Enjoy your own publicity for Red Nose Day

If you popped into your high street supermarket this morning and wondered why their staff were wearing fancy dress and rattling tins at their customers, don’t worry, it is not a new stealth tax initiative from our beloved Chancellor, its Red Nose Day!

Without doubt it’s a worthy cause, but have you ever wondered why national organisations like supermarkets and building societies support and encourage their staff to take time out of their working day to raise millions of pounds for charity?

No matter how benevolent the organisation, there has to be a payback. The huge amount of publicity and goodwill that these companies receive from the television and national press far outweighs the lost hours organising it.

The same principle applies to even the smallest business. Newspapers and trade journals are always looking for human-interest stories, and a major charity day is a superb opportunity to get your company name in the press.

However, opportunities to get press for your company are not just restricted to national charity days, so think about what is happening in your own business. Your staff’s professional and personal achievements, or perhaps your business receiving an industry award or accreditation will always be considered as good news items. For example, has someone passed a professional exam? Have you recently presented long service awards? Has any member of your staff run the London Marathon, climbed Mount Everest or is making a parachute jump for charity? All of these are newsworthy events and will be of interest to your local media and perhaps your own trade journals.

Always involve your staff and tell them about releases you are writing and positively encourage them to come forward with ideas for stories. When you have articles published, make sure you tell them and put up copies of the articles on your company intranet. Your staff will be proud to work for a company which features in the press and they can pass this feel-good factor along to your customers.

So, if you arrived at your office today and your normally smartly dressed receptionist was greeting visitors in a Spanish mantilla with a rose between her teeth, take a photograph of her, write a few lines and enjoy your own publicity for Red Nose Day!

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