Several months ago, I was on a Clubhouse chat with fellow yachting industry reps who were bemoaning The Media. Specifically, they were complaining about a decided bias that traditional media outlets have toward luxury yachts and yacht builders. They weren’t wrong, but they weren’t right, either.
They were correct in complaining that some reporters, editors, and TV producers are only interested in salacious details. These media professionals couldn’t care less about the STEM education and apprenticeship programs that support the dozens of welders, engineers, naval architects, and other craftspeople at each shipyard. However, I practically got jumped on for suggesting (correctly) that several companies in our industry fail to reach out to their local community newspapers and invite the staff to take a tour of the shipyard. I also practically got jumped on for saying each invitation needs to be tailored to the media outlet’s audience niche. “Already did it,” they said. “Didn’t work.”
While I have no doubt some community media rank right up there with tabloid media, it is possible to leverage local coverage. You just have to look in a different spot.
I’m living proof.
In January, I received a surprising invitation from Kraus Marketing, a marketing company here in New Jersey. The team found me through the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners and thought I’d make an interesting guest for their Forty Pints video podcast series. Kraus Marketing’s founder, Nick Kraus, brings on new guests each episode and has deep conversations about marketing, entrepreneurship, and everything in between, all the while sharing a drink of the guest’s choice.
The video embedded above is the full-length chat. Nick and his team were fabulous, and fabulously curious. They even invited me back for future chats, which I absolutely will take them up on… because they get it as much as I do.
Just when you think you’ve tried it all, you might need to step back and realize you haven’t even begun.