Dawn LaFontaine, who sells unique cardboard cat boxes, shares her journey of securing free press in major publications like Parade and The Boston Globe. This episode is a masterclass for ecommerce entrepreneurs on leveraging PR to boost brand visibility and sales without a huge marketing budget, offering practical strategies for media outreach and product positioning. Learn how to turn earned media into a powerful growth engine for your DTC brand.
Key takeaways
Identify your product
s unique angle or "hook" that makes it newsworthy and appealing to media outlets beyond just its utility.
Actively pitch your story to relevant journalists and publications, focusing on the human interest aspect or unique problem-solving capabilities of your product.
Leverage "newness" to attract attention; being a new business or having a novel product is a strong hook for earned media.
Understand that free press often requires persistence and a proactive approach; it's about building relationships and providing compelling content.
Utilize platforms like Product Hunt strategically to generate buzz and initial media attention for new products.
Today I’m thrilled to have Dawn LaFontaine on the show. Dawn was a finalist on the 5 Minute Pitch, my Shark Tank like show with Mike Jackness, Greg Mercer and Scott Voelker where we gave away 50,000 in cold hard cash. Dawn runs an ecommerce business selling card board boxes for cats. Her products have been featured in Parade, Product Hunt and the Boston Globe. And in this interview, we’re going to talk about Dawn’s triumphs and obstacles in launching her business.
s unique angle or "hook" that makes it newsworthy and appealing to media outlets beyond just its utility.
What does this episode say about organic & seo?
Actively pitch your story to relevant journalists and publications, focusing on the human interest aspect or unique problem-solving capabilities of your product.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Leverage "newness" to attract attention; being a new business or having a novel product is a strong hook for earned media.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Understand that free press often requires persistence and a proactive approach; it's about building relationships and providing compelling content.
