Getting your product in the limelight, whether it be a magazine or newspaper, on the set of a TV show or actually on a celebrity, can reap huge rewards in terms of brand exposure, buzz and bucks for your bottom line. And once you get mentioned in the media, posting these clips on your testimonial page clearly helps convert browsers into buyers.
But how does a small e-tailer make it happen? There are several approaches you can take, with some requiring paying outside help, naturally, while others simply involve a bit of moxie and creativity on your part. Fortunately, the former isn't as pricey and smarmy as you may think, and the latter doesn't take an M.B.A. in marketing.
For instance, you may have read in our story Find Your Niche for Fun and Profits that Brooks Lambert of TheBeerbelly.com sent a pitch to the technology blog Gizmodo days after setting up his Web shop. Gizmodo played it big and it was picked up by the mainstream media, which led to millions of hits and countless repeat interviews. The lesson learned here is to go ahead and take the few minutes to send some targeted missives to the appropriate bloggers in your industry, but don't be afraid to woo some on the fringe, too.
Think Outside the Blog What wasn't included in that article is another way Lambert got his message out — by seizing opportunities instead of dismissing them. When the Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly was in his area for a book signing, Lambert's wife, a huge fan of Reilly's, showed up at the signing and gave him the beverage bag as a present. It resulted in Reilly writing a first-person column on his experience using one, which spurred a whole new round of free press for the company, not to mention getting the attention of SI's readership. "He used it and had a blast," said Lambert. "How else would that have happened?"
Another relatively easy way to get exposure for your products is by starting out with specialty magazines that cater to a specific demographic. Jennifer Perkins, the creative jeweler behind NaughtySecretaryClub.com, for example, quit her job on three days' notice to run the Web site full-time, overwhelmed by orders after being mentioned in the women's pop-culture 'zine Bust. She also advertises in niche magazines such as Venus, Adorn and Ready Made because the prices are affordable and they cater to her core audience.
Since then, she's landed gigs on the DIY TV network and also got the attention of editors at newspapers and magazines such as Cosmo Girl and Teen Vogue, among many others. The success of NSC proves that once you get the word out in "indie" venues, mainstream editorial coverage will often follow, showcasing you as a "hip" discovery.
For some e-tailers, such as SexyFurnishings.com, getting product placement is as simple as having a Web site that showcases your more interesting products. "To be honest, they seem to find us, usually while surfing the Web," said Ronda Prokop, who handles media requests for the company. "Must be the sexy name. It also doesn't hurt to have our products showcased by designers and architects we work with."
Know for its mix of modern furniture, lip-shaped sofas and stiletto-shaped chairs, the company's products have been featured on numerous home-improvement shows and Saturday Night Live, as well as in Playboy and the Washington Post.
In one particularly creative branding effort, Jamster.com, an online store selling mobile content such as ring tones, conjured up a mascot, "Axel F," a frog that released a "single" and its own online music video some time back. Before you start croaking at this whimsical approach, listen to this: Axel's single topped the U.K. singles chart, and according to the Lycos 50 Blog, was "so hot that it prevented Coldplay's new single from entering the number one spot." You can't buy that type of press.
Find Yourself a Relief Pitcher Of course if you're not lucky enough to be discovered, all of this legwork requires time, which is one thing many Web shop owners have precious little of to spare. If you want to hire a public relations firm, but fear they're cost-prohibitive, try a boutique firm such as DJH Marketing Communications, Inc., which specializes in small online-only stores and has a successful track record with 80stees.com.
"With online businesses, you can have a great product, buy Google AdWords, banner ads, do SEO and drive a ton of traffic to your site, but the fact is, consumers don't buy online from brands they don't trust, and no tool is as effective, or as quick, as third-party media coverage in building that trust," said Dave Hochman, owner of DJH.
Light Up Your Coverage: Vintage t-shirt seller 80stees.com joins Snoop Dogg in recent issue.
A point-person such as Hochman means you have someone who is dedicating lots of time and energy getting you into the big weeklies, as well as tracking celebrities. Hochman scans pictures and broadcast interviews to see what the stars are wearing. When he noticed that Tim Allen was wearing an AC/DC shirt made by a popular brand sold at 80stees.com he jumped. "When we saw he wore it on screen, we let the media know you could buy it at 80stees, mentioned it on the site blog, put it out there," he said. "That's how you capitalize on the opportunity. If we see a shirt we sell on any celebrity, we're all over that angle."
He also got the site's Star Wars boxer shorts featured in the Entertainment Weekly annual gift guide, a process that began in October. Hochman sent the product to an editor, who reviewed the site and ultimately included it in coverage. "The whole process took a great deal of e-mailing, phone follow-ups and paperwork. It's not an ad-hoc protocol," he said. "The biggest crunch time for 80stees is the holiday season and with just 13 employees, they don't have time to handhold journalists." The shirt seller is featured in dozens of publications, for a list visit their press page. Hochman said he could not quote a price range for his services, because each client and campaign is different. However, he said he does not charge per hour and emphasizes his ability to undercut larger firms with more overhead costs and staff.
Free Press: Exercise your rights by getting into the mainstream media.
"If I believe in the product, I am willing to work with a budget, to be flexible enough so that it's affordable for a small business," said Hochman. "I can set up a PR program for you and turn it over to you to run yourself, and big PR firms won't do that, they keep their media lists secret. But the thing is, none of my clients do that, they just keep me doing projects for them because they get results."
Hitch Yourself to a Shooting Star Meanwhile, product placement may indeed be the future of brand awareness. There are firms that work with set designer and stylists and focus exclusively on product placement, such as Set Resources, the company responsible for getting its client's beer on Grey's Anatomy and another's wine on the Sopranos.
Sales for the wine client, which does very little other marketing, were up 49 percent from 2003 to 2004 after signing on Set Resources at the end of 2002, said Whitney Low, the entertainment marketer for Set Resources. The brand was also written up in Wine Spectator and the Los Angeles Times. Though this type of service may be too expensive for the small Web shop owner, there are other trends gaining traction that are worth noting. "There's a lot going on in terms of e-commerce," said Low. "There's technology being developed in our company where you can go watch a video of, say, Kelly Clarkson, see what she's wearing and click on her bracelet to find out where to buy and even print out a coupon for it."
Similar methods are already being undertaken by sites such as Like.com that allow shoppers to find knock-offs of celebrity accessories through a visual search. Listing on these types of sites gives e-tailers yet another venue for selling their goods, and can increase their chances for getting free press if showcased with a celebrity tie-in.
In another instance of the expanding relationship between product placement and e-commerce, viewers of a new Michael Eisner-backed online teen mystery series will be able to buy items they see on the show, according to a ClickZ news report.
Called "Prom Queen," the online series, expected to be split into 80 shows of 90 seconds each, is slated to run online April 2. While viewers watch, they can purchase products, including clothing, electronics and furnishings, they see on the set by visiting StarStyle.com, a portal owned by Entertainment Media Works, states the article.
And while, for now, more well-known brands are the ones being featured, it could signal a way for small e-tailers to get into the action in the future if they are savvy enough to build relationships with these types of industry players.
Bottom Line: Don't Be Shy…You Could Be A Star You'll never know if you can get your merchandise into the mainstream media unless you try, and it's an effort you can't afford not to undertake. Whether through blogs, 'zines, boutique PR firms or specialty search sites, it's time for your big audition.
Michelle Megna is managing editor of ECommerce-Guide.com.
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Getting Your Product in the Spotlight
