PR exercise

[Hayles]

Hi

I've had my thinking cap on since chatting to MattK and have come up with the following idea.

We need photographs of our food for our website. So the idea is to prepare a full buffet, get a photographer in to take all the pics we need and then open up the buffet to local, worthy local residents and gets lots of PR in the process. We're lucky to have our own venue to stage this.

The 'guests' would get a full, fancy buffet...... desserts....... tea & coffee and soft drinks all for free.

So, ideas please on how to get the maximum return from the event would be appreciated!

Who should we approach as the worthy recipients?
I was thinking of contacting Age Concern. We can't just advertise it and hope 40 people turn up, we need to reserve seats to ensure the right numbers. I want to steer away from offering it for the homeless as we'll probably get our photographer to take pics of the guests for our website too.

Should we get other businesses involved?
I was thinking of contacting some taxi firms to arrange reduced fares and a local wine supplier for free wine. But will it dilute our PR by having other companies involved?

Music?
We need some sort of music. Perhaps a salvation army band?

The event will happen towards the end of Jan to coincide with our new website going live and I was thinking of an 'afternoon tea' event/time.

(I will be getting a professional on the case with regard to the actual PR side)

Thanks again to Matt for all the sleepless nights since talking to him... :lol: :lol:

[Jayne]

Hi Hayles,

Why don't you wait while Valentines day, do a buffet and dance night and sell tickets for charity :D

You will probably sell more tickets then and get more coverage, maybe involve the local Newspaper.

Jayne :D

[MarkPearson]

Hi Hayles,

If you are producing your food for a photoshoot it is a great idea to turn this into a positive marketing tool, instead of the food going to waste.

What kind of location is the event at?

Is there passing trade = people?

Make sure you have business cards galore arranged on the buffet table.

Also think of the customers you want, you mentioned age concern, but are these old folk likely to use your services in the future? Not to mention most old folk are pretty funcy about 'fancy' food.

If you can invite locals and maybe business people.

As its a buffet why not invite as many people as you can

Produce posters and place in local shop windows and surrounding areas.

FREE luxury Buffet supplied by xxxxx (use your business name everywhere)

FREE drinks

Music etc...


It would be good to give the event a reason, besides we have piles of food to use up....

Party? Celebration? Charity event? Community get together? Meet and Greet?

[fastfences]

Just invite UKBF; we're all photogenic - me, macmyday, Claire, maybe nic, etc
Cheers, Nigel

[Eagle]

Speaking from experience, I wouldn't be at all happy with photographing all the food as it's cooked, prepared and waiting there for the locals to eat. Professional photography takes a lot of time if it's to be done right - and results wouldn't be too impressive if taken in situ like that. A studio shot would be preferable if your product is to look appetising. :) :)

[Jayne]

I don't agree with your comments Mark about old people, most of them are still young at heart and know how to have a good party given the chance. Plus most will have grandchildren, if you impress then, they will tell everyone they know :D

Trust me, I know :D

Jayne

[LindseyMHC]

Using the food in your photo shoot to an added advantage is a very good and cost-effective use of resources.

What do you want the end result to be? Do you just want to raise local awareness of the service/s your provide? If so, inviting local charities could be a good way of achieving this. Do you want to raise awareness amongst the business community? If so, personal invites to business people could work. Do you want to ........

Do you see what I am getting at? Basically, you should aim all your marketing activities directly at the market you want to target / reach. Once you have identified your target market then the rest will fall into place.

All the best,

Lindsey.

[Richard Glynn]

Speaking from experience, I wouldn't be at all happy with photographing all the food as it's cooked, prepared and waiting there for the locals to eat. Professional photography takes a lot of time if it's to be done right - and results wouldn't be too impressive if taken in situ like that. A studio shot would be preferable if your product is to look appetising. :) :)

Eagle's right.

Studio shots give you more control.

You might even be better buying in shots from an image broker. It's not like on holiday when you expect the food to look just like the picture!

I've said this in another thread but if you're looking to promote your goods / services you're better doing it using a media competition. This gives you more control over what appears. You can make direct selling statements. And occasionally the newspaper concerned (assuming a newspaper's the most important to you) will follow up with a photographer and story (although you won't have rights to the photos the newspaper takes)

1. Contact your key media and ask to speak to whoever looks after their 'media competitions'.
2. When you get through ask them what their 'minimum prize value' is and how much space they'll give you if for an exclusive competition to win one of your buffets if you can meet it.
3. Offer the one that gives you the best deal a free buffet to give away and use the space to promote you and your website.
4. Also consider regional lifestyle magazines (weddings) or business magazines (corporate) for this too. Whatever's going to make you the most cash.

