Cognac…paradis discovered

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What do you think you know about Cognac? A highly regarded fine spirit with timeless sophistication? A brandy to be sipped after dinner in large balloon-shaped glasses? A drink popular with rappers who drop brand names into their lyrics; so trendy in fact several including JAY Z now own their own brand of Cognac.

Well, this is all correct but there is so much more to Cognac as I recently discovered.

The regulatory body for Cognac – Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) – is on a crusade to position Cognac as a versatile spirit to be enjoyed in cocktails and matched with food; so they asked me to take a group of journalists to the appellation to discover more and raise awareness further of this innovative region.

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Ad campaigns are necessary for competition. But good PR educates people; that's all it is. - Steve Jobs., Invest in PR

Looking to invest in PR?

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If you are looking to invest and hire a PR consultant this year but are yet to be convinced, read these quotes from a handful of successful businessmen.

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freelance pr, major pr

Christmas is actually in July…who knew?

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Christmas is in July. Everyone knows this is the answer; that is if you work in the consumer PR sector or are indeed a lifestyle journalist.

Lead times of glossy magazines are arguably getting shorter but they still work to a three month (ish) deadline. The Christmas coverage starts in October therefore you need to showcase your festive offering in July.

Sourcing a Christmas tree in July is no mean feat I can assure you, and standing around it with a warming glass of sherry and mince pie in sweltering heat isn’t as enjoyable as when you are wearing your Christmas jumper on 25th December!

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freelance pr, major pr

How to pitch a story to the media

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Pitching a story should take as much time and consideration as writing a press release if you want the best chance of getting your story covered in the media.

You might believe your story has news value but it’s the journalists and editors you need to convince of that too.

When I was a journalist I remember endless calls to the newsroom from people who believed they had a story, when often they didn’t, which meant when someone did call in with something worth writing about I could be more dismissive than I should have been.

It must be newsworthy and relevant for you to pique someone’s interest. Don’t let your sales director tell you their new product should hit the headlines if there isn’t a story. PR isn’t a free advert.

Top Tips

1) Make sure you have a newsworthy story

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tips on how to write a press release

How to write a press release

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If you can’t afford the services of a PR expert either by employing someone to work in-house with you or on a freelance basis then why not have a go at doing it yourself?

This week I will be sharing top tips on how to write a press release and next week I will tell you how to pitch it right to have the best chance of ‎ getting your story published.

‎So the basic rules of how to write a press release are really very simple. These are what I call the fives Ws.

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