Use the media to build your business

1 Oct, 2006 By: Stacey Himes Landscape Management

Every company has a story to tell. Lawn care companies are no different; in fact, most have valuable information that the public wants to know. Using some simple public relations tactics you can convince the media to tell your story, and, at the same time, promote your business, build a positive image and gain new and loyal customers. And you can do it by spending your time and expertise — not a lot of cash.

PR is powerful because it gets your name in front of a large number of potential customers quickly and efficiently. If you participate in a 60-second evening news story or are mentioned in the Sunday paper's Home & Garden column, your name may be seen or read by thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of local residents or businesses. And if you're lucky enough to be mentioned on the Today Show or in Better Homes and Gardens, you can reach millions.

Large organizations like ValleyCrest Companies, a $750-million-dollar landscape business based in Calabasas, CA, have long understood the value of PR to reach new customers. "The average article has about six times the readership of the average advertisement," says Caroline Weilert, director of marketing for ValleyCrest. "So not only are you reaching more people, you are 'paying' far less for it."

"In addition, PR provides a valuable third-party endorsement of your company," Weilert adds. "It can have more impact than traditional advertising because people know that you're not paying for this coverage."

How it's done

Traditionally, PR programs incorporate two primary activities: media relations and community relations. Media relations is promoting oneself through the use of non-paid coverage in newspapers, magazines, on radio or television, and on the Internet, while community relations involves gaining community "goodwill" through donations, educational seminars or other public service events.

Many mid-sized to large landcare firms have a dedicated PR staff or use an outside agency. In general, the larger the company, the more PR activities it pursues. ValleyCrest, for example, is involved in local and national activities — from in-market press releases announcing new hires and awards to magazine coverage of unique projects to high-profile events that bring national TV exposure.

Recently, several of the company's landscape architects and contractors donated their time to "Design/House: The Green Home" project, a state of the art environmentally friendly home in southern California. After construction, the home was opened to tours, with proceeds given to local charities. The result was widespread broadcast and print media coverage for ValleyCrest's design and construction teams. Other ValleyCrest makeover projects earned coverage on Discovery Channel's Movin' Up and ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. "We could not have paid for that kind of positive exposure," says Weilert.

Orlando-based Massey Services, Inc. also takes advantage of the power of positive media relations. Massey, which provides pest prevention and lawn care services throughout Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, has a multi-tiered PR program that includes community relations activities such as employee-driven charity events, donations and educational seminars. "Our goal is to let the community know what we do and why we are different in a positive, balanced way," says MPB Communication's Andrea Massey-Farrell, who coordinates Massey's PR activities.

One of Massey's largest projects involved partnering with the Central Florida Zoo on a new attraction. Designed to teach children about insects from around the world, the "Insect Zoo" exhibit was the first of its kind in the Southeast. Working with zoo personnel, Massey promoted the new attraction with a press conference, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and follow-up press materials. "The resulting coverage was a huge success," says Massey-Farrell

Smaller, locally based events are equally important to Massey's PR efforts. "Our team members will go into schools to teach children about insects," she explains. "This is just as viable a news story as our bigger events, especially in small- to medium-sized markets."

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