Archive for the ‘News’ Category

In my public relations class this past semester, we talked a lot about writing news releases and in particular, what makes a story newsworthy. Here are six important qualities that make a story newsworthy:

1. Oddity
2. Conflict
3. Known Principle
4. Impact
5. Proximity
6. Human Interest

When writing a news release, we want to make sure many outlets are interested in our story, because this will lead to publicity. If a news release includes one of the six qualities, we can ensure our story is newsworthy.

Oddity refers to something unusual that occurs; something that doesn’t happen everyday.

An example of conflict in the news is the debate over stem cell research, or the recent debates over a health care reformation. When there is a conflict, we can guarantee that it will be all over the news.

An example of known principle is the president. His every move is newsworthy.

Impact refers to something that impacts many people, the community, or the nation. An example of this is the economy.

Proximity refers to local news. Because self-interest is often high, if you can find a local angle in your story, it will make news.

An example of the human-interest component is ‘cute, nice, light-hearted stories’. If someone overcomes a controversy, or turns something negative into positive, the public will be interested.

*The most important news value is where you will distribute your release. It is crucial to know your audience and which media outlets meet the needs of your target audience.

So I’ve been meaning to blog about PR tips for months, and on this snowy December day I am FINALLY doing it. I usually make everything I want to do happen..sometimes it just takes me a little longer to get started. So here I am, and here’s my useful PR tip of the week: “How using both Facebook group and fan pages can help you spread the word.” I’ve been asked by two of my clients, Philly2Philly.com & Lifepages.com in the past week about the difference between the two, and decided that there’s no better time than now to explain to you how they both can help in the social media world. Yes, that’s right- don’t use one over the other. Both can help you get what you want in terms of outreach to the relevant group you’re trying to target. Facebook fan pages are the most popular right now because they work just like your own wall in terms of when you update your status it goes in everyone’s news feeds. That’s a benefit because you can get all of your “fans” to see your latest news. Also, when you create your fan page, you can set the page to automatically tweet your updates on your twitter account. That’s a double benefit for you and your message. The more followers that follow you = the more people who will see your news! I also recommend uploading your company’s logo or photo of what you’re promoting within the fan page itself. A catchy image can get you far. Remember the old saying that a picture is worth a 1000 words!

Now for all of you active facebookers, you should now know what a group page is.. or at least have heard of them, or joined groups yourself. My clients have asked me if they should get rid of their group pages, and I tell them NO! Group pages are good to directly send your followers a message to their inbox. You can’t do that with fan pages. Fan pages just send updates to their members that users never really click on in my opinion. SO that is the main reason why I suggest that you have and keep both a group & fan page. Both are important to target your followers.

So in a nutshell, the main difference is that a group page allows you to send your followers direct messages while the fan page allows you to post updates that your followers will receive in their news feeds.

Please check out this useful list from TheCommsCorner for all of your social media/PR needs:

My picks for the 99 most useful Social Media (and PR) Blog posts of 2009

http://thecommscorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/99-most-useful-social-media-pr-posts-of.html

If you have any questions please email me at jsherlock@jennacommunications.com.

Jenna Comunications presents McFadden’s Ballpark goes Hollywood. Party like a **ROCKSTAR** this New Year’s Eve!!

Get your tickets now! There is a limited number of tickets for sale for this intimate upscale event. Come party with us as we transform McFadden’s into a red carpet, VIP, celebrity style event.

Go to Hollywood without paying the price.

http://mcfaddenshollywoodnye.eventbrite.com/

Join us as we take over the ballpark:

*5 hour open bar
*Buffet + carving stations
*DJ’s spinning house, hip hop, mash-ups and more
*Celebrity look-a-likes
*Free parking
*Party favors
*Champaign toast at Midnight
*Professional coat check services
*Stunning décor

We’re bringing Hollywood with Philly’s sexiest crowd, so dress to impress!

We’re offering a limited number of specially priced advance tickets for $100 until December 25th.

General Admission tickets include:

General Admission tickets will be sold, and they are going fast! Buy now to get the Early Bird Discount rate of $100, which will only be available until December 25th.

Purchase your tickets early and save money; prices increase as New Year’s Eve approaches and this event WILL sell out.

Visit www.mcfaddensballpark.com or call 215.952.0300 for more details

*Jacket or Tie Required

Discounted rooms available at the Holiday Inn!

The Holiday Inn Stadium has offered a special room rate for the guest of Mcfadden’s on New Year’s Eve.

You can book your rooms by calling Tara Salerno @ (215)218-1432

Be sure to mention Mcfadden’s to receive the discounted rate of $119.00+ taxes

Mission: To bring your organization’s market share to the next level, via tuned in online marketing and public relations, in a cost-effective way.

