...Kelly Golden, owner of the Chicago-based boutique Neapolitan, agreed: "If you are mentioned in a magazine or given credit for a particular outfit or get a feature on your store, it is of higher interest to the reader than something you paid for. It's more credible, and the message is much clearer."

After Golden opened Neapolitan, publicist Adrienne Eckert of Skirt PR secured a placement in the magazine Chicago Social. The weekend the issue hit newsstands, Neapolitan had lines from the dressing room out the door.

"Our highest sales weekend was our launch weekend, when we held events," said Golden. "Our second-highest-grossing weekend was when the Chicago Social article hit."