The Austin Fashion Association's Connie Bakonyi and her daughter Lindsey featured on KVUE for Back-to-School on a budget, a segment secured by Pickie Pie. Click here to watch.
An Austin-based Public Relations, Promotions, Publicity, Social Media and Television Production Company. Contact us at 512.699.7054 or at Rachel@pickiepie.com.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Betsey, Brunch and Creme' Brulee'!
Pickie Pie Productions is producing and promoting a Fashion Brunch along with our client Fleming's at their Domain location. The event features various retailers in the Domain which we've secured and benefits Dress for Success.
In addition, we've secured spots and mentions in various media outlets including a segment on KEYE's We are Austin Live featuring Chef Boyer Derise making creme' brulee' and three adorable models from Betsey Johnson. Click here for link.
Let's Do Lunch-Back to School on KEYE
Capitalizing on the time of year, we booked our client Kathryn Dagar-Albarado of Dagar's Catering on KEYE for some healthy and fun back-to-school lunch tips. Click here to watch.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A Toast from a Social Columnist
Michael Barnes is the Austin American-Statesman's social columnist. He lives in South Austin with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats. More on Out & About.
Champagne Dinner at Fleming’s Downtown
Our table resembled a fractional convocation of the Out & About 500. To my right was Pickie Pie Productions’ Rachel Elsberry. Across the table was Austin Wine Guy Rob Moshein. To his right were power pair Kevin Benz (CultureMap Austin) and Olga Campos (U.S. Money Reserve).
Dave Moore and Kelly Warren
New to me were Jenelle Shriner (KVUE) and James Cooke (operating manager of Fleming’s Steakhouse downtown). Like his cohort at the Domain Fleming’s, the recently profiled Darryl Wittle, Cooke is scrupulously open about his business, which he explained patiently for a social columnist still dizzy from the opening of steakhouse after steakhouse in Austin. (How many is too many?)
Rachel and Ian Hass
This one is pretty settled. Even without a major convention across the street, its 300 seats were occupied on a hot Friday. We dined with almost 50 others in the roomy banquet hall. The occasion: The introduction of Moshein’s four champagne pairings with chef Erick Nixon’s cleverly steak-free meal. The four samples: Heidsieck Brut Champagne NV, Louis Roderer Brut Champagne Premier France NV, Ruinart Bruse Rose NV (the best) and Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne France.
Rachel Elsberry and Jenelle Shriner
While I learned more about the bubbly and the steakhouse businesses, the people around the table remained my main attraction. Noisy topics: Gov. Rick Perry running for president, Texas A&M University (perhaps) bolting for the Southeastern Conference and the way we news junkies follow the those culturally related stories. The key word here: South, in all its social and historical connotations.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Austin Fashion Association, Elluminize Go Back to School on KEYE
Pickie Pie pitched and facilitated a Back-to-School Teacher Fashion segment on KEYE's We Are Austin 4pm program featuring Elluminize, who did makeup for the models, and Austin Fashion Association, who did styling and secured the models. Click here to see the segment.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Dagar's Catering Offers Tips for a Green Picnic on YNN
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| Drew Moses, Kathryn Albarado and Rich Segal |
A Client Says Thank You
Rachel - There was a nice 2 column-inch write-up in the Lifestyle section in the Statesman today regarding the champagne dinner downtown scheduled for Saturday night. All of us want to thank you for getting Fleming's so much PR recently. Having tried for years to get us in newsprint, we know how much effort this takes, including locating press targets, writing releases, meeting deadlines and building and maintaining relationships with writers and foodies.
It seems that Fleming's is constantly being mentioned somewhere in the blogosphere, but our growing inclusion in the mainstream press indicates a recognition of our brand's undeniable efficacy and an acceptance of our corporate affiliation for which you should get some credit. Your professionalism, your perseverance and your hard work is paying huge dividends in positive exposure for us.
Thank you again. Please keep up the good work.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Stay Off the TV Set! From the Kitchen to the Studio-TV Tips for Chefs-Part One
By Rachel Elsberry, Pickie Pie Productions, LLC
The Food Network took what happens in restaurant kitchens and catapulted food, fire and foie gras into America’s living rooms, making celebrities and even rock stars out of chefs and giving some of them justification and permission to have larger-than-life egos. It’s okay chefs, we still love you. This trend has also given chefs and restaurants everywhere both opportunities and added responsibilities when it comes to promoting their business. While not every chef will be the next Food Network star, television is now on the menu and chefs everywhere better be prepared to serve it. Lights! Camera! Cook! From what to wear to what to prepare, here are some television tips for chefs.
PREPARATIONS:
1-What to Wear: Most chef coats are either black or white. It just so happens that those are the two WORST colors to wear on television. White blasts out the screen, the camera and throws too much light on your face while black does the opposite. It sucks the color out and leaves your face looking dull. If possible, get a chef coat just for television that’s khaki, chambray or any color other than black or white. Colored coats add color and warmth to your face and don’t distract the way white coats do. Keep your colored coat pressed and ready for when a television station calls.
