Get Your Picture Taken with George Clooney!

Gayl Murphy is the cheerful woman in the photo with George Clooney. She's an entertainment journalist so she did know him well enough to have him pose for a mug shot. Getting seen with the famous is a PR tactic that business owners and management consultants can use to boost their credibility among peers, customers and suppliers. She spoke with me recently about creative ways to get PR and boost your marketing efforts.

So what if you run a hardware store in the suburbs of Lincoln, Nebraska where it's not likely to find George Clooney?

Gayl's advice is to have your picture taken with a leader who's recognizable in your industry.

"The whole idea of any kind of marketing and PR is to get people talking about you," Gayl told me, "and if having a photo with George Clooney is what's going to make you remember me and that I work in the media, then I'm happy."

Gayl trains business owners, executives and even professionals such as doctors on using their bios to market their companies and services. She adds having photos with industry leaders is ethical and business owners and consultants should be polite and on their best behavior when seeking the opportunity.

"As long as the photo relevant and you didn't have to stalk the person to get it, then by all means have as many photos with the top people in your industry as you possibly can. It's branding you in your environment and people pay big bucks for that kind of PR. I got it for nuttin'.

"I've been interviewing George Clooney for my news outlets since before he was Batman, so when I saw him at an event, he acknowledged me and graciously allowed me to be photographed with him," said Gayl. "I'm sure he knew very, very well that this would be a nice bump for me, and as you can see; he looks happy, right?"

Gayl is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics and this was taken at an annual Critic's Choice Awards event.

So who is the "George Clooney" that would make a nice branding opportunity for you and your business? The mayor in your city, a state representative, an author coming to a seminar, a top salesperson in your company, a professor at a local university who's an expert that you might include in your enewsletter?

While these individuals may not be recognized by much of the nation, they could be recognizable by those who are your business associates, customers and clients. In the long run, that might even be more valuable than having your picture taken with George Clooney. And that can ultimately drive business to you.