Author Nicholas Sparks Scores Big on Valentine's Day

In recent years, no romance author has scored as many hits as Nicholas Sparks. The author of many hugely popular books, several of which have been made into hi“must see” movies for romantic movie fans, Nicholas Sparks’ marketing team had the author all teed up, and ready to swing for a major public relations win on Valentine’s Day.

Just before the big day of hearts, and chocolate, Sparks’ team announced the release of a DVD collection of his seven biggest romantic adaptations, Safe Haven,The Lucky One, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, A Walk to Remember,Message in a Bottle, and The Notebook.

To support the release, Sparks engaged the media, which was already ramping up for Valentine’s Day, and looking for love themed content.

Three reasons why Sparks’ promotion paid off:

He was prepared: Holidays come at the same time every year, and, every time, they offer an opportunity for someone to connect with their established audience. For Sparks, no day is better for this than Valentine’s Day. His movies, and books are like Date Night candy; stories of love conquering all. So, they put them all together, in a neat little package, for people who just can’t pick their favorite one. And ALL OF THIS was put in place months ago.

He stayed topical: In his interviews, and other media appearances, Sparks, promoted the movies and books, but not heavily. He let the interviewer lead him into those topics, which kept on message, without being overbearing.

He brought welcomed content: Not only were the movies welcome content, but the discussion ABOUT the content, from the ultimate insider, was very welcome to fans. They appreciated the curtain being pulled back as the creator of their favorite movies talked shop. The opportunity allowed Sparks to repeatedly discuss memorable scenes, which, in turn, promoted the movies even more.

With these three action steps, Sparks was able to connect with his core audience in a meaningful way. While you might not be a bestselling novelist, you can apply these tips to achieve marketing success.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading NY PR Agency.

What To Do To Grow Your Business

Any business one may be in, they can encounter “quick rich” solutions to common problems and challenges all businesspeople face. Namely, what to do next. Whether you are basking in a success, reeling from a failure, or wandering around in the doldrums of mediocrity, there is one question on the mind of EVERY business professional: “Where do I go from here?”

Next steps are not the clichés seen in movies, or popular webinars. They are not the trite, and vague “solutions” offered in self-help books, or Business For Dummies cartoons. The reality is, knowing when and how to take those all important “next steps”, and in which direction to take them, can be discovered, and measured based on information you already have access to.

Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations in New York, understands well the dynamic quandary of Next Steps. Here, he offers three definitive, and definable Next Steps that EVERY business professional can take knowing he or she is moving in the right direction.

#1 - Examine and quantify your current data: There is magic, and wisdom in what you already know, and in the numbers you already have. Those numbers can offer you concrete answers to questions you may not even know to ask. What you do with that information will determine the success of your next step, but crunching those numbers will at least show you which direction to take.

#2 - Examine and quantify current marketing opportunities: What are the closest possible, or better said, probable business applications to what you are doing now? Are there any needs you could be meeting that you are not? Any core competencies that you could be offering, but do not promote? Where is the market headed, and what is it asking for … and what, of those wants and needs, fits within your skill set, or immediate potential offerings?

#3 - Examine and quantify potential market wants or needs: This step is all about looking for what isn’t there. What is missing that people will want, or need next? More than a question of creativity, this is an examination of trends, and an extrapolation of where those trends might offer an opportunity for innovation or deviations, whether small or large.

Taken together, each of these steps presents simple, and definitive market data that can clear the fog of indecision brought about by the innumerable opportunities that surround entrepreneurs, and business professionals every day. Yes, there is plenty out there to see, and pursue. But it’s time to stop grasping at everything that moves into your line of sight.

So whether you work for Vemma or work for yourself, take a step back, crunch your own numbers, see what’s immediately available to you, and search for something someone hasn’t thought of yet.

The Path To Success Differs: Henry Swieca to Russell Simmons To Vemma

Successful people know that there is no easy path to success. There’s always something else to tackle and it is often a very daunting task.  Some quotes on what it takes to be successful:

• “If you work harder than everyone else, success can’t hide from you. You will find it. And you will enjoy it.” Chad Howse 
•  “There is no substitute for passion, hard work and dedication.” Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR 
•  "The most difficult aspect of being a CEO is you driving your day, and not letting the day drive you. By looking through tasks each morning and resolving to allocate the time to concentrate on the CEO priorities, the actions only the CEO can take to move the company forward, you can keep your eye on moving the company forward.” Bob Compton
•  "With the exception of one or two days a year, I work out every single day. Fitting a workout into the work day reduces stress, keeps you healthy, and is great for getting “alone time” to work out business and personal problems.” Mike Cassidy
• “Having been a Division I college athlete, I can say that being a CEO is significantly more strenuous... There's an expectation that you always have to be positive, energetic, and decisive, which drains every ounce of your energy.” Marc Barros
• "Maintaining a steady reservoir of energy -- physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually -- requires refueling it intermittently." Tony Schwartz
• "Meditation has given me centeredness and creativity. It's also given me peace and health." Ray Dalio 
• “At Vemma every day we strive to do more --- and that takes dedication, focus and more.”
• "Stress-reduction and mindfulness don't just make us happier and healthier, they're a proven competitive advantage for any business that wants one.” Arianna Huffington
• “For me, my number one productivity practice is to set priorities at the beginning of the day, before I get lost in the chaos that goes on around me. When I sit down at my desk, I set priorities.” Tony Stubblebine
• “What I was depriving myself from was time in the day where there was no pressure and no expectations. For the same reasons that I felt most creative on Saturday mornings and on planes, 4 a.m. has become a place of productive peace. That feeling is why I love what I do. I don't need a vacation. I don't need to step away. I just need a couple hours a day before anyone else is up.” Paul Dejoe
• “I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. That's how I came up with a solution. So I don't mind failure. I've always thought that schoolchildren should be marked by the number of failures they've had. The child who tries strange things and experience lots of failures to get there is probably more creative.” Sir James Dyson
• “Take Chances, Be Honest and work damn hard.” Henry Swieca

What is your favorite quote on success?