^[1]The following 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. More about the SMART 100 ^[2].

This innovation, initially came to life when…

We wanted to help small businesses that couldn’t afford our PR fees to generate publicity themselves.

WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

Offer free DIY PR advice and sell up-to-date, qualified media lists. It is a great option for small businesses that can’t afford a PR agency but have ‘news’ to tell.

It does this by…

Selling segmented media lists from www.handleyourownpr.com.au and using the free advice on our site to go about generating editorial exposure.

PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

no one in Australia is selling media lists direct to small business. There are currently a couple of ‘trade’ packages available for the PR industry, but these are not really options for small business. It provides a cost effective alternative to using a PR agency.

Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

Great media lists available by category; e.g., fashion, parenting, health & fitness, news, etc. The lists are up to date and pre-qualified. They are real media contacts that have agreed to be on our lists.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

Either using a PR professional/agency which was often relatively expensive for small business, or not including PR in the mix.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Only PR trade competitors exist — AAP MediaNet and Margaret Gee. Neither of these are a great option for a small business such as a handbag designer or kids’ clothing label.

TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

Small business operators in Australia, particularly those who are used to trading online. In 2007 there were 1.8 million small businesses in Australia. Over the next 4 years 1,000,000 business names will be registered of which it is assumed 400,000 will be full time and in our target market.

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

Online via www.handleyourownpr.com.au. We are also opening a US branch soon.

Our marketing strategy is to…

PR of course! Social marketing, advertising, offers via industry bodies, giveaways, webinars & seminars. (We have a full plan if you’d like to see it.)

SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS INNOVATION

While the judging is now officially over, you can still show your support for this innovation in one of the following three ways:

1. Hit the VOTE UP button: Top left of each page (Not available for IE users)
2. Trigger a Reaction: Re-Tweet, Like on Facebook, etc
3. Leave a Comment: Share the love!

To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here ^[5].