Do you use the words “please” and “thank you” very often? When working with the media, being nice and including the words “please” and “thank you” can make all the difference in the world.

Whether you’re communicating via phone or email, journalists tend to be short and quick in their replies as they are extremely busy. On top of developing, researching and writing stories at a fast pace to make their deadlines, they literally have hundreds of people asking them for coverage every day.

So how can you make their life a little easier? Be a pleasure to work with!

1. Be nice. Did the reporter snap at you? Shake it off and move on. Did you make a mistake and the reporter is offended? Apologize and ask if there’s something you can do to remedy the situation.
2. Include the words “please” and “thank you” in your conversation or email – especially if they confirm coverage. You don’t have to fall all over yourself, but incorporating these words into your correspondence shows the reporter that you know they’re doing you a favor.

You’d be surprised at how many people don’t remember their manners when working with the media. Being friendly and appreciative never hurts, and usually puts others in a better mood, which ultimately makes your job easier, too!

Photo Credit: vistamommy

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What is it? Rozenhart Family Chiropractic is a women-and-family-owned wellness center dedicated to serving the greater community area of San Jose, Calif. with holistic, gentle and effective family chiropractic care. Created by two sisters, Rozenhart Family Chiropractic offers patients of all ages – even infants – a healthier quality of life and pain relief through education, chiropractic adjustments and nutrition.

Rozenhart Family Chiropractic proudly supports patients on their path to optimal health by focusing on the body’s innate healing force. With state-of-the-art technology at their fingertips, Rozenhart Family Chiropractic’s goal is to find, locate and remove subluxation, a condition that interferes with the body’s optimal functioning.

Rozenhart Family Chiropractic has found that many patients seek chiropractic care for a specific problem (such as back pain, neck pain or headaches) and stay for additional treatments after experiencing positive side effects: better energy, elimination, digestion and sleep, in addition to more energy overall.

Story Ideas:

1. Business Booming Despite the Recession – Doctors Stephanie and Jennifer Rozenhart opened Rozenhart Family Chiropractic’s doors in January 2008, not realizing what was around the corner. Despite the current recession, business took off and continues to be extremely good for these two sisters!
2. It’s All in the Family – Rozenhart Family Chiropractic is a family business down to the core. Started by two sisters, the care and wellness center often sees parents and their children during regular appointments.
3. Chiropractic Care Beyond the Back and Neck – Although many patients at Rozenhart Family Chiropractic initially come in for back and neck pain, Doctors Stephanie and Jennifer Rozenhart know all too well it often signals a larger concern. With their state-of-the-art technology certified by a branch of NASA and unique to a mere five chiropractic offices in the entire Bay Area, these ladies are able to detect the source of the problem and help alleviate pain through a whole-body approach.

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Where is it? More information about Rozenhart Family Chiropractic is available online at www.rozenhartchiro.com. Consumers can contact them via:

Phone: 408-979-9999
Email: drrozenhart [AT] creatingwellnesscenters [DOT] com
Office: 4620-B Meridian Avenue, San Jose Calif. 95124.

Office Hours:
Monday, 8am-11am and 3pm6pm
Wednesday, 8am-11am and 3pm-6pm
Thursday, 8am-11 am and 3pm-7pm
Friday, 8am-11am

How much is it? Rozenhart Family Chiropractic is happy to work with patients’ insurance companies which often cover some of the cost of chiropractic care. The office is also willing to work with patients one-on-one to arrange payment plans and other financial options.

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What else? Rozenhart Family Chiropractic was created by two sisters with over 20 years of combined experience – Dr. Jennifer Rozenhart and Dr. Stephanie Rozenhart (who specializes in pregnancy and pediatrics). Both sisters completed their chiropractic training at Palmer College of Chiropractic West in San Jose following undergraduate degrees from the University of Alberta in Canada.

Doctors Stephanie and Jennifer are currently training to complete the CCA’s 100 Year Lifestyle Certification, a program that provides doctors of chiropractic the knowledge and tools to educate and transition patients to a chiropractic lifestyle that helps them achieve peak performance, greater quality of life and longevity. Completion is scheduled for this June.

Outside the office, Dr. Stephanie is generally hiking, yoga-ing or traveling, and Dr. Jennifer can be found with her family, cooking, hiking or reading.

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Tune in here: http://bit.ly/aK1Onh.

Press Releases are often old-fashioned and ineffective. A much more successful and strategic way to contact the media can be a well-written pitch – a customized note that describes your product or service in a compelling and brief email to the press. This written informational tease contains just enough detail to wet the appetite of the media, and ideally peaks their interest enough to request samples or more information.

Three Girls’ pitches are based on an incredibly unique proprietary formula developed by our CEO, Erika Taylor Montgomery. With nearly 20 years as a broadcast personality and journalist, she knows exactly how the media wants information presented – and our pitches do just that. We’ve even received multiple kudos from members of the press who truly appreciate the way we pitch them.

For more information about this Al La Carte PR option, or for other services available, give us a call at 408-871-0377 or send an email.

