Real Story Of Publicity Success With Andrew Wittman, PhD
This podcast is a follow up to the original real story podcast with Andrew Wittman when he first finished his radio campaign and was just beginning his TV, print and online publicity program (link to his first recording here). He offers listeners an inside look into what it’s like to work with Annie Jennings PR over a period of two years.
Dr. Andrew Wittman, PhD is the author of Ground Zero Leadership: CEO of You. Andrew is a marine veteran, former police officer and federal agent who teaches Mental Toughness to CEOs of America’s biggest companies.
Firmly in our famous ladder strategy for the past couple of years, Andrew has written for Entrepreneur.com and was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, The BBC, US News & World Report, MarketWatch, CBS & FOX TV and more!
UPDATE: Andrew Wittman PhD was recently a guest on Fox & Friends TV talking about his new book and his sales shot to #1 on Amazon and stayed there. That’s the power of TV! (And by the way, the book deal came about because the publisher was impressed with all of his media accomplishments the Annie Jennings PR secured for him. Publisher’s keep their eye out for the rising stars and they find them in many ways including the media.)
But it all began with radio – Andrew was heard on over 300 stations during his top market radio campaign including big media brands like CBS Radio, iHeart Media, ESPN Radio in major cities across the country.
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Publicity Story: Before Annie, I Was Dead In The Water. Now? I’m Crazy Successful!
Exciting publicity news for Andrew
Stacy – Interviewer: Exciting news for you! You’ve been invited to work with a major publishing house, an opportunity that seemingly came out of nowhere, but you found out that they were watching you, your media appearances and how you leveraged those – tell us how Annie Jennings helped you get here.
What role did your top market radio publicity campaign play in you rise to the top?
Andrew – Real Client: It all started with radio. We began building our media profile with radio along with the media training that you guys give. That was awesome. We moved into the print, online media and television. It just doesn’t stop with Annie.
My media profile is so big now I can’t even keep up with it. It’s just every day something new!
The media I have received is really a big deal. It’s the big brand name media as well. All of my media just opened the door to a big publishing house. It would never have happened without the strategy that Annie uses for her clients.
How have the media assets you built up with Annie’s publicity strategy helped you in your consulting business?
So much high-powered media gives you credibility. Every time you are on Fox News or TIME magazine picks up a piece, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Inc. and even Men’s Journal, it puts you in a position of strength.
When you do make the sales call, or when they call you as that happens all the time – people start seeking you out because of the publicity – you’re recognized as a credible national expert on your subject.
So you are negotiating from a position of strength instead of trying to convince somebody that you have a great product. There’s just so much on that media profile that shows that you have a great product. You don’t get into all these places without being vetted.
You can’t quantify how great it is to have that credibility. It is impossible to put a monetary value on it. It’s incredible.
How did you allow Annie’s famous publicity Ladder Strategy work to empower you?
I just do what Annie tells me to do. I do not push back.
Listen, we have all been burned before by other PR firms. You’ve got to get back on the horse. Do your research.
I will tell you that Annie Jennings PR is the real deal. Plus, Annie only gets paid her booking fee when her team performs – just like me. I go to a company, give the speech and then I can get paid.
I always like it when people say “well I got burned with a PR firm” then I say, “well I got food poisoning before but guess what, I still come back and eat.”
What difference did Annie’s publicity firm make in your life?
Without Annie I would be dead in the water.
I have been doing this for 30 years. It’s only within the last two years that I have done anything different – and that is that I signed on with Annie Jennings PR. That’s the only thing different, the last two years I have been with Annie Jennings.
Now I am about to hit critical mass. I have people asking me to do publishing deals. Keynote speeches.
So for 28 years I was grinding it out, getting nowhere near where I am today. I was dead in the water for 28 years. I shouldn’t be old enough to say I have been anything for 28 years but it’s true.
What advice can you give to others seeking publicity?
Annie helps you get your messaging straight. I tried to do it on my own. Listen to the experts. Listen to what they say. Don’t push back. Just do it and you will get the results you want.
What impresses you the most about Annie’s publicity?
This is just one example. I am going to brag on Sara (Annie’s performance specialist) who does the print, online and TV.
I was going to Australia. She booked me on a dozen interviews while I was in Australia on vacation. And this is the killer. This is so awesome. This is the level of professionalism. Every one of those producers on radio, TV and print down there thought Sara was in Australia because she was emailing and talking to them on their time in the middle of the night here.
That is crazy. I would not do that. I don’t expect her to do that. And, by the way, Sara is doing all that work and I am not paying her until the piece runs or the media placement happens. So to get 12 interviews she must have talked to about 50 people. She is putting in a lot of time.
That’s my favorite thing about Annie Jennings PR is that this firm goes well above and beyond anything you should even ask or think.
What can you tell others who are thinking about working with Annie for their publicity?
If you are afraid to pull the trigger and go to work with Annie, just call me. It’s insane to not work with Annie Jennings PR. It’s literally insane to not work with Anne Jennings PR.
