Alert the Media!

BWG Agency Creatively Promotes Monolithic Domes

May 24, 2004

by Carol Cirulli Lanham

Think back to the last newspaper or magazine that you read. What do you remember about it? If you're like most people, it is a news article that stands out in your mind. In fact, if you're as busy as rest of us, you probably either skimmed or skipped right over the advertisements.

Sometimes paid advertisements are the only way a company can get its message in the public eye, and that's one of the reasons why advertising is a multibillion dollar industry. But some companies are fortunate enough to be newsmakers. In other words, they have an interesting story to tell and can benefit from the free publicity generated by news articles published on their company.

The Monolithic Dome industry is an indisputable newsmaker. And whether you're building your own dome home, holding an open house, or working in a commercial dome-building business, you can help promote awareness of the advantages of Monolithic Domes by informing the local media about your project.

That's what my partner and I have been doing on behalf of the Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas since 1998. Anytime a Monolithic Dome goes up anywhere in the nation, we publicize the project to the area media. We also have promoted the Fall Dome Home Show to reporters throughout the country.

It's thanks to these efforts that we seen Monolithic Dome projects publicized in major newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune and in national magazines such as Builder (National Association of Home Builders) and Worth. Dome homes have been featured on national television shows such as HGTV's Extreme Homes and on popular radio shows such as Paul Harvey.

News stories on privately-held companies, like MDI, are rarely published by accident. It takes press releases and follow-up calls to the media to generate the kind of publicity that the Monolithic Dome industry has received in recent years.

Fortunately, the hundreds of articles generated by our efforts have also been overwhelmingly positive. Reporters recognize and appreciate truthful and unbiased information presented in a journalistic fashion, and they respond by using that information in their news stories.

The benefits of this type of publicity are undeniable. While people know that you can say just about anything in a paid advertisement, a news story written by a third party has instant credibility. (Even when it contains a factual error --- but more about that later.)

If you're wondering how to get your Monolithic Dome into the local media, view the sample press release on this page. You'll note that the five W's (who, what, when, where and why) are at the top of the release followed by background information. Be sure to include a contact name and phone number where the reporter can call for more information.

Or better yet, e-mail us at the BWG Agency: mail@bwgagency.com Sean or I would be glad to help!

Don?t be discouraged if the article that results from your efforts is not 100 percent accurate. Reporters are human and they write on many different subjects in any given week. They can?t be expected to be experts on every topic! But as David South likes to point out, "I don't care what they're saying, as long as they're talking about us."

What David means is that the industry benefits whenever Monolithic Domes get in the news. Articles pique public interest in domes and people invariably visit the www.monolithic.com website for more information.

So the next time you leaf through a magazine or morning newspaper, think about the effort that went into getting some of those articles published. And then consider how you can turn your Monolithic Dome into a newsmaker!

Carol Cirulli Lanham is a former journalist and co-founder of Dallas-based BWG Agency. For more information, visit www.bwgagency.com

Sample Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Carol Lanham BWG Agency 972-818-0895

Open House to Benefit Helping Hands of Yuma

Local Monolithic Dome Home Open for Tours on Saturday, January 17th

YUMA, Arizona (January 2004) - One of most unusual homes in Yuma will once again be open for tours as part of a charity fundraiser. The Monolithic Dome home, known as Yumadome, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 17th. Admission is $10 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Helping Hands of Yuma.

Yumadome is located at 10360 S. Ave 5E in Yuma. A similar fundraiser at Yumadome in October 2003 attracted 450 visitors and helped raise more than $2200 for Hospice of Yuma.

The three-story dome home measures more than 11,500 square feet. It has eight bedroom suites that house four generations of one family, as well as a large atrium and community kitchen. Visit www.yumadome.com to see photos of the home.