[CALL OUT] Babies and kids summer fashion and accessories

A brand new magazine especially for multiples is launching in Australia at the end of the year.


They are putting together their fashion pages and are looking for summer fashion (swimwear, hats, summer clothes) in rainbow brights and bold pops of colour.


They are especially interested in supporting designers who are parents to twins, triplets or more, or who create designs perfect for multiples (ie sets, complementary items, etc).


Please send your low-res images, RRP, descriptions and weblink to princess.street@bigpond.com

PARTY STYLIST NEEDED for magazine shoot

A fabulous party stylist is needed is needed to create a gorgeous party table for a real-life boy's birthday party that is being shot for a feature to appear in a brand new kid's magazine launching at the end of 2011. 


You would receive inclusion in the magazine in exchange for your work. The shoot will be in Brisbane in September. 


Please email princess.street@bigpond.com for more info - and please share with anyone you think might be interested xx

Taking photos the media can use

Many publications (especially newspapers) will want to use their own photographer to take shots for their pages.


However, sending print-ready pics with your media release is a good idea because there are times when a photographer just isn't available. 


So how can you take photos that a newspaper can use? Here are some tips:


Beware the background. Clean and uncluttered is best (unless you're going for a mega-crowd shot!). That is, you don't want your laundry in the background, or your breakfast dishes either.


Know your target publication. Learn what sort of photos they tend to run. Pay attention to what subjects they like, how the shots are composed, what elements make up the photos, etc. Imitate their style.


Newsflash. Your picture needs to tell your news story. It brings it to life. Send the shot that best reflects the main news angle you're pitching. Be crystal clear. Now is not the time to practice that  ethereal vintage post-processing you liked so much at that art gallery last weekend.


Don't be boring. A full-length shot of you, smack bang in the middle of the shot, staring at the camera, with lots of irrelevant space around you isn't going to cut it. Show your product. Use an interesting angle. Focus on the subject. Use interesting props.


Be versatile. That is, send in a couple of options. Publications print landscape and portrait photos, so provide both. Increase your chances.


Go digital. It's best to provide digital images. 2MB and at least 200dpi is best. But please check with the journalist first. You don't want to be the one responsible for bringing their email system crashing to its knees. Not good for business :) If in doubt, send low-res versions telling them that you can very easily provide print-ready shots the instant they ask for them.


Caption. Don't forget to caption your photo: name, place, date, and an interesting blurb if you can think of one.


Credit where credit's due. If someone else has taken the photo you want to send it, get their permission. And credit them.


Practice makes perfect. Keep shooting until you're happy :)


Photo

3 months ahead

It's now mid-June, and in three months we will be well and truly in September.  And we all know that September equals Spring, but what else?

• Father's Day
• School holidays
• National Dementia AWareness Week
• Spring Food & Wine Festival in Sydney
• The Brisbane Festival
• Semi-finals of lots of sports that involve ball throwing and kicking (!)
• and loads more - check your local tourism and council organisations for more details

Do you have any products that align with any of these themes? 


Start thinking about what, and how. 


Compile your product releases, images and pitches. 


And hit that phone! You can do it xx

Handmade and indie product call-out

One of Australia's best websites for all things kids, handmade, indie and cool is {KID}Independent. 

I'm very excited that they're re-invigorating their Wednesday Whip Around, and you should be too! Because this time it's going to be fortnightly rather than monthly AND they are looking to showcase locally handmade and gorgeous indie products.

Each feature will only include one piece from each city/town (I think it's one thing per state/territory generally), so places are very limited.

If you are an Australian independent designer and would love to submit your product to be considered, please email Indi at info@kidindependent.com with a LINK TO YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS (please no photos!!) with your city/town and state.

Kids and Maternity wear call-out

Sunshine Coast Profile magazine is looking for images of children's and maternity clothing and for its May fashion pages.

You need to send high-resolution images with information stated strictly in this format:

Product Name, RRP $0.00, Available from ... Stockist's Phone xx xxxx xxxx

Email your images and information to editorial@profilemag.com.au by 5pm (EST) tomorrow!

