Growing up, I was told that it was important to give back to the community.  I feel so privileged that I get to do that at Traction by working for the nonprofit Fired Up For Kids.  We create the annual Colorado Firefighter Calendar, and each year we have two big events: our judging event in April and our debut event in August.  For this year’s debut event, which was on August 22nd, we wanted to get as much media coverage as possible so we could raise lots of money for The Children’s Hospital Burn Center!

With Rockies and Broncos games that night and the DNC coming into town that weekend, we had a lot to compete with.  We weren’t going to let that stop us!  We contacted TV, print and radio over a month in advance.  We knew their plates would be full with convention items starting in August, and it turns out all of our contacts were very appreciative of our “early bird gets the worm” style.  We were able to secure interviews and coverage well in advance of the event: five TV stations; seven print publications, including The Denver Post and Westword; and four radio stations.  Turns out we secured the most media coverage for this event, ever!

When it comes to event PR, contacting the media sooner than later is the best bet, especially when you’re competing with other events in town.  Don’t forget that you can also post your event on publications’ online calendars for free, including Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, YourHub, and Westword to name a few.  The secret to securing media for your event is finding the hook.  For Fired Up For Kids, we emphasized the sexy firefighters but most importantly the cause.  Now take these tips and break your own record!

Summer TV is notoriously bad. Our viewing options of late have been a poorly executed knock off of a Japanese game show, contestants vying to be Paris Hilton’s new BFF on MTV, and Celebrity Family Feud with Al Roker. The one bright spot in the summer lineup is the second season of AMC’s Mad Men, which I must admit we are a bit obsessed with in our house.

Not only is the show well written and engaging, but the style is worth talking about too. From elegant tweeds and jewel tones on the women to Tom Ford-esque tailoring for the men – the show is fashion heaven and this look is even resonating on the local level. Our client Floyd’s 99 Barbershop is seeing a resurgence of traditional 60’s haircuts and clients also get the signature hot lather neck shave. With services around the $19 range they’ll have you looking like Don Draper in no time. What’s not to like about 60’s style and 60’s pricing? Now that’s a refreshing change in this economy. The barbershop is definitely back and only time will tell if the three martini lunch is on its heels!