What's in store for this edition:
One piece of coverage can change your course forever.
The Power of PR
The power of PR can be clearly demonstrated when you visit a local restaurant and look on their walls. You’ll most likely see framed reviews written by a food journalist occupying proud space in the restaurant. Yesterday we visited a local family-run Italian restaurant and I counted at least 20 framed articles.
You will never find framed and mounted copies of advertisements, or other marketing material produced. Why? Because advertising simply doesn’t carry the weight or the credibility that public relations does.
While watching the Netflix movie Nonnas this principle was once again proven true. Most Hollywood films portrays PR inaccurately, this movie perfectly illustrated why PR is critical for business survival. And it’s all true.
The movie is based on a true story where Joe Scaravella opens a restaurant, Enoteca Maria, staffed by Italian grandmothers (“nonnas”) as chefs. Because the restaurant had virtually no customers, closure was on the horizon. Joe became desperate to generate business and decided to reach out to food critics, hoping to secure a review that could bring attention to his struggling restaurant.
When a food critic reviewed the restaurant (unbeknownst to Joe) and gave it a positive review, the impact was immediate. The positive PR coverage created a surge in business that not only saved the restaurant from closing but turned it into a thriving success. And they made a movie about it! This true story demonstrates how a single piece of positive media coverage can completely reverse a business's trajectory.
PR Lessons for any brand, organization, or business
What to do:
Tell a compelling story - The restaurant's unique concept of grandmother chefs naturally created an interesting narrative that journalists wanted to cover.
Media outreach - Joe actively reached out to food critics. Without this outreach, his restaurant would never have been discovered. Don't be discouraged by initial rejections—you're now on their radar for future opportunities.
Build long-term relationships - Cultivate ongoing relationships with journalists, publications, and influencers rather than treating media outreach as a one-time transaction.
What not to do:
Don’t wait for discovery - Hoping a journalist will find you by happenstance is a recipe for failure. And one step further, number 7 on my 12 PR Mistakes and How to Fix Them is: Don’t avoid sharing your story for fear of rejection. You must tell your story if you want them to publish it.
Don’t wait until the last minute - PR should be part of your strategy from the beginning, not a desperate final attempt. As the journalist noted, "You should have reached out months ago—my calendar is booked up." Strategic timing and comprehensive planning are essential.
Don’t send pitches to the to the wrong journalist - In the movie, Joe initially contacted a critic who only covered upscale Manhattan restaurants, not Staten Island establishments. Research your targets carefully.
Don't rely solely on PR - You still need solid marketing and business plans alongside PR efforts.
This local restaurant named Nonno’s (quite curiously a similar name to the movie, but no relation) proudly showing off it’s write-ups, clippings, and awards reinforces how important PR is to their business. And seeing the real-life Enoteca Maria restaurant featured in a full-length hollywood movie, is a perfect example of how smart, well thought out public relations efforts mixed with authentic storytelling can literally save a business from failure and transform it into a thriving success story.
The lesson is clear: Third-party credibility is powerful! While advertising tells people what you want them to know, public relations gets other to tell your story for you with a much greater impact and reach.
A wall of reviews, some going back 20 years, at a local Italian restaurant inspired this week’s newsletter.
“There is only one thing worse in life than being talked about, and that’s not being talked about.”
Do this now:
What makes you or your business compelling, interesting or different?
Do you have a list of journalists and publications that are ideal for your news?
Next time: How to use awards as a powerful PR tool.
Term to Learn
Clippings or Media Clips are the mentions of your brand in newspapers, blog posts, podcasts, magazines, television, and online media. The name comes from the act of cutting out these mentions in published media to put together a report for clients. Nowadays, this coverage is no longer physically clipped from media and instead is curated digitally, and can be automated through different tools and software.
FAQ
Q: Should I handle restaurant PR myself, or hire a PR firm?
A: This depends on your budget, time, and expertise. Professional PR firms have established media relationships and know the ins-and-outs of pitching stories, writing press releases, and developing contact lists. However, you can build an incredible PR strategy at any budget if you're willing to invest the time.
Get PR techniques from recent news.
Newsworthy
Happy Snacking
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How can you, if you’re an expert in a field, get quoted in an article?
Essential strategy:
Have a relationship with a reporter, so they know to call you when a particular topic comes up and they are looking for a quote from an expert.
Use PR tools that connect reporters looking for experts in various fields.
Pitch a reporter a compelling, relevant story idea that is backed up with facts, studies, or numbers.
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Be proactive in your outreach, be it direct pitches to various journalists or through using various tools to connect you with reporters looking for sources.
Useful PR Resources.
🧰 TOOLKIT
Qwoted
A platform that connects experts with journalists who need sources.
A free tool (with paid options available) for both journalists and sources.
If you are a subject matter expert, you can share your expertise with the media. You never know, they might just use you!
Tips for Qwoted: No AI written responses - ever! Answer their questions, follow their instructions, and nothing more. It’s a lot like SOS and HARO.
Thanks for tuning in to this weeks episode. Hopefully, you found it as tasty as the eggplant parm I had at Nonno’s.
What PR have you seen out in the wild?
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
🕶️
