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Using Dragon fire: how to exit the Den in the spotlight

All is far from lost if your visit to the BBC Dragons’ Den didn’t yield investment:  it’s just the start in PR terms.  Once the show has aired, there’s a great opportunity to tell your story.

 

The new series starts Sunday 31st July - how could your business benefit further from the exposure.  PR advice from Jennie Wood of Avalanche Media.

The new series starts Sunday 31st July – how could your business benefit further from the exposure. PR advice from Jennie Wood of Avalanche Media.

Whether the Dragons were in or out, here are four pointers on playing the associated PR game:

What really happened?
The final edit of the show doesn’t always reflect each candidate’s own experience.  What happened when the cameras weren’t rolling?  What wasn’t shown in the programme that you wish had been?  Did any of the Dragons express interest in keeping in touch?  There is almost certainly a story for your regional press, appropriate trade media or other national channels.  Decide what provides the best hook and spend time following up with the right journalists – ensuring you are factually correct and not breaching any contractual agreement with the BBC.

What did the experience teach you and what advice can you impart?
Again there’s an opportunity for further press material here, which is possibly best targeted at trade or specialist titles.  This subject would also provide a pull-factor for a public speaking occasion, particularly if there are more light-hearted or humorous elements to add.  One option worth thinking about if you’re looking to position yourself and business as a thought leader in your sector.

Following up with your customer base
You’ll no doubt receive a flurry of messages as soon as the programme’s over, but once the initial wave has passed, there are ways of rolling more in.  Perhaps your appearance on the show provides a good reason to pick up the phone to customers and ask them what they thought – or gives you a good excuse to contact prospects and reintroduce your business.  It’s a one-off talking point, so make sure you make the most of it.

Marketing collateral
Update your website’s homepage and other key landing pages with a reference to your appearance in the Den.  Link to the programme in question on the Dragons’ Den website, as well as any additional footage taken by the BBC.  Consider this application on email signatures too, alongside other marketing material and social media platforms.

Who knows where other offers could come from.  Whatever happened in the Den, think about the ways in your business could benefit from your encounter with the Dragons and plan on making best use of the exposure.

Haulage expert Hilary Devey is the latest to join the investor panel, alongside Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis, Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones.  The new series of Dragons’ Den starts tomorrow (Sunday 31st July), 9pm on BBC2.