Media is the fastest and most effective way of getting your message to industry and customers Often handled through the PR stream of media skills;
Remember MEDIA HOUSES they are mostly objective and usually have no vested interest than a good story. They do however have the interests of entire industry at their disposal to please customers – so broad interest.
Seek icebergs rocks and visible evidence to counter both Focused Media Awareness calls for - Knowledge retention - Message construction - Positive frame of mind - Strong informative interview - Talk to customers - Potential customers - And interested parties
3rd party endorsement Journalist endorse your point gives authority to it… people are more savvy bout ads a promo in favour of recommendations…printed word is vastly more powerful – most can recall how many articles they read today but not how many ads – how about you.
Integrity is 4 times higher than ads
Consider where you gain knowledge about competitors – images – all through media.
Strong voice is always we are dynamic – we are important and we have things to say that people want to listen….
Consider where you get your opinions from – vastly influenced by media. – We must channel what we supply to customers and public to channel and influence their predicted outcome.
Uses – emphasise – magnify and support already existing messages i.e. ads – direct mail – exhibitions and webs – be ON MESSAGE and Integrated,
Lead generation – prime the sale – educate about the company Create buzz in the marketplace Success position the company Communicated benefits of prod Overcome objections and limit the risk
Journalists –they are ordinary people – not rotwielers unless provoked Busy – they are busy – and often doing 2-3 stories at once – clarity and consistency are necessary Expect exclusivity. Note that you are providing something exclusive to add value. Give facts and opinions not propaganda – content is kings – benefits are essential. Under no obligation to buy – journalists will not use material that is not compelling and powerful Powerful – his readers are your customers Fallible – they get things wrong so be as clear as possible and get acknowledgement that he understands especially when complex issues are being discussed. Independent – it serves no purpose of a journalist to be in anyone’s pocket though he does appreciate items of interest.
NOTE – title of their magazine will tell you about their readership and how much they know about your products – use this to judge how in-depth to go
Don’t be afraid to ask them questions to find out more about their publications and readers,
Tell them how good their magazine is – they’re only human – so flatter doe3s work.
Everything you say is on the record so consider every word They are fantastic sources of information and can occasionally provide you with interesting gossip competitors and industry players want a secret.
Relating to media Any successful interview can be judged on 2 criteria 1) did the journalist leave with a good interview acknowledgement – a. empathy – journalists hate propaganda – and are very good at spotting it., id what they look for and try to provide all info u are qualified to give b. Look for a unique angle to make it easier to sell – add a hook – their questions will become easier to answer at that angle. Hooks are prod and performance measurements trends, issues or events – anything topical. c. A story builds hooks – give necessary facts, make it compelling and appreciate accuracy of data market insight and facts and figures to make journalist more credible. MAKE SURE YOU CAN SUBSTANTIATE ALL d. Media rapport – realise that you are extremely important to them. You know more than he does – make them comfortable and will make you more comfortable in turn – e. Follow up – people have terrible memory and faded recall – follow up with email or phone call. 2) did you impart your knowledge in a manner that satisfied you – cohesive, flowing, benefits not features a. in cohesive is panics people and leads to poor interview b. treat media as you would customer – value them and give what they look for c. Claims are easily tested and they are aware of market standard so claims must be accurate. d. Always make things easier. e. Journalist will let u know what interests them so get what they need and focus (within reason)
Message construction – fact advantage benefit –
Fact – a feature of product what is new or improved Advantage – what competitive advantage does this refinement add? Benefit – is there an inherent performance benefit or to customer
Most readers will be customers and end users so make sure benefit is focused and accurate
Do the journalist a favour by repeating and rounding up in evaluations but don’t be too obvious as will insult them,
DON’T GO ACCORIDNG TO PLAN
If not – use these techniques
Acknowledge and move – difficult questions are ‘that’s and interesting question, are you specifically talking about; then move from initial to more favourable.
Defer and move – if u cant answer be honest that you are not the best person to answer the question. But u can arrange to sort it
A note on body language – slouched poster hands in pockets and jingling change etc show discs-interest – Take positive stance, hand emphasize everything confidence and enthusiasm. Give good eye contact.
REVIEW
Be prepared – know area and what you want to get our of it Be polite – the most hardened journalist’s yields to courtesy and good manners. Be calm as it gives authority Be clear as clarity is essential Be attentive and enthusiastic – competitive edge of message Make eye contact – confidence Have relevant support to get arguments across – handy fallback to questions Shows you take it seriously and generates key messages
DONTS Be timid Lie Be afraid to say ill get back to you Avoid question Fiddle with hands Mumble or say ummm Appear dismissive/arrogant Give off the record information Indulge in gossip Speculate or make statements
Why Competitive Customer focused Core value Class leader Capability Confident Committed
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