1. When to use i.e. in a sentence http://bit.ly/ci1mBl – The Oatmeal put together this fun, illustrated explanation of when i.e. should be used in a sentence.
2. 6 PR myths smart marketers must douse http://bit.ly/d2YaIJ – This post reveals the truth about six common public relations myths like “PR drives sales” and “PR is about press releases.” Read the full article for explanations and more info.
3. Ingredients of the “Pitchwich” http://bit.ly/91cF3C – This creative post uses the analogy of a sandwich to provide insight into crafting the perfect pitch.
4. How to pitch a busy TV reporter http://bit.ly/9qywUp – This article shares the insight of Chicago’s WGN TV’s medical reporter Dina Bair, and provides a good list of tips to keep in mind when pitching TV (or really any) journalists.
5. How 5 historical figures might have harnessed social media http://bit.ly/99QhNP – This fun post considers how historical figures like King Henry V of England, Gandhi and Socrates would have used modern media like Facebook, Foursquare and blogs in their conquests.

Photo Credit: Toms Bauģis

What are they? Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows are handmade, all natural, low-fat intensely flavored marshmallows! Light, fluffy, billowy puffs of sticky, gooey goodness, all eight flavors of these delicious marshmallows are made the old fashioned way – handmade in a two day process of whipping to a heavenly lightness, and flavored with the absolute highest quality all-natural ingredients.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows are made by To Your Heart’s Content in the Los Angeles area. Prior to working with Three Girls, Plush Puffs had done no major marketing or PR and had only been featured on a few small websites. They were almost a year old when they began a media campaign with Three Girls.

GOALS: Plush Puffs wanted to increase their product’s retail distribution to high-end grocery stores as well as food service distribution to coffee shops and restaurants.

SOLUTIONS: Three Girls planned a nationwide media campaign focused on major consumer media such as Women’s & General Interest magazines, Food & Beverage publications, and Internet outlets. By positioning Plush Puffs in prominent, national press, Distributors and Retailers alike would see Plush Puffs’ popularity, giving them confidence to invest in the gourmet marshmallows. Positive editorial coverage would also drive consumer interest, increasing demand in stores as well as online orders of Plush Puffs.

RESULTS: As a result of the extensive media coverage produced by Three Girls, Plush Puffs has dramatically increased their wholesale market share and is currently in several major grocery outlets including Whole Foods and Draeger’s, as well as numerous boutique coffee houses and restaurants. Plush Puffs’ website traffic and consumer interest has also increased, with an extraordinary spike in orders following a feature segment on The Food Network’s ‘Sugar Rush.’

The following media coverage was the result of two nationwide media campaigns over a 1-year period. The primary target for both campaigns was magazine and internet coverage.

PLUSH PUFFS CAMPAIGN STATISTICS
Media Guarantee: 20 placements over a 1 year period
Total Media Placements Achieved: 48 (more than DOUBLE the Guarantee)
Percentage of Top & Mega-Tier Coverage: 44%
Combined media circulation: At least 16 million
PR Value*: $2.7 million (approx.)

MAGAZINES:

1. InStyle
2. Better Homes & Gardens
3. Women’s Day Kitchen’s & Baths Spring
4. All You
5. Cooking with Paula Deen
6. Romantic Homes
7. Travel Savvy
8. Woman’s Day
9. Buon Gusto (March)
10. People Magazine
11. Buon Gusto (Sept.)
12. City Life
13. Zink
14. Connecting @ Home Candy Industry (Trade)

INTERNET:

1. The Nibble
2. Variety
3. OneChicMama
4. The Daily Olive
5. Life Bites
6. Daily Candy
7. For All Events
8. Candy Industry News
9. LAFoodBlogging
10. Candy Addict
11. TheCelebrityCafe
12. Holiday Gifts
13. Born Famous
14. The Stylephile
15. Four Weeks
16. Feeds4All
17. Life Bites

NEWSPAPERS:

1. Los Angeles Times
2. The Independent
3. San Jose Mercury News
4. Wall Street Journal
5. Northwestern Indiana Times

BROADCAST:

1. The View
2. ABC News Now
3. ‘Sugar Rush,’ The Food Network

Curious how Three Girls can help your company? Email or call us (408-871-0377) to set up a complimentary 30-minute consultation!

*About PR Values: PR Value is not the same as Advertising Value. Ad value is based strictly on the size of an ad, and whether it is printed in Black & White or Color, and where it is physically located within the publication. Calculating PR Value takes much more into consideration including:

• Where was the coverage within the publication and where is it positioned on the page?
• Was the client included in the Table of Contents?
• Was a photo included?
• Was the coverage favorable?
• Was appropriate contact information included?
• Are there competitors mentioned of profiled in the article?

The methodology is not an exact science, but provides fact-based, consumer-researched, financial equivalents.

A half-page, color advertisement in a national magazine like Real Simple or People may cost $100,000 or more. The same size editorial feature about your Company’s products can easily equal $500,000 in PR Value!