To achieve progress on a sexual harassment case, the law firm Katz Melinger asked me to prepare a press release about the lawsuit and conduct media outreach. The goal was to put pressure on the attorneys representing the hosts and management of a top-rated cable television show, its production company and the network on which the show aired.

A leading broadcasting industry magazine published an article on its website. Perhaps advertisers, who are often skittish that adverse publicity might affect them also, contacted the network to voice their displeasure with this news.

In less than five hours, the attorney for a defendant contacted Katz Melinger.

Sometimes attorneys in a litigation case need to motivate opposing counsel representing a business. When unfavorable news stories lead that company’s customers to voice their concern and dismay about business practices, it usually prompts defense counsel to respond.

More than 80% of hotel revenue was generated by credit card usage in 2010, so monitoring credit card transaction fees and charges should be a priority for hotel management.

Independent Merchant Group (IMG) reviewed the merchant services statements of two leading hotels and found unauthorized increases in transaction fees; processing rates and fees that were above-average for the hotel industry; and incomplete and confusing terms in the statements. IMG’s success in auditing the statements and restructuring the credit card processing agreements saved both hotels thousands of dollars; the company continues to monitor the statements to guard against fee changes.

This case study was presented to several hotel industry publications. These articles generated more than 800 calls from hotel industry professionals who wanted IMG to review their credit card processing statements and potentially locate similar savings for them.

How much would it have cost to buy these leads of financial executives in the hotel industry? Would the leads have been motivated to consider a similar audit to possibly uncover thousands of dollars?

“Janet promoted Staten Island Legal Services first fundraising luncheon in 2013 to The New York Law Journal. She was able to secure an article in advance of the event, which is very unusual, and that news story helped us sell more tickets. The NYLJ also came to the event and provided coverage of the luncheon with a prominent photo. She repeated that success for the second luncheon in 2014 as well. Janet wrote our first newsletter, which gave an update on the many cases that SILS was handling after Hurricane Sandy devastated Staten Island, plus solicited donations. It’s no exaggeration to say that the news stories and newsletter turned out so well thanks to her persistence.”

Nancy Goldhill, Executive Director Staten Island Legal Services

YardShare.com is a forum and social networking site for gardening enthusiasts to exchange tips, photos and ideas.

When a contributor to The TODAY Show mentioned at a social event that an upcoming segment would focus on trends combining gardens and technology, I suggested Yardshare.com as an example. She interviewed Bryan Powell, founder of the website.

On the day the segment was broadcast, the number of visitors to the Yardshare.com website increased 92%, essentially doubled.

A centennial event is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Reporters tap their Rolodexes and databases of contacts to get insightful commentary marking the occasion.

With a press release announcing two art and photography exhibitions in conjunction with the centennial of the Queensboro Bridge, Judith Berdy, co-author of a book on the bridge, was positioned as an expert. She explained the significance of the bridge connecting the farmlands of Queens to the growing metropolis of Manhattan in 1909 to a reporter.

The resulting article in The New York Daily News generated exhibition attendance above expectations.

Presidential candidate John McCain announced on June 23, 2008 that he would create a national competition to promote research on alternative automobile batteries.

Attorney James Greenberger had co-chaired a conference on the subject of alternative automobile batteries the month before; I asked him what he thought of McCain’s proposal and the state of industry research.

After quickly developing a snappy pitch, positioning Greenberger as an authoritative source, I contacted auto industry reporters, a group I had not previously targeted. I presented him as a source on the hot topic.

He appeared on CNBC that afternoon.