and an ability to react quickly and creatively.

Most journalists like to treat their stories like children. They like to nurture them, pampering them with love and affection, honing them and moulding them into perfect examples of their type and, if all of these actions come together, they like to watch them grow and develop in stature.

This is where piggy backing comes in. If you understand this basic desire of journalists to watch their stories grow, then piggy backing can become an opportunistic way to gain valuable column inches.

I have used this technique to great effect over the years and, by selecting the right story to piggy back, have generated world-wide publicity.

I do, of course, have the benefit of a team behind me that are always searching the media for the latest story. In fact, their appetite for news is bordering on the obscene. If news were food, they'd all look like John Prescott after a Christmas lunch with Rick Waller.

You can even try doing this yourself if you don't have a PR budget. Here's a little trick for you. If you own a double glazing company, type ‘double glazing' into Google news updates and each morning you'll receive a list of the latest relevant stories doing the rounds. All you need to do then is think about how you can exploit them. That's possibly where my team come in.

Seriously though, I urge you to give it a go. It's probably best to start with your local press. There are generally and multitude of stories here that are ripe for picking. You know the kind of stuff; save a hospital here, put a new road crossing there. Journos really like to keep these stories running as the can then position their paper as a champion for a cause; thereby building loyalty amongst their readership.

Think about how you're going to position your company and what you're going to add to the debate. You will really need an angle that a journalist can use to expand the article.

Then phone the newsdesk. Journalists are very busy and can be subjected to numerous dead end calls and requests every day. So be concise, polite and try to give an overview of your idea in as few words as possible. If you've done your job right, the journalist will show an interest - then you can expand.

I challenge you all to do it at least once of the coming few weeks. Please email me back and let me know of your successes. If you don't have any luck, you can always give me a call to help you out.

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