A while ago, we traveled to Oahu with a friend and client who is also a local college culinary arts professor. We were eating at a restaurant and as soon as the waitress approached, our client looked at the waitress’ name tag and addressed her by name. After Kara took our order, our client explained, “You know, I always put this question on my students’ test: what’s the name of the janitor who cleans here?” He said that students in the service industry need to understand that everyone in a restaurant is important, from the dishwasher to the chef, and should be recognized for making the business work. (more…)
Fujita&Miura
Public Relations Blog
Archive for the ‘Small Businesses PR’ Category
Target Publics: What’s the Janitor’s Name?
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011Hiring a PR Consultant: How it Works
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
The one thing all of our potential clients, large and small, want to know when they’re considering hiring us is, “How does it work?” Hiring any consultant is an investment so it’s important to be prepared before jumping in. We can’t tell you how all consultants work, but we can give you an overview of what happens before we sign a contract with a client. (more…)
Timing is (Almost) Everything
Thursday, December 30th, 2010
One thing’s for sure, you realize how important timing is when it’s bad. Like when you have a nine-pound fully-cooked ham and you think it’ll only take 15 minutes to warm up until you realize the directions say 15 minutes per pound. Or when you buy a load of stock and the next day the price falls $10 per share and isn’t expected to recover for the next few years. Well, it’s the same thing in PR. Timing is critical. (more…)
Happy Anniversary
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
A few weeks ago, Fujita & Miura Public Relations celebrated its 10th anniversary. We can’t believe 10 years passed so quickly. We’d like to extend a big mahalo to all of our clients, `ohana, friends, and mentors who helped us survive and thrive through the years. We’d also like to consider the PR opportunities that anniversaries offer.
Public Relations: Holiday Style
Friday, December 17th, 2010
The holidays are not only a time for food and festivities, but they also present excellent public relations (PR) opportunities for businesses. Now is the perfect time to focus on your business relationships with employees, customers, shareholders, vendors, legislators or other local businesses; thank those who’ve helped your company run smoothly throughout the year; and spread the holiday cheer.
The following are a few ways to put a little PR spice into your business’ holiday strategy: (more…)
How to Write a Press Release
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
How do reporters know about all the important things happening in the community? One of the most common ways news stories are generated is through press releases. A press, or news, release is a document that is issued to the media and highlights a newsworthy topic about an organization or individual, in hopes that the media will print or broadcast the story. While social media and other emerging methods of pitching stories to reporters are increasingly available, the traditional press release can go a long way for many businesses. (more…)
How to Get What You Want: Ask
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
Do you know what the first rule is of getting what you want? Ask. Yes, that’s it. We have been intrigued over the years at how often nonprofits simply forget to ask for a donation. By the same token, prior to the recent election, many candidates whom we know, some very well, never asked directly for our vote. Whether it’s fundraising, political campaigning, or selling a product or service, you must connect with your potential donors, voters, or consumers and ask them to do what you want them to. The PR key is asking the right people in a gracious and effective way, at the right time. (more…)
Keep Your Current Customers
Friday, October 1st, 2010
We’ve all seen those promotions that companies use to try and attract new customers – gifts, cut rates, special offers, etc. Those kinds of efforts are great and there is a place for recruiting new business, for sure. But what about your current customers, those folks that have stuck with you through all the economic ups and downs, those donors who give a little each year? They are your most valuable assets, and they deserve stewarding and attention. (more…)
Keeping it Positive
Friday, July 30th, 2010
We recently had the good fortune to attend a scholarship luncheon where we met scholarship recipients and their parents. It was interesting to hear the stories of how parents raised these achievers, and what the students’ future plans were. We made some striking observations.
The students were all unique individuals and it was clear by meeting all of them that you really can’t judge books by their covers. You might see them around town but you might never guess that one is going to an Ivy League university, or that one comes from a single-parent home, or that one has never traveled away from Hawai`i. All the same, these kids were ambitious and focused. Their parents were all very supportive of their children and had obviously provided them with guidance over the years. The thing that struck us though was that the students and parents alike had an unfailing positive attitude. They had big, clear dreams, they felt great about the future, they believed that what was ahead would be fun and good, and though many of them had struggled one way or another in the past, they learned from those challenges and used the lessons to fortify themselves. None of them were daunted in any way. And none of them had anything that you and I don’t have, except maybe the right attitude.
In these times, when we’re facing economic challenges, environmental disasters, war, and day-to-day personal trials, the positive attitude displayed by the scholarship recipients and their families is something that can only help matters. Likewise, when you consider your business dealings and how you think and speak about your business, do so in a way that displays your optimism. That kind of positive energy is very attractive to consumers and the public in general. It’s also contagious, and we could all use a shot of optimism now. So dissipate any negative thoughts of fear and loathing and replace them with the bright side. You will become a business magnet. Or magnate as the case may be.
PR Starts with You
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Many think that successful public relations (PR) efforts are solely the result of ingenious strategy and perfectly timed implementation. While that’s partially true, your outward appearance has a considerable effect on PR. We all have bad days when we’re running late, and once we finally get to work, realize that we forgot some documents at home, or even worse, didn’t brush our teeth! But one bad day can create a nearly permanent bad image of your company.
You know the basics of presenting yourself well: have good hygiene, dress appropriately, and be neat. Here are a few “advanced” tips to making stunning impressions: (more…)
Subscribe to this Blog's RSS feed.