Public Relations: How to Tie Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue to the Weather

One day a few years ago, I was headed home in my car, listening to the radio during the late afternoon drive-time. Rain storms had just ravaged much of Wisconsin. Sewers were overflowing. Basements were flooding.

Homeowners had bought every small engine and generator in the state, which they used to remove water from basements. And on that afternoon, there wasn’t a generator to be found in a store anywhere.

A local radio talk show host took a call from a company in Minneapolis that makes small engines that remove humidity from basements. The company president was given time to explain the procedure, and the talk show host even mentioned the company’s toll-free number several times.

It must have been a slow news day, because the host devoted at least 10 minutes to that segment. If the company had bought a 10-minute ad on that same station, it would have paid several thousand dollars. Yet the company was smart enough to piggyback onto the weather problem in neighboring Wisconsin and use it to promote its own product.

Free Tips

--Does your company provide a weather-related product or service, like snow rakes?

--Do you help people stay safe during bad weather? If so, offer free advice. Driving schools and insurance companies, for example, can offer a list of tips on how to drive on snowy, icy roads. Hospitals, non-profit organizations and other groups that work with the elderly can offer tips on how to keep older folks safe and comfortable during heat waves and cold snaps.

--How is your business affected by good or bad weather? Call either the reporter who is writing a weather story, or let your local business reporter know. It could be a story for the business page. Remember to mention any special sales or offers you have started as a result of the weather. (See Special Report #25: How to Pitch Reports Over the Telephone and Make Every Second Count”)

--Offer your experts who can comment on a wide variety of weather-related problems—from sunburn to food poisoning. Create a simple “experts list” with the names of your experts, all contact information, and their area of expertise. When unusual weather hits, fax the experts list to local newspapers and TV stations. Be sure your experts are willing to offer lots of tips and free advice, and that they are accessible when the media call. Include your experts’ home phone numbers on the experts list, with their permission

--How is your business travel affected by the weather? For example, if you’re a professional speaker who has been stranded at the airport for the third time in a week because of heavy snow, call the local TV stations and let them know. Don’t forget to weave into the interview what you do for a living.

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