• Wall Street Journal, Monday, October 4, 2010 10:54 AM

When Starwood's Sheraton chain wanted to promote a $120 million upgrade of its fitness programs last week, it brought together 270 people at its hotel in midtown Manhattan. Why? To get acknowledgement by Guinness World Records as having conducted the largest-ever resistance-band, strength-training class, Suzanne Vranica reports.

Similarly, Natural Balance Pet Foods created the world's longest float -- 114 feet -- at the Tournament of Roses Parade, as per Guinness. Several bulldogs snowboarded down a giant ramp and sales increased 15% in the months following the event. "The Guinness name is so recognizable, and its brand gets a lot of press," says Natural Balance president Joey Herrick.

Guinness opened a division this year to help companies figure out what records to set to highlight their products and brands. Parent company Jim Pattison Group also opened a PR division to help marketers get media attention. Guinness charges companies about £3,000 ($4,739) for its services, which include brainstorming what records to break and having a judge verify the results.

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