When I got hired to do the PR for the Eye on Design 2009 with HGTV Interior Designer Vern Yip event taking place at Seattle Design Center, all the local glossy home magazines were already complete with their April editions. Still, reaching those readers was my highest priority, so I thought a bit outside the box.
- Could I suggest blog interviews with Vern Yip to appear on the blog for Seattle Homes & Lifestyles magazine?
- Could I suggest a mention in the magazine’s ezine to readers to enlist their interest and enthusiasm in the event?
- Could I suggest a blog contest that would invite perfect readers to write in and share their most pressing interior design questions for Vern to answer in person in exchange for the opportunity to win free tickets to this popular, high value event?
- Could I invite a regular interior design columnist for a widely circulated chain of community newspapers to interview Vern Yip and bring his message to those communities in one bold stroke?
- Could I enlist the interest of a popular human interest columnist with the Puget Sound Business Journal to interview Vern Yip for a possible personality profile in advance of event day?
- And, could I appeal to the publisher of NW Asian Weekly and Chinese Post to interview a nationally recognized Asian American — Vern Yip — who just happens to be coming to our fair city on April 25?
The answer to all of these questions is YES.
Seattle Homes & Lifestyle magazine is doing a fabulous job alerting their readers to this upcoming event. Robin Daly, one of the co-writers for the Design File column for Journal Newspapers, did a fabulous interview to debut in the April edition of the Journal newspapers, and all of the other items noted above are taking shape as I type this post.
When I got this assignment, I did a quick “Google” search to find out what I could read about the Eye on Design 2009 event at Seattle Design Center with Vern Yip. No references came up in the search. Just a couple weeks later, that situation has changed mightily. Check out this link to see how far and wide the news about Eye on Design 2009 with Vern Yip has traveled.
Publicity really can build the buzz. It’s a matter of thinking creatively and approaching the right media outlets with quality ideas that serve their readers. Good results are unfolding every day, and I have great confidence that every one of the 600 seats for this event will sell out soon. If you want to claim yours, here are two suggestions.
1) Enter the blog contest at Seattle Homes & Lifestyles magazine by sharing your most pressing interior design dilemma for Vern Yip. If your question is selected, you will win two tickets and enjoy a fabulous day enjoying the beauty and the bounty that Seattle Design Center has to offer.
2) If you want to be sure of your space on the event list, buy your tickets for $10 each by visiting this link.