Whitegate PR specializes in delivering multi-faceted marketing and strategic public relations campaigns, effective in reaching target audiences to meet –and exceed – client’s goals.

Dana Humphrey, PR & Marketing Consultant & Owner

Services

• Strategic Public Relations and Marketing Campaigns
• Email Marketing
• SEM: Search Engine Marketing, Pay-Per-Click Ad Campaigns
• SEO: Search Engine Optimization, Web Copywriter
• Special Event Planning

Contact

We look forward to hearing from you!

If you would like to contact Dana Humphrey directly, please call (619) 414-9307 or use the contact form @ Whitegate PR

In his long and storied career, Dan Aykroyd has worn many hats. In addition to his acting career, which kick-started when he became an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd is a successful screenwriter (Ghostbusters), musician (The Blues Brothers), wine maker, and now…….vodka distiller.  

That’s right. Aykroyd’s latest endeavor has him promoting his Crystal Head Vodka, which he was signing bottles of at the Philadelphia Wine & Spirits Store on Chestnut Street yesterday.

As the lines wrapped around the aisles, Aykroyd, one of the more jovial and approachable celebrities you will come across, ceremoniously burst through the side doors of the store, shouting “Merry Christmas Everybody!” as the crowd erupted into cheers. When I asked Aykroyd what the inspiration was for Crystal Head Vodka, his responses were thoughtful, clear, and what else? humorous.

“About two years ago I was in New York City with my good friend, John Alexander. He is a landscape artist and all kinds of people own his work: Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon, Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, myself. I was telling him about how I have the good fortune to be the importer to Canada for Patron Tequila. When I told him I was doing that, he said that he always wanted to do tequila in a glass skull to celebrate the Day of the Dead.” Aykroyd, who holds a strong belief in spiritualism, had an epiphany. “It just came to me in two minutes. I said ‘If we’re gonna do that, then we’re gonna bring back the legend of the crystal heads.’

Alexander then designed the skull, which looks like something directly out of an Indiana Jones movie. The tequila then became vodka. However, this isn’t JUST your ordinary vodka. It is quadruple distilled and filtered through Herkimer diamonds. In addition to the packaging and its one-of-a-kind design, Aykroyd takes great pride in the ingredients that are used to make the vodka. Moreover, he is quite pleased at the taster response, as well as the recognition its received from industry peers.

“When we first started the project two years ago, we had the bottle, the legend of the head, the celebrity tie-in. We had a fluid we liked. We had the inspiration to take all the additives out: no fusel oils, no glycol, no sugar, no citrus oils, and now I’ve got a real story to talk about because people are responding to the taste. When you drink vodka in a mixed drink, you’re drinking an additive like Red Bull, Clamato, or Orangina. They have certain additives in there to make them taste like they taste. So don’t you wanna drink a vodka that has no additives that’s completely stripped? If you’re doing a story based on empowerment and self enlightenment, you have to put a clean fluid in the bottle. So we stripped all the additives out, and we recently won a 91 Point Rating and two Silver Awards.”

Of course, you can’t talk to Dan Aykroyd in Philadelphia without mention of his classic comedy “Trading Places,” which was shot here in late 1982-early 1983.

“Architecturally this is such a beautiful city, and I knew this would be a great city to do it (the movie) in. Wow, we had a great time here doing that, and man we were young then,” he laughs.

During the last decade, Aykroyd’s numerous off-screen activities have forced him to cut down on his acting roles. And although he hasn’t walked away from movies altogether, he’s not exactly sure about plans for making the long-rumored “Ghostbusters 3.”  “We have to get a script first and see what happens.”

Until then, Dan Aykroyd has plenty of things to keep himself busy. An award-winning vodka will do that for you.

It’s time to get Naughty! Join us at Kooma in DE tonight for the biggest party after Labor Day. There’s also going to be a Naughty Girl contest for a chance to win $100 cash and a chance to be featured in the Naughty Girl 2010 Calendar. Bring a headshot with contact info to the event or email it to naughtygirls@jennacommunications.com.

The contest starts at 11pm, be there by 10:30 to register to enter. Come show off your naughty side!

DJ Aiden Scott will be spinning the hottest house music for the hottest crowd!

See ya there!

Check out  http://www.philly2philly.com- Everyday Philly for Everyday People.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, September 8, 2009 — Jenna Communications & Ortaneek announced today that the Laid Off Looking for Love tour kicks off in Philadelphia on September 24, 2009.  This event is the first of dozens of monthly events taking place in the tri-state area (NYC, Philadelphia, & Wilmington) at Public House USA, a premier restaurant and bar chain in all three cities.

