Lessons from Zenzi's Chiquita Press Release
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It's all in the title
Many times content writers and blogging gurus like Darren Rowse repeat (sometimes exasperatingly) that the title is one of the most important elements of a good post (article, press release and so on). In this article, although Rowse focuses the conversation on blog titles, the rules he describes are general for all online content. Titles matter because:- they are the first part of your content listed by the search engines;
- they appear in RSS feeds;
- they may be used by other online publishers to link back to your content;
- they appear on social media and social bookmarking sites;
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It continues with the opening paragraph
Zenzi's copywriting skills are flawless. Instead of opening with a boring description of Chiquita as a "market leader," they personalized the message, calling to action from the start: If you ever wanted to get your artwork in the hands of millions, here's your chance to personalize the famous blue Chiquita sticker that has adorned countless numbers of the world's bananas for nearly 50 years. -
Avoid emphasis on what could be perceived as negatives
The prizes offered by Chiquita to the contest finalists are not that extraordinary: The top 50 finalists will receive a prize package of an EatAChiquita.com t-shirt and merchandise from Chiquita's Shop A Peel Zazzle store (www.Zazzle.com/ShopAPeel(TM)) customized with their very own sticker design. So we know what they are, but we don't know their monetary value, which, according to Chiquita's own contest rules, is s $36.00. In addition, from the 50 finalists, 18 will also see their designs printed on Chiquita banana stickers that will be placed on Chiquita bananas and distributed in grocery stores in the United States beginning on or around November 1, 2010 and ending on or around December 1, 2010. The negative issue here is that the prizes are not a bit more consistent. Chiquita is boosting its public image through a PR campaign at a minimum cost. A designer doesn't really care about winning a promotional t-shirt. What a designer really wants is a portfolio, recognition, adding a name like Chiquita to his/her rooster of clients, etc. Although the finalists will be announced officially on EatAChiquita.com™ on August 23, there is no mention whether the 18 winners will see their names printed alongside their designs on the Chiquita banana stickers. But if you look at the contest entries to date, you'll see about 1,098 designs lining up the Chiquita banana sticker wall. So I'd say the campaign is a success. Zenzi managed to create buzz and generate interest with virtually no story to tell.
