FMPR Presents 10 Restaurant Publicity Tips: TELEVISION CULINARY SEGMENTS

Restaurant publicity should be an integral part of a marketing plan but is often overlooked.  One way to capture free restaurant publicity is through television.  Many morning television programs feature local chefs doing what they do best: cooking!  A producer determines which restaurants will be featured.  Before contacting a producer to feature your restaurant, please review the following restaurant publicity tips:

 1)      Choose a friendly media spokesperson who has strong communication skills and is energetic.  It is morning TV!  Viewers don’t want to see someone half asleep, nor do the producers.

2)      Make sure you have a newsworthy message, such as a new menu, anniversary party, cookbook launch or seasonal specials.  Producers prefer to promote something timely, and it will also trigger a call-to-action so that viewers will want to immediately pick up the phone and make reservations.

3)      That same spokesperson should be well-trained: has previously seen the culinary segments; knows the names of the hosts, length of segment and usable kitchen equipment; and has rehearsed within the given time frame.

4)      Provide a simple, viewer-friendly recipe that can be demonstrated in just a few minutes. 

5)      Don’t forget to bring all necessary cooking equipment, such as pots and pans, cutting board, knives, etc., and an additional “finished plate.”

6)      Television needs to be visually stimulating!  Bring lots of decorations for added visuals.  Candles, flowers, fruits and vegetables, wine bottles, tablecloths, menus, you name it. 

7)      I always recommend extra food for the news team.  These hard-working folks have probably been up since 3am or earlier.  Not to mention, they are great candidates as future patrons and can help spread the word about your fine cuisine. Don’t forget to bring paper plates, plasticware and napkins for them. 

8)      Some things are so simple that they are often forgotten, such as the name of the dish and restaurant information.  Know the address, phone number and web site of your restaurant!

9)      Always thank those involved including the producers and the hosts.  Hand-written thank you note follow-ups are a classy and memorable touch.

Friedman Marketing and Public Relations (FMPR) is a full-service boutique public relations firm in Dallas with a specialty in lifestyle accounts in such various industries as hospitality, beauty, the arts, fashion, entertainment and publishing, to name a few.  Our strength is in Media Relations in which stories are deemed more credible than any other marketing medium, such as advertising and direct mail, to the typical consumer.  Please visit www.friedmanpr.com for more information, or call 214.559.0122 today to make headlines tomorrow.