San Francisco Wedding Photographers – Choco Studio got an AMAZING 2-page spread in Gentry Magazine!!!
Ah, the world is abuzz about the next Royal Wedding. And while Prince William and Kate Middleton are enjoying their now public engagement, the magazine world is going nuts!
In the fast-paced world of internet news, editors better be prepared to run their stories as soon as major news breaks. But to get the readership, they better have a unique take on the event. For some smart editors that means preparing the story in advance – kind of like in the case of celebrities’ obituaries, which are often written years before the person actually dies (see Marilyn Johnson’s “The Dead Beat” book).
My favorite was Brides magazine, which was the best prepared with a great feature story with sketches of wedding dresses created by famous designers specifically for Kate to consider.
The other approach to covering a major news event of this caliber is doing a blog post with an unusual (did I say scandalist?) take.
Vanity Fair did a story on historical events briefer than Prince William and Kate’s engagement (I have to say although somewhat mean, it’s kind of funny)
Marie Claire ran a story asking whether Prince William and fiance Kate Middleton’s engagement will last. (This one is just plain mean and largely unnecessary).
I think the Royal Wedding – said to take place in spring or summer 2011 – and all its details from Princess Diana’s engagement ring to the wedding dress will give fodder to journalists for months.
I also bet it will have a major impact on wedding fashion.
Here are some highlights from the last few months:
Jewelry designer Yael Designs’ Pacifica tanzanite collection (and our model Krystyna) were featured on the cover of INDESIGN magazine in May
Yael’s gorgeous jewelry was also featured in Get Married magazine (see the deep blue ring in the center?):
…and Bridal Guide magazine:
Meanwhile, wedding photographer duo Choco Studio got a nice spread in Engagement 101 magazine:
We have more irons in the fire, so stay tuned for more updates!
Hollywood may as well be a medieval castle – if you’re on the inside you know all the dirty laundry, but if you’re on the outside breaking in takes a lot of courage, strategy and desire.
But while it’s not the easiest place to break into, Hollywood celebrity representation can make a huge difference in brand awareness for fashion brands like Yael Designs.
Celebrity placement involves stylist coordination, insurance, deadline shipping, buying stock photos and praying that the photos come out nice.
One tip: big, easily recognizable pieces work best. See the difference in these two pics of actress Melora Hardin (The Office) wearing Yael Designs jewelry at two different pre-award show parties:
Size matters: Can you see the jewelry here? Now, what about here?
If you have a local business, i.e. your customers can only use your product or service while living in the general vicinity, you should be concentrating on local PR.
Yes, an article in the New York Times or the UK Guardian will stroke your ego, but it will NOT necessarily bring you more direct business. We find that bigger, national press recognition works most effectively as a testimonial for your website, a framed picture on your office or storefront wall or even as a reprint for your marketing materials (been meaning to post examples of my favorite press pages so stay tuned!).
But if you’re looking for that phone to start ringing, get to know your local reporters!
When we first started working on PR for Sandbox Suites, we landed two huge stories within a span of 24 hours. The first story came out in San Francisco Chronicle – the Bay Area’s most well-read newspaper/local news site. The story talked about coworking as a new trend and mentioned Sandbox Suites along with a couple of other local spaces. The next day, New York Times ran a similar story – also with a focus on the coworking trend and also talking exclusively about San Francisco spaces.
Here is the reaction we received:
San Francisco Chronicle
New York Times
So target the publications that your audience actually reads and don’t forget to show off those big-name press clips.
You know it’s wedding season when my favorite wedding photographer client Choco Studio is getting featured in one wedding magazine and blog after another! 
Their Hawaii destination wedding was featured in the spring issue of the prestigious Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine:
Then, less than a month later, their Mexico destination wedding landed on the popular GetMarried magazine blog!
When working with clients, I try to approach getting press mentions creatively. While for wedding photographers Choco Studio I mostly concentrate on getting their beautiful wedding shots featured in wedding magazines, I also thought it was important to tell their own story. Especially because they’re themselves a recently engaged couple planning their own wedding.
We thought a wedding photographer couple planning their own wedding would be interesting. San Francisco Chronicle’s “On The Couch” writer Louise Rafkin agreed:
“It’s hard for men to know exactly when to propose, and many want to do it around family,” concurs Yehouda Saketkhou, chief designer for Yael Designs, a jewelry house in San Francisco. “Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are the busiest occasions for sales.”
Yael Designs has an impressive engagement ring collection:
