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The Tip Sheet
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issue of : February 2009
PTA LOSES ITS MARBLES
On a particularly cold February morning, the publicists at PTA gathered in the conference room for a highly skilled game of…marble rolling. The object: roll your marble across the conference room table into one of the numbered slots in the cardboard box at the other end of the table. Each slot had a point value. Most points wins. The prize: a Dunkin Donuts Certificate.
The competition was fierce, as the marble rolling began. (Think skeeball with marbles.) First up was publicist Jennifer Musico. A hush fell over the room as her five marbles rolled to an extraordinary total of 24 points. Had she been practicing instead of pitching all morning? Never a group to back away from a challenge, one by one fellow PTAers tried to beat her score to cheers and groans. Lauren Frey managed to be the first to roll a marble into the ten point slot. Several PTAers got no points at all but high marks on style.
With only four more people left to go and Jen’s score still standing, Heather Williams stepped up to the conference room table. A look of intense concentration on her face, after all there was a lot of coffee at stake and we all know how Heather loves her coffee, rolled her marbles. There was a gasp, a murmer of excitement and then a roar of cheers as marble by marble Heather passed Jen’s score! We had a winner! And we’d had twenty minutes of great fun.
Quote of the Month
“Sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
-- Lewis Carroll
If you have a great quote to share, please send it to tipsheet@plannedtvarts.com. Thanks.
Pitch Ideas
Looking for an event to anchor your pitch idea? Some of these ideas just might translate into a Morning Drive, a Satellite TV Tour, or a road tour topic:
March 2009
Health:
- National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Month
- National Nutrition Month
- 1st – 7th -- National Sleep Awareness Week
- 16th – 22nd -- International Brain Awareness Week
Business:
- Employee Spirit Month
Sports:
- 7th – 15th -- Iditarod Race
General Interest:
- National Women’s History Month
- 1st -7th -- National Return Borrowed Books Week
- 1st -- Beer Day
- 10th -- Organize Your Home Office Day
- 8th -- Daylight Savings Time
- 20th -- Spring Begins
- 22nd – 28th -- National Cleaning Week
Holidays:
- 17th -- St. Patrick’s Day
Surfin'
Some are industry related, some are fun and some are just plain quirky sites that our PTA Interactive division recommends:
BLOG OF THE MONTH*
Copyblogger
A blog dedicated to tips on how to write more effective web copy. PTA’s Interactive team reads it daily.
COOL TOOLS
SquareSpace
If you are looking for a Do-It-Yourself website alternative, SquareSpace might be for you. They are the new kid on the block providing much the same options as WordPress, but easier to customize. We haven’t used it yet, but check it out. It may work wonders for you.
FOR FUN
Lostpedia
If you are like more than a few PTA staffers then you know how hard it is to get to sleep on Wednesday nights because you are trying to figure out if the woman that sold Desmond his engagement ring could also be Faraday’s mother. If you are missing the reference, I am talking, of course, about Lost (only the best show on television!). Indulge your theories here. If you are not a lost fan it may still be interesting to know that there is Wiki life beyond Wikipedia.
*If you would like us to consider your site for “Blog of the Month” please send a link to nordstedj@plannedtvarts.com. Write “Blog of the Month” in the subject line.
What Have We Done For You Lately?
Here’s a sampling of our latest bookings.
For Dr. Kevin Leman’s new book The Firstborn Advantage (Revell), PTA Faith booked:
- 700 Club
- Better TV (Meredith)
- FamilyNet Television, Everyday with Marcus & Lisa
- Marriage Uncensored (Canadian TV, airs on PBS and E! Channels in the US)
- Good Morning America Radio
- Living the Life
- Positive Parenting Radio
- Janet Parshall’s America
- FamilyNet Radio, Mornings with Lorri & Larry
- IRN/USA Radio Network
- Good Parenting Radio
- Family Matters Radio
- American Family Radio
- Moody Broadcasting Network, Talking it over with Janet Parshall
For the Vietnam Veterans of America Ruder Finn DC and PTA DC teamed up to target national broadcast media and local DC media to promote fair and timely benefits for Vets.
- CNN-TV, Campbell Brown’s No Bias No Bull
- FOX NEWS CHANNEL, News
- CBS-TV, News
- ABC News Radio
- WUSA- TV (Washington, DC)
- News Channel 8 (Washington, DC)
For CRISIS: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America, Edited by Mitchell Gold (Greenleaf) we have secured the following internet placements:
- Parent Dish (AOL). It’s consistently one of the top-rated parenting sites.
- The Straight Not Narrow blog
- Queer Liberal
Here are highlights of some current PTA radio campaigns.
The Clean Tech Revolution by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder (Harper Collins):
- Lou Dobbs Show (New York)
- KMOX-AM (St. Louis)
- WWJ-AM (Detroit)
- WBZ-AM (Boston)
I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna, (Sterling):
- XM Radio, Morning Living (Martha Stewart)
- KBIG-FM (Los Angeles)
Eat This Not That: Supermarket Survival Guideby Matt Goulding (Rodale):
- National Syndicated (from KLSX-FM in Los Angeles), The Adam Corolla Show
- Health Talk Networks, You the Owner’s Manual
PR Can Stave Off the Recession for Your Book
All economic indicators and financial pundits agree we’re in for a long and deep recession that could get uglier before it stabilizes. However that doesn’t mean you can afford not to market or promote your book. In fact, this may be a better time for you to do so since conventional wisdom says the first thing to cut is advertising, marketing, and PR. What others fail to do shall provide you with less competition and more opportunity.
Free Teleseminars
Past Teleseminars
If you missed our last Teleseminar, go to our website at www.plannedtvarts.com. We have about 70 hours of great information for you!
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