Go (Ever)GREEN: Making News When There’s Nothing “New”
Written by PR Etc., Inc.
Published by Rockford Register Star
Monday, February 11, 2008

It’s easy to issue a news release or coordinate interviews when your company is offering a new product or service or an upcoming event is looming. It becomes a bit more difficult when there’s less of a hook or newness.

However, it’s just as critical to continue to gain name recognition for your organization and its brand throughout the year. In doing so, your company becomes what we term as “evergreen”: ensuring your organization is relevant throughout the year.

This also provides opportunities for your company to be thought leaders and experts on topics and issues other than just your announcements. Here are some ideas to get you rolling:

• If your business is an accounting practice, you can be relevant much more than the April 15th timeframe when the media regularly covers this topic. For example, what can individuals do during the summer months or prior to the end of the year to benefit them from a tax perspective?
• If you are a non-profit focused on children’s health, you can garner coverage more than just an annual fundraising event you might hold. For example, provide insight on how children’s habits change from the elementary to the middle school ages just before the start of the new academic year. Or, offer expertise on how the summer months might be beneficial or detrimental to a child’s health at the end of the school year.

Take a calendar and mark out special dates or times of the year that your organization can provide especially timely advice or specific expertise that is not associated with a specific company announcement. Then toss your story ideas to the media for possible interest. There really should be no time of the year when your business and/or its products cannot be relevant – your job is to find that evergreen hook.