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HELP! Question for potential Press Release

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Basil

Basil

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Hey gang, I need your help! After discussing the BCF and how to keep it afloat with a number of confidants behind the scenes, there are several things I plan to do - some in the near term and some later (can't do it all at once).

The first couple of things I want to do are:
<span style="font-weight: bold">1)</span> get a Press Release about BCF out to as many relevant publications as possible.
<span style="font-weight: bold">2)</span> put together a professional-grade marketing flier aimed at getting more vendors willing to advertise here and support the BCF and help us grow.

For this thread, please reply and give me ideas of relevant publications you think we should sent a Press Release to and/or make your suggestions for vendors that would be of interest to the British car hobby. It would be helpful (but not required) if you could provide contact info for your suggestions, such as mailing addresses , email addresses and/or web sites.

Thanks in advance.

Basil
 
Ok gang! Time to dig out those current or back issues of all your favorite car mags, British or otherwise. In the first couple of pages you should find the Publishers contact info, editor's name, phone, fax, email, etc. Post that information here. See, now you know why you've been keeping all those issues around!! :laugh:

Basil, can you create another post with a list of submissions so people can check there to see what has already been turned in? This should cut down on numerous repeats, make it easier for you.
 
<span style="font-weight: bold">Hemmings Motor News</span>
PO Box 380
Bennington, VT 05201
Advertising Customer Service
1-800-227-4373, ext 79610
1-802-442-3101, ext 79610
FAX: 1-802-447-0749
<span style="font-weight: bold">
Classic Motorsports</span>
Phone: 386-239-0523
Fax: 386-239-0573
Toll-free: 888-676-9747
915 Ridgewood Avenue
Holly Hill, FL 32117

<span style="font-weight: bold">EWA associates</span> imports a lot of UK car magazines (britcarmags.com):
Eric Waiter Associates
205 US HWY 22
Green Brook
NJ 08812
USA
Tel: 732 424 7811
Fax: 732 424 7814
Email: ewa@ewacars.com

<span style="font-weight: bold">Road & Track and Car & Driver</span> magazines are published by Hachette Filipacchi Media
Eastern Advertising Inquires:
Mr. Jonathan Marshall
Advertising Director
Phone: 212.767.6097
Fax: 212.767.5619
JMarshall@hfmus.com

<span style="font-weight: bold">Mini Magazine</span>
Future Publishing
30 Monmouth St
Bath
BA1 2BW
Rachael — Ad Sales Manager
01225 442244 ext 2109
email: rachael.unsworth@futurenet.co.uk
<span style="font-weight: bold">
Land Rover World</span>
Contacts: Francesca Cooke Senior Sales Exec,
email: francesca_cooke@ipcmedia.com
tel: 020 8726 8330
<span style="font-weight: bold">
Top Gear Online</span>
Online advertising: Contact Bernie Scranney at bernie.scranney@bbc.co.uk

<span style="font-weight: bold">Top Gear Magazine</span>
Magazine advertising: Contact Nick Connell at nick.connell@bbc.co.uk

<span style="font-weight: bold">Practical Classics</span>
Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Tel: 01733 468582
Fax: 01733 468888
Advertising Commercial Manager: louise.rizzo@bauermedia.co.uk
 
Hagerty
Collector Car & Boat Insurance
PO Box 1301
Traverse City, M49685-0087 USA


tel: 800-922-4050
Fax: 231-941-8227
www.hagerty.com
 
Hi Bas!
Had a lovely drive down 550 and the Old 66 to a BAOA social and tire kick at the home of the editor of the BAOA's newsletter. Was visiting with one Robb whom I remembered from Carlsbad. Turns out he lives in Edgewood, has a decent TR3A, but like most in the BAOA had never heard of the Forum even though there is a link to it from their website. Gave out my last two cards. It might be worth an add in some of the local clubs newsletters, relatively cheap, not big numbers, but certainly a targeted audience. The newsletter editor is Curtis Kitts CURTISTRIUMPH@yahoo.com
You might also try The Triumph Herald the newsletter of the Rocky Mtn. Triumph Club. Their commercial advertising is handled by Ralph Malewska
rmal64@gmail.com
I think you're on track with this. Spend a little to get the word out.
Dale
 
I don't see Rimmer Bros as a supporting vendor. Have they ever advertised here?? I know that they had advertisements for quite awhile in our local monthly newsletter of the Long Island Triumph Association. If they were willing to advertise in a local club newsletter, they should be willing to advertise in a venue that has worldwide exposure.
 