2-What to Prepare: Let’s face it. You’re a chef. You have mad culinary skills and you want to show them off! Television is a great place to do it but it won’t happen with your most-involved recipe. Because most local television cooking segments are anywhere from a little more than two minutes to a maximum of four or five minutes (a lot of time in the world of TV news but not a lot of time when it comes to a real-world recipe), simple is the name of the game when choosing a recipe to prepare.
A good way to gage your recipe is the number of ingredients. Stick with less than ten. A recipe with fewer ingredients is the way to on-air culinary success.
Another way to impress the viewer: show them a quick and easy skill they can do at home along with the recipe. If all else fails, bust out a blow torch. Fire makes great television!
You should also email a copy of your recipe to the television station several days in advance of your TV appearance so it will be available and ready on the station’s webpage as your segments wraps up.
3-What to Bring: Along with your ingredients (which should already be measured separately in CLEAR glass bowls) and your recipe, be prepared to bring everything you need to prepare, plate and serve your dish. Not every television set has a cook top. Find this out in and advance and be ready to bring your own heat element if your recipe requires it. Also bring a plated version of the finished product and any props you might have to make the table where you’re preparing the dish look nice and in the style and theme of your restaurant.
Finally, the most important thing to remember when preparing for a television appearance is the television crew. You better come prepared to feed them. It’s the best way to guarantee you’ll be asked back as television stations are the hungriest places on earth. You don’t have to serve them what you prepared in the television segment. One chef I’ve worked with made seared tuna on television but brought a giant pot of etouffee and cornbread’ for the crew. They stood around that pot like savage, ravenous beasts. It was gone and their bellies were full in about five minutes and you can bet they can’t wait for that chef to come back again.
In Part Two, I’ll tell you everything a chef needs to know when the camera and lights are on in my list of on-air tips for chefs.
Rachel Elsberry has an extensive 20-year background in television as an award-winning producer and journalist. She has produced television segments featuring several great chefs in Detroit and Austin including Chef Jeff Blank of Hudson’s on the Bend who took her once-unadventurous palate and turned her into a big-time foodie. Rachel founded Pickie Pie Productions, LLC, a full-service public relations, publicity and television production company, in 2009. Pickie Pie specializes in lifestyle, food and medical clients.
A Tidbits Tweet
Thanks to the Fabulous @Rachel_Elsberry for being so good to @austintidbits!
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3-2-1! You're On! Tips for TV Appearances
Your PR person just called. She's so awesome, she's landed you an interview or a segment on TV. What a great get for your business! Here's a list of things you should know before you go in front of the camera to make the most of your on-air appearance.
• If the interview is at the TV studio, arrive early to take in the scene and familiarize yourself with the distractions such as lighting, cameras and a busy crew.
• Have a cup of water or tea to soothe your throat before the interview. Avoid carbonation or dairy.
• Expect last minute changes and be prepared to handle them on the spot. TV almost never goes as planned.
• Always look at the reporter, not the camera during an interview. Envision that you are having a conversation just with that reporter. Forget the cameras are there.
• Turn your cell phone off.
• If you need notes, put them on a small note card. Don't write out complete sentences on the card, just put bullets points. You'll talk more conversationally. If seated, tuck the card under your leg or put it in your seat. If it's in your hand you may have a tendency to wave the card around and that is distracting to the viewer.
• If seated, position yourself about three-quarters of the way back and lean forward. Don’t sit back and slouch, it looks uncomfortable.
• Have your hands free for gesturing and your feet on the ground or ankles crossed. This is most comfortable, flattering and the least distracting.
• Avoid crossing your arms.
•If standing, avoid bobbing back and forth. Firmly plant your legs by standing with your legs slightly apart. This will keep you from wobbling.
• Use your head, your eyes and your facial expressions to make your words come alive. So much of communication comes from our body language. It's okay to gesture.
• Enjoy! Remember that the reporters are humans too and it is their job to make TV interviews run smoothly. If you stumble, freeze or falter, a good reporter will take care of you. Don't get too caught up in mistakes. Keep going.
•Keep your answers short and succinct. Remember, TV interviews go by very fast and at some point the anchor, if you're on set, will have a producer yelling in their ear to wrap up the interview. Don't run at the mouth and force the interviewer to interrupt you to keep the segment on time. When an interview is taped out in the field, a reporter has more leeway, but keeping your answers short and succinct means you'll sound better and make it easier for the reporter to make you sound your best during the final edit.
•Don't try to give too much information. Stay on topic. Typically, viewers come away having learned about three points of information. Just give what's necessary.
•Don't ask the anchor about where to get a copy. Let your PR person handle that later.
•Smile!!
Remember, an interview is simply a conversation. Look at it as no different than a discussion over dinner with a new friend about something you're excited about (in this case, your business).
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tweet, Tweet-Good Eats!