Join us as several sexy singles including some local celebrities will be auctioned off, as ACTION NEWS Channel 6 ABC’s meteorologist ERICA GROW emcees the event. Laid off or not, you don’t want to miss a chance to win a date with some of Philly’s finest singles!

Also participating in the event is Philly2Philly.com, Philadelphia’s newest online destination for the everyday people of Philadelphia. Philly2Philly will be promoting Project Dig- a page on their Politics/Community page where readers adopt a worker who has suffered a job loss. The worker can have their profile posted on the page along with their resume for free! It’s just one of the many features of Philly2Philly.com- Everyday Philly for Everyday People.

There will be OPEN BAR, APPETIZERS, NETWORKING & DANCING from 6-8, with the date auction starting promptly at 8pm! Tickets are thirty dollars at the door or buy your ticket here: http://tinyurl.com/m349lg.

Jennifer Sherlock and Nicola Wedderburn came up with the idea after being laid off from their full-time job at Advanta Bank Corp.  Both ladies are entrepreneurs at heart, and after losing their jobs, they decided to pursue their passion of doing PR & special events. 

Sherlock is a former TV reporter turned PR star, and Wedderburn is a former wedding planner & business to business salesperson. 

“Everyone at one time or another will be laid off or will have to rise above some downfall in the workplace, and this event gives singles the chance to not only find love, but jobs in this time of need,” says Sherlock. 

Wedderburn thinks the event will change people’s outlook on being laid off.  “This recession makes people re-evaluate their lives, and what they need to do to make the right changes in their professional life.  What better way to get connected with others in the same position, and who may also be looking for love too.”

Both Sherlock & Wedderburn are single and will also be auctioned off at the event.  A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the SHARE Food Program to help those in need.

 ###

Media Contacts

Jenna Communications & Ortaneek presents “Laid Off Looking for Love” at Public House in Philadelphia on Thursday, September 24, 2009 from 6-9 pm. Public House is a premier restaurant and bar in Philly located at 1801 Arch St. with a casual yet sophisticated nitelife. Join us as several sexy singles, both men and women, will be auctioned off, as ACTION NEWS Ch. 6 ABC’s meteorologist ERICA GROW emcees the event. Laid off or not, you don’t want to miss a chance to win a date with some of Philly’s finest singles!

A percentage of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to help those in need of food, shelter, and other necessities.

There will be DANCING, NETWORKING, OPEN BAR and APPETIZERS from 6-8, with the date auction starting promptly at 8!

REGISTER at https://laidofflookingforlove.ticketleap.com/laid-off-looking-for-love-09-24-2009-18-0

Also participating in the event is Philly2Philly.com-Philadelphia’s newest online destination for the everyday people of Philadelphia. Philly2Philly will be promoting Project Dig- a page on their Politics/Community page where readers adopt a worker who has suffered a job loss. The worker can have their profile posted on the page along with their resume for free!  Just one of the many features of Philly2Philly.com- Everyday Philly for Everyday People.

Read more: http://www.philly2philly.com/politics_community/project_dig

The crew at Kooma

On Friday August 14, Jenna Communications & Ortaneek held their first event at Kooma, an upscale Asian Fusion restaurant. Kooma is located at 400 Justison St in Wilmington, DE, a new addition to the Delaware riverfront. (The restaurant was a big success in West Chester, PA, and has now expanded to the Delaware nightlife scene.)

As I arrived to the event at Kooma, I was surprised to see how beautiful and luxurious the area had become. Located on the waterfront, Kooma is surrounded by bars & restaurants, yet is not as crazy as the close-by Philly nightlife scene. My girlfriends and I took a walk along the water, and each enjoyed a glass of chilled wine before making our way to Kooma.

Once inside, I felt like I was in an upscale bar in Manhattan. The interior is very sleek, with high ceilings and dim lighting. On one side of the restaurant is a long, sweeping bar, and the other side is filled with elegant tables and chairs for dining. There is even a room in the back with another bar, perfect for small private parties and events!

One thing I will not forget about Kooma is their impressive martini menu. My friends and I ordered a variety of drinks including the “French Whore”, “Smooth Criminal” and the “Dirtee Dirtee”, all of which were delicious. We had fun ordering some of these by name!

Even more impressive than the martini menu is the list of sushi dishes. It was simply the best sushi I have ever tasted.

The atmosphere in the restaurant changed once DJ Aiden Scott began spinning some of his hot mixes. DJ Aiden Scott is well known around the Philly club scene, and definitely brought some energy to Delaware. As guests poured through the doors, and the drinks were flowing, everyone seemed to be having a very enjoyable night. I can’t wait for my next visit to Kooma!