BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Press releases are the bane of a journalists life. Most of them are just plain dull. Many are so full of meritless superlatives they take an age to sub-edit down. Some have no discernible news value whatsoever.
But a tiny percentage hit home, either because they contain genuinely newsworthy stuff, or because the sender has come up with an angle or an idea that sparks your interest.
Journo-cum-PR-bod Brant Richards generally sends releases that fall into this last category. A pre-Olympics release about medal hopefuls hand-delivering Brants On-one bikes to customers during the fuel crisis landed the MBUK contributor with some mainstream media coverage.
The release below isnt likely to get the same sort of success but it shows that with a little bit of wit, imagination, and bare-faced cheek, you can turn a stupid idea into one that might pique the interest of jaded hacks.
Its the kind of story that many mags may run as a small humourous filler item.
PROVISION SPONSOR CONDORS
When Steve Joughin of top UK clothing brand Provision recently told
his marketing consultant Brant Richards of Ferret Marketing that he
wanted to sponsor Condors in the year 2001, Richards immediately set the wheels in motion.
Ferret Marketing also handle the business of etailer On-one who recently
launched their innovative sponsorship program by supporting not cyclists
but endangered species at Chester zoo.
On-One said at the time Lets face it its better to support an endangered species than a bunch of smelly cyclists.
So when Joughin received his letter from Chester Zoo congratulating him
on his support of condors he was somewhat mystified ; whilst Joughin
was hoping to sponsor the succesful London cycle dealer – Condor Cycles.
Richards had taken his interest to be in the endangered species of bird
located at Chester Zoo.
Joughin said: "I know I am a useless ****, but that Richards doesnt know
his arse from his elbow."
Richards said: "I hope Provision dont give Ferret Marketing the arse because of this one small mistake."
Check out the Provision site at http://www.provisionclothing.co.uk
