Good Old Fashioned Creativity from the ICFF Press Room

During her coverage of the ICFF, DesignMilk picked up some pretty clever press materials and shares some favorites in their post-round up report, including a really great business card by designer Ufuk Keskin which looks like his Sheetseat - a folding chair made from one piece of plywood. (below) One thing that's so much fun about doing PR for design and architecture businesses is that the creative element is always at play. I've had such fun exercising my creative bone plenty to design clever press and marketing pieces for clients. But over the past five years, those printed pieces have been replaced by digital disk and memory sticks more and more. Albeit economical and "cool" in its own right, it can't compare to the fantastic and memorable press kits (and branding)  created by good old fashioned printing and paper.

Photos: (top -bottom) Design Milk, Ufuk Keskin

Stop Pushing! PR is Organic, Not Forced

In June, my client Allan Shulman will be hosting a book signing at the historic Barcardi Building during the AIA National Convention for his new book Miami Modern Metropolis, and Architectural Record has enthusiastically signed on as a supporting partner. I’m particularly excited about this event. Not just because it will be held on the amazing Plaza or that it’s in Miami, but because it’s a result of one introductory meeting I arranged with the magazine’s editor months ago.

You see, Shulman was much more than just his book. He was extremely knowledgeable about Miami architecture and urban development themes and he had this fantastic way of getting you excited about it. I knew that his expertise would be greatly appreciated and resourceful to the editors and pitched a meeting in New York. Just as I suspected, Shulman blew them away, sharing intimate knowledge and leads that went well beyond his own architectural projects and helped them produce the content for their June issue. Not only will the magazine publish a book review, but Allan will be a featured interview on the magazine’s web site about Miami architecture, and he’s been asked to write a bylined article for the issue too.

PR is not forced, it’s organic. It flourishes when you’re strategically giving, rather than selfishly expecting. And it’s so exciting to watch. Without literally sitting in on editorial and business meetings, I couldn’t have developed and pitched all those ideas to the magazine. Nor was it my job to. It’s the editor’s job to consider the sources and use them to support their editorial and business goals. It’s my job to understand the media’s needs and be resourceful. With thoughtful strategy and good timing, Shulman now has a working relationship with one of the most esteemed architectural magazines on the market.

Instead of just asking “what can I get,” think about what you know and how you can help the media produce great stories. Then step back, let them do their job and watch the opportunities sprout naturally. Only then will you truly experience the organic nature of a good media relations campaign.