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1. THE BEGINNING
This innovation came to life when…
I currently run a writing and PR agency, Strawberry Communications, and found many small and medium business owners wanted help to tell their story but didn’t have the funds needed for PR.
There was a gap in the market to help these people generate PR for themselves so they could kick their PR goals without having to outlay money they didn’t have yet. I developed an online group training program to cover all the information and tools business owners need to generate their own amazing PR and arm them with the confidence to get out and do it.
2. WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
Make Me a Star was developed with SME owners who want to generate their own publicity in mind. Nobody can tell a business’s story better than the founder because they infuse their tale with the passion media love.
It does this by…
The Make Me a Star program includes six one-hour online sessions covering:
• Building a media list
• Contacting media outlets
• Creating an editorial calendar
• Writing media pitches, press releases, articles and case studies
• Drawing everything together for a complete PR strategy
Participants also receive templates, ideas and admission to a private mastermind group to share ideas.
3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Working with a PR agency can cost thousands of dollars, and money is something SMEs don’t have an endless supply of. So instead of handing over monthly retainer fees to a PR agency, Make Me a Star reveals the inside secrets on how participants can generate PR for themselves.
The benefits to the customer/end-user include…
Not only will participants save money by not outlaying for PR retainers, but they can secure thousands of dollars worth of publicity for their business, be seen as the go-to person in their industry and boost their confidence.
4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Businesses previously paid a PR professional to generate publicity for them, tried contacting media themselves (with mixed success), or didn’t bother, hoping the media would eventually notice them.
Make Me a Star takes chance out of the equation because participants learn the value of starting and building relationships with the media.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
PR and marketing agencies, PR and marketing freelancers and business owners who handled their own marketing.
5. TARGET MARKET
This innovation is made for…
Small and medium business owners who are sick of seeing their competitor’s faces smiling out from the pages of New Idea or laughing on the couch with Mel and Kochie on Sunrise. Make Me a Star teaches participants how to share their stories, so they don’t keep missing out on those opportunities.
It also works for small startups that don’t have an extensive marketing budget, but understand they need to tell their audience what they offer to make sales and build their business.
6. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
The Strawberry Communications website. I am also considering packaging the beta course as a stand-alone training program for those who don’t/can’t sign up for the next session.
Our marketing strategy is to…
Make Me a Star has been marketed extensively through Strawberry Communications’ website, monthly newsletter, social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn) and has been shared by beta participants, who gave testimonials to use in future marketing. It has also been promoted through a launch media release.
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FINE PRINT
This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