[MarkPearson]

I don't agree with your comments Mark about old people, most of them are still young at heart and know how to have a good party given the chance. Plus most will have grandchildren, if you impress then, they will tell everyone they know :D

Trust me, I know :D

Jayne

Hi Jayne,

I have nothing against older folk, I was just saying that maybe more business could be drummed up by inviting business people etc.

My comments were from previous experience.

I am not saying they will not have a good time. I have just found that the older folk are not as adventurous with 'fancy' food. As other groups may be.

It really depends on the food being produced.

[Hayles]

Hi

Thanks for all your replies. It's given me lots to think about.

Our venue is 'off the beaten track' so no passing trade. I'd like to do it for a charity or a worthy cause (that'll be my good deed for the year!) and some of our best buffets are for 25 -50th wedding anniversaries as money isn't such an issue as it can be for young people getting married.

Our venue is booked for the valentines weekend and also the day itself. However, that could be an idea for an afternoon event on the 15th. A valentines tea dance (we have a dance floor at the venue). Jayne's right about older people and their children!

I don't know that business people would take time off to come and see us. I guess we could invite them as well as 40 others though so if they did come it would just be an added benefit.

I think the costs of a studio shoot would be too much for us - but I will look into it thank you as I hadn't thought of it. We want to have photos of our food instead of stock pics as I think it will be a good marketing tool on the web (people can see how good our food looks and we can pose a subtle question of why don't others show pics of their own food).

Would it be ok to be honest with the press and say the idea of the event has come about because of the need of the photo shoot?

We could run a competition in conjunction with a local (big) wedding fayre that our local paper runs... (which is about the same time I believe). Thanks for the idea Richard, I'll contact them tomorrow.

The idea has grown from not wanting to throw away the food so as you can see, we're open to ideas! Although Nigels idea might be too much for us. On second thoughts Nigel, you're welcome to attend if you'll be a waitress for us. Your uniform will be a frilly apron and not a lot else though!?

[Jayne]

Food is my business too Mark, some of our best customers where older, many have travelled the world and tried much more adventurous food than I could think of, you be surprised with some of the tails they've told me.

Plus we have done buffets too, it's my business :D

Old people discovered curry in the war I was told :lol:

Jayne

[LindseyMHC]

Would it be ok to be honest with the press and say the idea of the event has come about because of the need of the photo shoot?

In my honest (& experienced) opinion - Nope.

Lindsey.

[Eagle]

A press photographer won't carry the right kit needed to take a great 'commercial' shot of your food. And if you say that's the ulterior motive, they won't even turn up! :shock:

Besides, they'll own the photos and won't give you any to use on your site. :)

Suffice to say, commercial photography needs a commercial photographer!

[Hayles]

I'll get a photographer friend to do our photos.

No, he's not ideal (does portraits, weddings, etc.), but surely this would be ok for website photo's? He's got the lights etc and the background will be plain white.

As you know Eagle, I have just one photo on the site at the moment and the quality is ok and I took it (with very little thought and 'placing' I add!) on my little digital camera. It's not too bad is it?

And the pics of the food won't be the main focus of the website, not like, say, a photography or web designers site.

You've got me worried now Eagle!

[clairemackaness]

I'm sure it will be great Hayles, I'd love to come! I think a nice mix of business and pleasure is what you need. Try inviting locals from expensive housing estates with an invitation throught the door.

[Eagle]

No need to worry. :)

This is the type of photography you'll need - clean, bright and colourful!

Contrary to what I said above, this was actually taken 'in situ' in the clients kitchen (and with only a single flashgun) but the key thing was that I had the time to exploit it and wasn't under pressure to get the shot done before it was served. :)

http://www.eagleimagery.co.uk/temp/gastronomecol2_.jpg

[Hayles]

Any tips then Eagle? Do I see the plate in the background is on a plinth/glass? Any reason?

We'll do the shoot in the morning and invite people later. Food will go back into the chiller in between. So no pressure on the photographer.

[Eagle]

The shoot was a bit of a bind, to be honest - I was 'pinged' at the last minute and had to 'get busy' with little to no pre-planning. The props i.e. table cloths, glass plinths etc were just grabbed from what was available!