From Statesman Food Writer Addie Broyles after we tipped her to this cool webpage from Fleming's:
broylesa Addie Broyles
Cool idea for restaurants trying to reach out to home cooks: Fleming's wants to help you use up leftover steak:leftoversteakrecipes.com
10 Questions
From NSide Austin Magazine:
Here are 10 questions you should ask
Here are 10 questions you should ask
When you’re shopping for a car, more than likely, you’re going to ask a lot of questions and work with the salesperson, but also take a look at reviews, talk to your friends and so on.
When it comes time to hire a public relations partner to assist in building your business, the process isn’t much different from car shopping. With a few simple questions, shopping for a PR firm can offer less hassle and pain than buying that new car.
First, you’ll want to do your homework about the type of agency you want to work with to narrow down the pack. Perhaps you’re interested in working with a firm that has multiple offices? Or maybe a smaller firm is more appealing?
If you’re not sure, I encourage you to find a wide range of firms to interview because at the end of the day, it’s all about knowledge and chemistry.
Not sure where to start? Ask your network for referrals. Reach out to the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Do an Internet search for keywords related to your industry and PR (“Chicago PR food CPG,” for example).
Once you have narrowed down your list (I recommend three to five firms), it’s time to interview them. Much like a prospective employee interview, you want to do your homework and ask spot-on questions. Here are some suggestions:
1. “Does your firm specialize in any particular areas or industries?”
PR firms typically have expertise in several different areas. Examples include health care, hi-tech, crisis communications, consumer packaged goods and social media. While a specialist isn’t necessarily a must, I recommend finding a firm (or team members) with relevant experience in your industry or field. It makes the learning curve smaller and the work more efficient.
2. “Who will be working on my account?”
Many times, the team that pitches for your business is not the team you’ll be working with day-to-day. It’s important to talk with your day-to-day contacts in advance of inking a contract with the firm to ensure there is chemistry, as well as a thorough understanding of both your business and your goals.
3. “What are your firm’s past successes?”
Most PR firms can write and pitch … but how do they go about the process? In today’s day and age, a PR firm should NOT be mass distributing news. Pitches should be personalized to the reporter’s writing style and needs. What are some of their best case studies? And do they have case studies in your industry?
4. “How often will we communicate?”
Many times, a PR team will get lost in the work and won’t update you on a regular basis. At times, you won’t hear a peep until the invoice comes through. Find out from the firm how they plan to keep you updated on account progress. It’s not unreasonable to expect to hear from your firm at least once a week in addition to that monthly invoice.
5. “What is included in a typical contract?”
Many firms require a contract (we certainly do), but it is important to review the contract with your own legal team to make sure all parties agree to the terms. Are you locked into a contract? Always have an exit strategy. Be aware of how the firm will be compensated, and make sure you have the last word on any out-of-pocket dollars spent by the firm.
6. “How much do I need to spend to achieve my goals?”
In PR, the number of hours we have to work with usually correlates with the goals we’re able to reach. I recommend a retainer agreement to my clients (a specific number of hours used each month) in order to manage expectations and budgets.
7. “What will I get in return for my investment?”
No reputable PR firm will guarantee results. That just doesn’t happen. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in PR. But you can ask to see placement reports for other clients to get a feel for the firm’s track record, and you can set goals for types of placements, number of placements, etc. If you’re doing that weekly check-in with your firm that I mentioned earlier, you’ll have your fingers on the pulse of what’s happening.
8. “Who else is on the client roster?”
Take a look at the other companies that work with this firm. Are they reputable? Talk with those companies about their experiences with the firm, and ask them some of the questions on this list. Talk with them about how their account is managed, and ask if they feel like they’re getting a good return on their investment.
9. “Who are your references?”
It is important not only to talk with a client or two, but also to try to talk with a few media contacts they’ve worked with, as well. Since this firm will be representing your company, you want to make sure it has a good reputation with journalists. Look at employees, too. If there is a high turnover at the firm, chances are your account will get passed from person to person with no consistency and a high learning curve.
10. “Who are some of your past clients?”
Find out with whom the firm has worked in the past and why they’re no longer working together. Firms and clients change hands quite often, so don’t consider that a red flag. However, the story behind the departure may bring light to potential issues.
The bottom line is: When searching for a PR partner, make sure that firm is the right fit for your team, your business and your goals. By doing a little homework upfront, you’ll be able to find a perfect partner that can not only service your account, but also help you build awareness through media outreach, social media, event planning, etc.
Jenna Oltersdorf is a principal with Snackbox. Before the age of 30, she launched Snackbox with her husband, Eric. Together, they run a firm that spans multiple states and specializes in food, consumer packaged goods, travel and tourism. To learn more, visit www.snackbox.us or join the conversation on Twitter (@JennaSnacks).
Monday, July 25, 2011
Social Media Mentions
From Culture Map Marketing Director Veronica Castelo:
From KVUE's Executive Producer Jenelle Shriner:
From KVUE's Executive Producer Jenelle Shriner:
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