Here’s part 2 of our tips on getting your event in the social pages:

5. Hold your event later in the week when the social pages are being prepared and when people can feel a weekend coming on. If you hold your event on Friday or Saturday night don’t expect social coverage (see point 8). Wednesday or Thursday night is best and don’t rule out a breakfast or lunch timeslot for a product launch. Check the proposed date for other competing events on Social Diary, an industry diary of social events registered by people like us.

6. Don’t skimp on the invitation; it’s the first touch point so make it count. If it looks cheap you’re sending a message about what kind of event you’re putting on. Make the invitation stand out and try sending an invite that’s not just paper in an envelope. We always get asked about whether an email or hard copy invitation is better. Again, it depends on your brand and event but a birdie once told us that hard copy was good for social editors because they can put in a folder and it doesn’t get lost in their inbox.

7. Seven to ten days prior, leak details of the event to key media. This is a good way to touch base with social editors about the event and ensure they’ve saved the date in the diary. It will also generate buzz and you’ll notice a spike in rsvp’s as people start reading about it and getting excited. Social networking sites are also a great avenue to create buzz.

8. Be mindful of press deadlines. Sunday newspaper editions are put to bed by Friday lunchtime, so make sure journalists have everything they need and be sure to be contactable on Friday so journalists can check facts if needed.

9. Hire your own photographer so you can widen the publicity reach. Also, try and set up an exclusive shot the day of the event to ensure coverage the next day. On the night, don’t forget to ensure the social editor and photographer is being looked after because the coverage is written from their perspective.

10. Cross your fingers and hope for the best because these things are beyond control. Getting in the socials shouldn’t be your only measure of success. Other measures – attendance numbers, quality of guests, number of media guests, engagement with the brand and feedback from the client – should be used.

Did we forget anything? Let us know if you’ve got any other tips.

Posted by Renee Creer

I love a party. The best party I ever went to was a wake. Let’s just say if it was the subject of a joke it would start something like this: “Fourteen people and a blow-up dolphin are in a spa…” but that’s a story for another time because I would like to keep my job and reputation in tact.

We all know Sydney loves a party, but last week we learned that Sydney really, really loves a pool party, especially if it’s hosted by the notorious party master, Justin Hemmes.

Last Thursday we helped Justin launch ivy’s Pool Party, which was named Party of the Week by Amy Cooper in The Sun Herald S; just one of 14 clippings secured pre and post event.

At Stellar* we are often set the task of getting coverage in the social pages. This is not easy; competition is fierce, coverage can’t be guaranteed and reviews can be harsh.

If you’ve got aspirations for your event to make the socials or get the kind of coverage that will generate awareness, increase patronage, sell product or create buzz, the following list of tips will come in handy.

We’re posting this in two parts; the remaining tips will follow later in the week.

1. First, check your objectives. Clients often want a party without really drilling down on what the objective is and who their target consumers are. Who can blame them really? Parties are fun, however your objective might not be best achieved via an event. Similarly, if your targets are boomers, the social pages aren’t a good match and you should look at a more intimate event with different media targets.

2. Have a cool hook or theme that relates to your product or brand. The theme must be visually strong because coverage in the social pages is concise and image driven – so you’ve only got a small opportunity to get your message across. Plus, always include the brand or product name in the party title so that at the very least you’ll get a mention here.

3. You’re going to need young, good looking people, models and celebrities (they don’t have to be A list). That’s the simple truth of it. You’re going to need these people and lots of them, unless your product or brand is super sexy, has a certain level of cache, or the event idea is so out-of-this-world no one has ever heard or seen anything like it.

4. Events that offer a unique experience always have an advantage. They help with rsvp’s, talkability and coverage. Offer this via a ‘first ever’ happening, a special guest, a unique location, an exclusive performance - anything people can’t normally get, have access to, or experience. Aside from celebrities, media also love access to senior management, particularly if they have a public profile.

We’ll outline some practical tips in part 2, later this week.

Posted by Renee Creer

I once complained to friends about occupational food and wine fatigue brought on by Good Food Month.  The scorn that ensued was unparalleled.  I quickly learned that such talk about the struggle of eating and drinking one’s way through a month long parade of degustations, wine dinners, noodle markets, cheese tastings and the like, was best kept within industry circles with those who knew and could understand.

Indeed there are many conversations kept within industry circles.  This adds to the mystery of what we get up to here in the world of public relations.  This blog will hopefully expose some mysteries and open up some of those conversations to give you an insight into the industry at large and life at Stellar* Concepts.  Mostly we hope it will keep our clients, colleagues, friends and lurkers informed and entertained.

It seems fitting that we’ve launched our blog during Good Food Month; it’s by far our favourite time of year and we’ve been busy helping Brown Brothers, Citigroup, Brasserie Bread, Merivale, Café Sydney and The Trade Commission of Spain infect Sydney with their passion for food and wine.

Next year should be bigger and better with the recent announcement of the Sydney Morning Herald’s International Food Festival which will replace Good Food Month in 2009.

So, are we suffering from food and wine fatigue?  The question is, are you?

Posted by Renee Creer