Getting attention for your business through novelty and boldness

Executive overview

Most businesses assume quality or moral value earns media attention. It does not. What drives attention is novelty — doing something new, surprising, or different enough to make people stop.

The right kind of attention comes from breaking the mold, not from deserving it.

What actually drives attention

• Novelty is the primary driver — new, fresh, unexpected angles cut through
• Shock gets attention because it is an extreme form of novelty
• Fear-triggering events (pandemics, dramatic developments) also generate attention, but novelty can work without fear
• Worthiness, merit, and positive contribution are largely ignored by media and audiences
• Pairing a novel concept with well-known names amplifies reach significantly

Three examples of novelty in action

1. Eating Like Einstein — a vegetarianism campaign that broke through by raising a surprising question rather than repeating familiar arguments
2. Singularity University — a novel educational model tied to billion-person problems, amplified by celebrity association with Diamandis and Kurzweil
3. Tesla Cybertruck — a concept-car-style production vehicle with futuristic design and bold stats; generated massive pre-orders with no ad spend

What to do

• Do something genuinely new or different in your industry
• Do not hide it — be willing to be public and bold about it
• Break the mold; taking a risk is the price of great PR