Good luck!

Location scouting tips

When scouting for the perfect location for your shoot you need to find somewhere that reflects the vibe of your brand, but you also need to be practical:

• is there protection from rain or wind?
• are there loos nearby?
• can you get your prams in there easily enough?
• is there an open coffee stand / cafe nearby?
• is your shot list well thought through and in the most practical and sensible order?
• do you have enough people on-deck to help look after little models?
• assign someone to look after styling - there's nothing worse than getting your shots only to realise there was a crinkle, a crease or a thread spoiling it
• be patient and prepared to wait for little people to get happy again

[lesson learned the hard way.....!]

Mother's Day Gift Guides

Mother's Day is coming up quickly, and many publications will be looking to compile gift guides.

If you have something that would make a perfect Mother's Day gift, don't be shy! Get on the phone and ask who is compiling it and where you can email images and details.

Check first, but in general, it is a good idea to send a fabulous image (ask if they high or low res), your press release / fact sheet, and a 100 word product description.

Include images with your media or product release

Including a carefully edited selection (up to 3) of low-res images in the email with your media or product release is a great idea.


It gives the editor or reporter a sense of your style, your brand, and how your image could look on a page in their publication.


It also means that if they are short on photographers they can run your story using your images, rather than binning it because they can't get a photographer to you.


Just make sure that the images you send suit the publication. If it's a newspaper, you want news-style shots: casual portraits, nothing too processed, true colours (no washes, fades or amped up colours), and interesting images showing activity or movement.


If it's a glossy mag, you might go for more of a high-end lifestyle shot, or a pure product shot that can be deep-etched, for example.


If they like your images, they will ask you to send high-res versions through. This is almost always a very good sign they're going to use your lovely creations.

Be organised early

Magazines work at least 3 months ahead of their publication date. So, for example, a magazine released at the start August is likely to have its content finalised by the end of April. Bear this in mind, and make contact early!

Creating news

Identifying what makes news is fundamental. If you don't have a good angle, you won't achieve editorial results.

Newspapers, radio stations and tv networks receive countless stories every day from people hoping to see their businesses in print or on air, so you have to be clever, timely, and bold to grab a journalist's, editor's or producer's attention.

As you are likely to know by now, we achieved some excellent media coverage for Georgie Girl and The Mummy Tree Markets this weekend. So what was the secret?

"Forget iPads - ruffled nappy covers are the new mummy-must-have with hundreds of mums from all over Australia queuing this weekend to get their hands on one"

Georgie Girl ruffles are unquestionably divine, but their beauty alone is not enough to make the news.

Being able to buy them for the first time at a market is hyperventilatingly exciting for mums, but it's still not news.

Mums travelling from all over Australia to buy the ruffles is definitely starting to get interesting.

Mums queuing to buy is more interesting again, as a wonderful photo/footage opportunity now exists. 


And finally, the fact that at almost the same time as mums would be queuing to buy nappy covers, people around Australia and the world would be waiting to get their hands on the new iPad (and we've all seen the queues that form for new technology) is the hook that made this story irresistible.

The combination of a timely and compelling story with an articulate subject - the lovely Tina - who appeared beautifully on camera, speaking well and interestingly, made this news piece so good that it was syndicated nationally.

xxx


This is where you will find lots of useful tips and hints to help you do your own PR. Make sure you check back regularly!

Welcome to Princess Street PR

Starting your own business is exciting, and watching it grow and become successful is more exciting still.

Media coverage of your products and services is a fabulous way to expand your business, but it can be difficult to achieve – especially when you haven’t done it before and can’t justify the cost of using a full-service PR agency.

Princess Street PR is for work-at-home mums and small businesses just like you.

We call it DIY PR, because that’s exactly what it is.

We provide you with the right tools – in the right format and language – to confidently approach the media. After all, you're the best person to promote your business, your passion and your story.