Executing a PR Slam-Dunk for Elzinga Greenhouses.

Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses of Kalamazoo, Michigan was “blooming” with happiness over the PR generated for the grand opening of their new USDA-certified organic greenhouse. And for good reason.

More than 100 media outlets were invited to the organic greenhouse press conference and open house via a printed invitation, followed by an e-mail and phone call. A number of media outlets attended the event and participated in the press conference, Q&A session, greenhouse tour, and open house gala, which included speeches by supermarket and horticulture executives. Those media that did not attend the open house received a press release about the organic greenhouse and a press kit CD (upon request) a few days after the open house (giving those who did attend the event “the scoop”).

The result? Press coverage of the new organic greenhouse generated more than 60 articles for a total of over 950 inches of editorial space. Most significant was the presence of an Associated Press (AP) reporter and photographer at the event. Because the AP is a wire service, this meant that just one article could be picked up by dozens of other media outlets, which is exactly what occurred. And it was still generating press coverage two months after the event.

The organic greenhouse press conference has also generated a significant amount of attention for Elzinga in the organic, sustainable, and greenhouse industries. In an article titled “Elzinga Hits the Big Time,” Grower Talks editor-in-chief Chris Beytes said:

“Mark Elzinga and company held an open house March 12 to show off their new certified organic greenhouse and all the accompanying cultural and environmental technology. He’s got a darned good PR firm working for him, and they earned their money, luring plenty of media to the event, including a reporter for the AP. The Elzinga story hit the wire, and Mark wound up with articles in a ton of major online and print publications, including Forbes.com, Business Week, Chicago Tribune, and the Detroit Free Press … Mark is looking for more customers, and getting the word out nationally via so many media outlets reaching untold potential retail buyers – exposure that’s almost impossible to buy.”

In fact, Mark's exposure was so deep and so long lasting that in November, Greenhouse Grower Magazine gave Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses their coveted "Grower of the Year" award, a reflection of M&K's PR strategy. (click on the image to see it larger.)

M&K’s PR efforts on behalf of Elzinga Greenhouses consisted of numerous components, including the creation and management of a press conference at the open house; development of an extensive media list of both daily newspapers and industry trade journals; a press kit CD, with a press release, fact sheet, print-ready images, and more; an e-mail pitch letter; phone call follow-ups; and speech writing.