THA 101st Year DinnerPublicity Update

March 19, 2009

THA Publicity Committee

Don Rongione

Bridget Hoagland

Susan Weiss

THA Publicist

David Goldman

Sheldon Salkovitch

PR Objectives

– Create excitement and generate awareness for all styles of headwear

– Leverage story angles and trends to garner media placements

– Catch media’s attention with unique events

PR Goals 2009

• Develop and execute a minimum of four events per year

• Pursue print, broadcast and online media coverage

• Increase THA membership and sponsorship opportunities

• Drive traffic to THA website

News Releases2009 • Fit for the Head Office: The Headwear Association Suggests

Hat Styles for Barack Obama’s Inauguration as the 44th U.S. President

2008• The Headwear Association Kicks-off 2nd Annual “Headwear

for the Homeless” • The Headwear Association Creates Official Headwear Hall of

Fame™• Sun Protection Hats Help Shield Against Melanoma • Hat Day in the Sun Heats Up on Friday, June 20• The Headwear Association Celebrates 100th Year Anniversary• The Headwear Association Kicks off National Campaign

“Headwear for the Homeless”

2008 Events

• Hat Day in the Sun

• Headwear for the Homeless

• Headwear Hall of Fame

Hat Day in the Sun

• 3,000 hats distributed in 13 markets by: – Bollman Hats, Broner Hats,

F&M Hats, Philadelphia Rapid Transit, Outback Trading, San Diego Hat Company, and The Hat Company

• Media impressions: 46,248

• Search hits: Google News, Yahoo News and MSN

• Recommended hat buying tips to consumers

• Next event: Friday, 6/19/09

Tips for Buying a Sun-Protective Hat To be sure you are purchasing the right hat to protect against the

sun, The Headwear Association recommends:

Size - A hat with a minimum 2 ½” brim can provide adequate sun protection for the neck, face and ears

Shape - Hat shapes that protect better against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) are ones that curve down to follow the contours of the head and neck

Material - The material of a hat should be lightweight and breathable.  Fabric should be a closed weave straw, raffia, cloth, or felt.  

Chicago

Delray Beach, FL

Detroit

Fort Worth, Texas

Lancaster, PA

New York

San Diego

Wildwood Crest, NJ

Headwear for the Homeless• Completed 2nd annual event on Dec. 10, 2008 • THA members donated more than 5,000 cold weather

hats to men, women and children at local shelters and non-profit organizations nationwide

• Media coverage: 120 clips (TV, print and online) • Created goodwill in communities• Moving and gratifying experience for participants• Participating companies: Bollman Hats, Broner Hats,

DelMonico Hatter, Dorfman Pacific, F&M Hats, NES Enterprises, Outdoor Cap, Philadelphia Rapid Transit and San Diego Hat.

Bollman Hat Company • Distributed 300 hats to Opportunity House and Mary's Shelter

in Reading, PA  

• News segment on WFMZ-TV69 News

Bollman Hat Company SWPR distributed 150 hats donated by Bollman Hat Company

to Chicago’s St. Vincent de Paul Center and Department of Children and Family Services – foster kids program

Broner Hats Distributed 100 hats to the men, women and children at

Grace Center of Hope in Pontiac, MI

DelMonico Hatter Distributed 200 hats to clients at the local Emergency Shelter Management Services in

New Haven, CT

Dorfman-PacificDonated more than 1,000 units of knit caps, scarves, ear

muffs, mittens, and gloves to the Stockton Homeless Shelter

F&M Hat Company • Distributed more than 200 hats to the Water Street Rescue Mission in

Lancaster, PA• WGAL-TV – Ch. 8 covered this event and aired segment on the evening news

NES Enterprises

Distributed 150 hats

to Eva's Village in Paterson, NJ

Outdoor Cap

Distributed 1,358 caps to the Benton County Women’s Shelter; Genesis House; Havenwood Shelter; NWA Children’s Shelter; Peace at Home Family Shelter; Samaritan House; Seven Hills; Youth Bridge Children’s Shelter and Salvation Army

Philadelphia Rapid Transit

Distributed 200 hats to the Golden Light Ministries in Pennsauken, New Jersey

San Diego Hat Company

Distributed 360 hats at the St. Vincent DePaul Center,

San Diego

Headwear Hall of Fame

• In October 2008, THA established the official Headwear Hall of Fame™ to recognize the positive influence of famous hat wearers on headwear fashion

• TV Segment on the Ellen Show

• Close to 200 clips in newspapers, magazines and online websites and blogs

2009 Events

• Hat Day in the Sun (June)

• Headwear Hall of Fame (October)

• Headwear for the Homeless (December)

• Hat Person of the Year NEW

• Every Hat has a Story NEW

• What’s Hot in Hats NEW

Hat Person of the YearConcept• Men or women nominated must be living, a positive public image, wear a

hat in their current life and be well-known publicly • This will be a separate event from the Headwear Hall of Fame and winner

will not be automatically inducted into the Headwear Hall of Fame

Voting • The nominating committee composed of THA members will select

nominees each year• General public and THA members can vote online at THA website • THA Board of Directors have final approval on award winner

Media • Send out news release • Pitch story to national print and broadcast media outlets

Every Hat has a Story

Whether your favorite hat has been passed down through generations, bought for a special occasion, or just looks really good on you…tell us in 100 words or less, why your hat is so memorable and you may be featured on The Headwear Association website.

What’s Hot in HatsMonth Type of Hat Tie-in and Message Points

January Cold weather Protection

Stay protected from the elements. In cold weatheryou lose as much as 80 percent of your body heatthrough your head. Hats need to insulate andbreathe well.

February Women’s NY Fashion Week (2/13-20); Valentine’s Day, romantic/sexy hats

March Men’s THA annual dinner, hat person of the year,Headwear Hall of Fame. Current men’s hatstrends. St. Patrick’s Day - green derby, top hat,newsboy

April Environmentally-friendly

Earth Day (4/22) - Bamboo, hemp, organic cottonand recycled materials. Environmentally-friendlyEaster hats (4/12)

What’s Hot in HatsMonth Type of Hat Tie-in and Message Points

May Sports National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. MLB, NBA playoffs, cycling

June Sun-Protection Discuss hat size, shape and material

July Technical Functional Innovative, multi-functional tech-savvy headwear offers versatility, performance and practicality for warm and colder climates. Wick moisture, precision fit, bug repellent technology, quick-dry fabrics and …July is one of the busiest travel months and hats are easy to pack to protect again the sun and the cold weather.

August Street Street fashion influences Fall Style and trends

What’s Hot in HatsMonth Type of Hat Tie-in and Message Points

September Children Add a hat to back-to-school supplies. Sun hats help protect against sun damage. 80 percent of the sun’s damage occurs before age 18. Make sun hats available when kids register for school especially in the Sun Belt..

October Fun, Costume, Uniform

Halloween for kids and adults

November Western CMA – cowboys hats, Stetson, outdoorsman/outback hats, - leather, suede, felt, straw

December Hats for the holidays

Holiday hats for the entire family

THA Website

• New and improved

• Primary point of communication with THA members, media and general public

• Blog added

• New agency will assist us with: – Ongoing updates on content and technology – Overall improved user-experience

Until Next Year…