PR/MARKETING

[Newbebe]

Hi,

I've been browsing this forum on and off and been reading some interesting and helpful posts.

Hope you don't mind me posting here, its just my post is related to your query. The big PR/Marketing area.

I'm working on the idea I have for few months now and ready to do the PR/Sales letter/Marketing thing but a little unsure whether I'm doing things the right way.

OK the launch date for this is Jan/Feb and I have so many things to clear up. Sometimes I don't know how you guys feel about posting and disclosing your idea to others, don't you not feel that the others could run away with your idea? Or is it just me? That's the problem I'm currently having is that I want people's advice and guidance but reluctant to disclose the whole business agenda but I need toooooooo.

How do you approach people for help especially if you have to disclose your idea, do people have to sign etc??

Any thoughts? :(

[gj]

Most people are so busy on their own initiatives they wouldn't have time to take your idea and do anything with it, even if they thought they could!

You will get much better advice if you give good details and there are plenty of people on the forum keen to give you the benefit of their experience etc.

You can always use the PM facility or email if you find someone who really seems to be helpful and trustworthy.

I also think some people in your situation hold bak on info in case people say it is an unworkable idea - I haven't seen any of that since I've been visiting the forum, people give encouragement but do help you to ask yourself the questions you should be asking to consider whether the business is viable - that must be a good thing rather than getting it underway, making a huge commitment - and then asking yourself whether it was worth it!

Hope you will feel comfortable giving us all a bit more info on the business.

Regards


Graham

[kyber]

That's an unworkable approach Graham.

[10 Yetis]

Newbebe,

The thing is, many questions people ask on this forum are quite general, although quite often related to a specific business.

This means that the same answers are given over and over, just adapted slightly to meet the requirements of the business concerned.

With this in mind, post away, if you don't feel comfortable putting the details of what your business does, then that is fair enough. Put general questions in and people will try to help.

There is a wide mix of areas on this forum, and with this comes a really excellent field of professionals who will help all they can.

By the way, by planning your PR/Marketing and Sales thing well in advance I think you are already one step ahead of alot of others in your position as they all to often leave these areas to the end.

[Newbebe]

Graham, Stuart and Andy thank you all for your posts.

I visit other forums too but I have been browsing ukbusinessforum for some time and I find that it has a friendly and down to earth type of approach, honest and resourful advice. Some site can be too corporate.

Anyway, just been reading my plans again and what I would like to do is produce e;g a general fashion guide to cover most topic but then underneath that I thought it would be resourceful if I produce a targeted/segmented fashion guide too, e.g one for women only, one for baby only somewhere along that line, just an example. Just need a bit of advice on this.

If you have any advice & input I would be grateful.

[Newbebe]

Hi guys,

Any thought & advice on my previous posting?? :(

Thanks

[10 Yetis]

Newbebe,

Hi there, not sure that I understand what you are looking for help with (and I have not even started drinking yet!)

Are you looking for advice on how you should go about marketing the fashion guide, or or you asking if we think the best route would be to have the guide split into sub category's, i.e. womans and babies fashion?

Please keep in mind I am currently wearing light brown jeans and a red Airwalk t-shirt so any fashion or style related tips from me would be entirely useless! :)

[Newbebe]

Hi Andy,

Appreciate your response. Sorry for waffling on, probably its me who's been drinking (only joking) but mind you I did have some of those chocs liquor.

Ok, e.g I have a Fashion Guide/Mag which will cover most of fashion stuff & issue in general and then I would also like to put together another fashion guide but concentrating on particular areas, ie: fashion guide exclusive contents for women, and another one for babies and so on. To sum up I would have:

1 x fashion guide/mag = to cover general things
1 x fashion guides exclusively for women
1 x fashion guide exclusively for babies

and so on. Just wonder if you have any opinions on this, not just for PR reason (I'll need to put this together soon). Whether should I only have 1 x Fashion Mag to cover general things or also produce the other specialised mags.

Hope that's better explained.

[10 Yetis]

Newbebe,

Aha, sorry... I have some cherry liquors on the go at the min, must be the season for them?

My first question would be: For efficiency reasons, would it not be cheaper to wrap up all the mags into one?

My second would be: Have you got the cash to start a new mag in the first place, they are a relatively expensive new business to start up and generally take longer to return a profit. You will also need to source articles and alike... but I imagine you will have this in mind.... if you have a forward features list, please let me know as I might be able to help you get help with stories from clients who workm in this field.

Don't take my post as a negative one, I think a new fashion mag is a great idea and the rewards are excellent especially if it is well executed and well received by readers.

You will need a very effective marketing and PR campaign (I know just just the person to help :) ) in order to make you stand out from the rest.

I hope we can chat more about this as I have long wanted to work on a project of this nature.

[Newbebe]

Andy,

I've just emailed you but forgotten to include my email address. Think you could get it if you click on my username.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Are you interested in PR/Marketing for fashion mag publication or fashion in general?

Thanks

[gj]

Mags can cost a huge amount to get off the ground, as Andy says, and the time to get a return can be unexpectedly long. How willyou get people to know the mag(s) exist and read them?

Andy's point about one mag to keep costs of production (and promotion) makes sense. You could always prepare specialist mags later if the main mag goes well and there is sufficient demand for specialist ones.

If you haven't done so yet, it would make sense to prepare a budget for production and marketing. Presumably Andy can help you with this.

Good luck

Graham

[10 Yetis]

Newbebe,

Got your email... will reply today.

As for my interests, I would say I am interested in fashion, my friends would say that it is not evident in the clothes that I wear.

I am very interested in the world of fashion PR and Marketing, it is one of the hardest markets to crack and maintain positioning in.