PuddleDucks Blog

When we first launched PuddleDucks we had good press coverage, but once you’re up and running it’s much trickier to get.  So I didn’t think that a small business like ours could get coverage in the national papers just by sending out an unrequested press release to lots of newsdesks and journalists. But … I was wrong. 

At DM’s suggestion we sent out a Press Release yesterday and low and behold – we have coverage in the Irish Times and the Examiner today. We also have interest from a number of weekly and monthly magazines. We had a number of new sales today due to this publicity.

I am a novice on this but here’s what I have learned about sending out Press Releases over the last 48 hours:

• you need an angle or newsworthy story. For us, this was the increase in sales due to the bad weather. “Bad weather means good business for Cork firm” was our headline.
• write it and draft it a few times – and get opinions
• email it to as many news and media organisations as possible
• be ready to field phone calls and emails
• have all your info at the ready. If you’re basing the story on financial information make sure you have hard facts at the ready (we didn’t!)

We attached some of our stock images with the release. However, the Times wanted a more animated photo with kids splashing in puddles. So panicking in mid-afternoon we asked our friend and photographer Rob to see if he could take a few photos of his kids in the rain. Obliging as ever, Rob took this photo of young Ruairi that ended up on the front page of the Business section in the Irish Times.

Ruairi in the Rain

I think the natural Cork rainfall may be been helped by water from the garden hose but anything for a good picture … !

We also uploaded the Press Release to www.irishpressreleases.ie and it can be viewed here.

Suzanne asked me to add that contrary to one of the reports today she is not a complete killjoy and does indeed like an occasional sunny summer’s day!

Aedan