The plate on a plinth was just to give height to the display. Would'd have looked awkward on the table...

Never again though - I prefer to plan shoots if at all possible! :shock: :wink: :)

[directmarketingadvice]

Hayles

When thinking about who to invite, you should think about the groups that get a lot of coverage in your local press.

For example, where I live, the media gives a lot of coverage to events put on for sick or terminally ill kids.

So, if you were in Edinburgh and wanted publicity for your venue, throwing a party for sick kids with entertainment, would get you in the papers.

Doing it for older people would be likely to get you far less publicity (in Edin).

However, it may be different in your area.

Another group you might want to consider doing a free event for is ladies 40-60. For example, you could do a buffet/fashion show for them.

It might not get you much or any PR, but those women control a lot of leisure money and have a say in where a lot of events are staged. It could be a good investment, particularly if the clothes retailers would cover some of your costs.

Hope this helps.

Steve

PS I agree with Richard and Eagle about the photography.

[Richard Glynn]

Newspapers often have nominated charities and campaigns which they devote space to in the paper. Consider involvement with this - as Steve suggests - if you feel it will be read by the most potential customers possible.

Word of warning. Take care not to be perceived as profiteering - using people's misfortunes to promote your services.

[Copyqueen]

You could hold a networking lunch for members of the local business chamber or association - there are lots of these meeting all the time, all over the country, and members usually pay for the meal.

The main advantage would be that you would be reaching some of your target audience - what's more, you could do a presentation about the catering service (or just mingle and make a good impression). PR in the local papers might not reach as many people, and certainly wouldn't always reach the right ones. And you could give the fee to charity - killing two birds with one stone!

The point raised about older people having lots of contacts (grandchildren, families and old friends) is a good one. However, Age Concern usually supports older people who live alone, doesn't it? I hate to sound callous but if this is a PR exercise as well as a charity-benefiting exercise, maybe there is a better group of people to invite?

You could have a proper launch party and invite the event organisers from local hotels, PR agencies and publicity managers at local big businesses. But this doesn't involve a charity aspect at all...

And - it's just a thought but do you donate excess food to a local homeless shelter? In London they usually collect from restaurants and hotels for free. Of course it depends on how much excess you usually create, doesn't it?!

Anna

[Hayles]

Thanks for all the tips!

I don't know that we've got the time (or desire to be honest!) to organise a full on launch at the moment. As I say, I just needed a way of using up the food we're going to prepare for the photo shoot!

But you're all right about the target audience so what we're now thinking is to invite 40/50 people from a local church 'women's club'. for a Valentine's Tea Dance. We've had several bookings from the church congregation (Golden Weddings) so we think the ladies in the club would be good 'targets' as such (of course their partners would be invited too). I'd guess their average age is 55-65.

We've done lots of buffets where the Mayoress and our local MP have attended and I think we could get at least one of them along if we can give the event a 'newsy' theme and purpose....

[fastfences]

I'll get a photographer friend to do our photos.


Hi Hayles.
Don't forget the old cliche': Friends and business don't mix!!
regards, Nigel

[Pebble Communications]

I too have some reservations about using the same food to photograph/serve. If you just want a general 'banquet spread' photo you should be ok but if you want any close-ups you will probably be disappointed with the results. Food photography is a specialist area and rarely involves 'normal' edible food, it has had all sorts of things done to it to make it look fresh, juicy, hot, beautiful, 'mouth-watering' and normal food photographed just doesn't have quite the same effect.

Your photographer (if they are worth the fee) will be fiddling about with the food a lot and you should prepare some specially. for example, paint meats etc with a small paintbrush of glycerine for a tempting appearance, likewise cut fruit should get a layer so that it looks moist and juicy. Most food looks dried out in photos otherwise. It also all needs careful arranging and pulling around for that perfect impression. Perhaps you could do a selection for the photos and a separate spread for the guests?

If you are still looking for someone to help with the PR and/or event organisation, I am in your area. My office is Kent but I live in Essex and I work with a lot of small businesses and start-ups as well as larger organisations. Feel free to get in touch for a chat about this. E-mail me via my profile or see www.pebblecommunications.co.uk.

[dlinney]

Hi

This may be a long shot....(just joined the forum today) are you still looking for a photographer or have I missed the boat ?

Regards


Dave
www.dlinneyphotography.com
0771 4278690