The document outlines strategies for generating sales through public relations, emphasizing the importance of aligning PR efforts with business objectives, focusing on lead generation, and integrating new media. It provides a detailed case study on the Yankee Candle Company's successful PR campaign that resulted in significant sales increases during a Memorial Day promotion. Key recommendations include leveraging search for better SEO and tracking the effectiveness of PR campaigns.

1. How to Generate Sales
With Public Relations

2. AJ Gerritson
Founding Partner
617.986.0224
aj@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/ajgerritson
@ajgerritson
www.451Marketing.com

3. In a Stressed Economy…
…Marketing Budgets Often First to Feel Pinch

4. Public Relations Almost Always
…Yields a Better ROI*
*Compared to mass media advertising

6. “All public relations
campaigns are
created equal.”
Without clear and concise objectives, you may be
sending your message to deaf ears…

7. Successful PR Campaigns
• Created in a thoughtful manner
• Defined targeted audience and
voice
• Research and results-based

8. Five Steps to a
Sales-Generating PR Plan

9. I. Align PR Efforts With
OBJECTIVES
Business Objectives

10. Consider the Following
• What are my company’s overall goals for sales and marketing?
• Do my public relations efforts align with current ongoing
marketing efforts?
• What is the philosophy of my public relations firm? Do they take
a “press for the sake of press” approach?
• Do the public relations opportunities that I am getting help to
support overall goals for my brand?

11. II. Focus Your PR Campaign
On Lead Generation

12. Where is Your Audience?

13. III. Integrate New Media

14. >845 million >300 million >135 million
>15 million/month
*compare that to the NY Times 1 million monthly readership

15. Monitoring Tools

16. Broadcast & Messaging Tools

17. Connection Tools

18. IV. Employ Search-
Leveraged PR

20. Search Leveraged PR
• Better search engine optimization
• Increased qualified leads
• Reputation management

21. Integrate Search Terms
• Overall Brand Messaging and Site Copy
• Optimized Press Releases
• Social Media Properties and Messages

22. V. Set Success Metrics that
Include Tracking New Leads

23. Ask Yourself…
• Am I satisfied with the number of leads resulting from my
current public relations campaign?
• Is my agency/public relations team measuring how
effective their campaign is to help us generate new leads
or business?
• How much has our lead-flow increased from our current
public relations campaign?

24. Tracking PR Efforts

25. About The Yankee Candle Company, Inc.
• Leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer of premium scented
candles
• More than 500+ locations and 25,000+ retailers in 48 countries

26. Overview
• Releasing a new limited-time collection, the Stars and Stripes patriotic line
• Needed to raise national awareness among The Yankee Candle demographic in
time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend

27. Overview
• 451 Marketing identified an ideal partner in Tory Johnson, CEO of Women for Hire
and author who appears regularly on ABC’s Good Morning America as its workplace
contributor
• Tory was seeking out brands to feature on Memorial Day Deals segment

28. Challenge 1:
Deal must offer significant discount

29. Challenge 2:
Short lead time to prepare for feature

30. Challenge 3:
Large amount of uncertainty surrounding
whether feature would air

31. Approach
• 3 large jar candles from collection for $30 – nearly 60% discount.
• Deal to run for five days – from the Thursday of the feature through to midnight
Monday (Memorial Day).
• Emphasis on the fact that The Yankee Candle Company manufactures its candles
in the USA, another key selling point for the patriotic themed feature.

32. Broadcast Results
Segment Viewership: 4,243,869

33. Broadcast Results
Ad Value: $658,000

34. Facebook Results
Tory Johnson 12,933 Fans
Good Morning America 276,231 Fans
Yankee Candle Co. 346,044 Fans

35. Twitter Results
@TheYankeeCandle 3,449 Followers
@ToryJohnson 23,147 Followers
@GMA 1,720,975 Followers
Total 1,767,571 Impressions

36. Deal Site Attention
Visitors/Month
CouponCabin 1.2 million
DealNews 1.3 million
SlickDeals 4.2 million
RetailMeNot 4.4 million

37. Drove 15,000 Visits
to YankeeCandle.com

38. >6,000 Transactions in Stores

39. “Just wanted to let you know that
SALES ARE ON FIRE already this morning
after the GMA segment. Phones are ringing
off the hook, customers are pouring through
our doors, calling their friends, bringing their
friends with them!!!! It’s simply lovely!!!”
-Yankee Candle Retail Employee

40. >9,000 Transactions
>27,000 Candles Sold
33% New Customers

41. To Review
I. Align PR With Business Goals
II. Focus PR Efforts on Lead Gen
III. Integrate New Media
IV. Leverage Search
V. Track Results

42. Questions?

44. – Founded in 2004
– Based in Boston
– 30 Communications
Professionals
– Partners Nicholas Lowe,
AJ Gerritson, and Tom Lee
– Named a 2011 BBJ
Pacesetter

46. AJ Gerritson
Founding Partner
617.986.0224
aj@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/ajgerritson
@ajgerritson
www.451Marketing.com

47. 100 NORTH WASHINGTON STREET
BOSTON, MA 02114
(617) 259-1605
451MARKETING.COM