A press release sent to the high-visibility pubs is a good idea – they're easy to write (I think MS Word even has/had a template for one) but remember that these guys get them daily. I think your message is far different from the usual <span style="font-style: italic">"New breakthrough in rust removal"</span> sort of release so make that obvious in the first sentence or two. Be careful not to make BCF sound competitive with their (the publishers) print and web site products.

But - if I were trying to promote the site, I'd go directly after a columnist or two via their e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers and try to get a feature article about BCF into a national magazine. The history & motivation behind it is certainly interesting enough to get written up. I'd try Hemmings first.
 
Once you have your press release Basil, don't forget the T.V. media as well, you know, shows like "My Classic Car", "Car Crazy" etc. even Brit shows like "Top Gear"!! :wink:
 
How about targeting repair shops and small parts houses. I believe you could get a lot of contact information from members. I would bet some shops would advertise or maybe send out a flyer or small magazine. A business card at the least. That might be a lot more than you want to do, but it's an idea.
grin.gif
 
Basil, it is not necessary to pay for adds in most club newsleters. Just send them a press release and most of them will be pleased to include your info as a service to their folks, they are always looking for stuff to include.

The BCF has a list of clubs and more can be found via googleing.
 
B.S. Levy has several pages of adverts in the middle of his books (helps offset the cost of self publishing) and I know that those books are in the hands of many, many LBC fans and vintage racers.
His website with contact info is www.lastopenroad.com
The site is horribly out of date, but his advertising is mainly word-of-mouth, and cheap merchendise. t-shirts, pins, and stickers. His distinctive " the last open road" and "Montazumas Ferrari" stickers can be found on an amazing number of LBCs around the country. They are Cheap as free, when you buy books or other goodies of his, (he hands out the "TLOR" stickers like lollipops) and darn cheap if you are just getting the stickers.
Sneaky.......
Just a thought Boss....
 
If you google "press release" there are sites offering free press release distribution and free press release guides and suggestions. Don't know if the free press release service is targeted enough but Free is a pretty good price.
Generally speaking in my expierience sending press releases is hit and miss but once you have one written, sending on the web or the price of some stamps is cheap,or free, and the right publication or source can be quite lucrative.
 
Someone mentioned local club newsletters. If Basil makes a global post requesting a concentrated and focused release blitz, it could make a big difference.
 
I think you need a lot more than a well-done press release. Specifically, you need <span style="font-style: italic">lots</span> of press releases that are useful to the recipients. Even if you only count active members, BCF is a sizable collection of British car enthusiasts in North America and it represents a sizable market. The forum mechanism provides for polls, that are easy to create and the results are arrived at quickly and easy to tabulate.

Magazine contributors constantly need story ideas. Polls that gathered X opinions on simple things like "10 Best looking British cars of 1946-1964", "10 cars I want to own", "10 easiest to restore", "5 most likely to increase in value", "5 most likely to plummet in value", and so on are easy to do. Given that many people on this forum will actually <span style="font-style: italic">determine</span> some of these future values etc I think it's an audience worth listening to.

Just the ability to do quick polls that create controversy etc is a valuable resource. BCF could establish itself as an authoritative organization for predicting the future of the hobby, sort of like Faith Popcorn and her ilk.

Organize the polls and send a press release after each has been closed down and hashed out - point the reader to the thread and I bet eventually you'll start getting some decent press exposure. This approach gives the targets of the PR some potentially useful info rather than appearing to be interested only in selling advertising (which the PR targets may view as competitive).

The same applies for vendors - how about polls for "What parts do you find hardest to find?" and so on. These could interest vendors in the same way.

Once BCF is "noticed", selling should be easier, whether "selling" means advertising or selling the whole shebang as a business opportunity.

I don't want Basil to give it up, but I do think that planning an exit strategy for some future date is a good idea.
 
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