Home
>
Public Relations
>
The Story The Media Really Wants

The Story The Media Really Wants

If you're like most of my clients, you're probably interested in getting the media to cover the success of your business. These "business success stories" can be used for future marketing efforts -- including reprints of the story in your marketing materials or on your Web site, or framing the article and hanging it in your office.

Well, I'm all for that, of course.

But ... did you know that the media is often more interested in the story behind the story -- not necessarily a standard business profile?

What do I mean by the "story behind the story"?

Sometimes it means the reason why you started the business in the first place. Often, this is more interesting to the media's audience than the business itself. For example, my client, Christine King of Get Fit! Functional Fitness Studios, was the subject of a Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Sunday Fitness Profile, not so much because she was the owner of a fitness studio, but because she was in an accident years ago that left her temporarily paralyzed, and she used functional fitness moves to rehabilitate herself. This led her to leave her corporate job and start a functional fitness studio.

Another "story behind the story" might be a major event that catapulted your business to incredible success. Some magazines, such as Fortune Small Business, have a regular feature on that subject. Local newspapers also often run these types of articles. For instance, client Lori Karmel of We Take the Cake was featured in a recent Monday South Florida Sun-Sentinel Small Business Profile in the Business Section. The main theme of the story was how her appearance on last November's Oprah Winfrey Show, in which she was featured offering one of Oprah's Favorite Things (the company's Key Lime Bundt Cake), helped We Take the Cake's sales skyrocket.

Another type of "story behind the story" is how you or your company helped another company become successful. This was the subject of a recent "Case Study" feature for client Bob Garner in the Wall Street Journal. A client of Bob's told how Bob's trade show presentation had increased the client's trade show ROI significantly.

If you're wondering if these types of stories are as effective as pure business profiles, the answer is a resounding YES! Here's why:

1. These stories are often more interesting to readers and viewers, so the audience understands more of the story about you, which leads to better retention of your company's products and/or services.

2. These stories often incorporate a great deal of your company information, often in a very flattering way.

3. These stories show a different side of you and your business that is often hard to describe to others.

So if the media is interested in the "story behind the story", eagerly embrace the idea. It may very well lead to your best, and most effective, publicity coverage ever!

Margie Fisher is President of Margie Fisher Public Relations. She is also the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit?. To sign up for her free biweekly PRactical P.R. newsletter, and to see more free articles, visit http://www.margiefisher.com

move in cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.