How to Organize a Successful Media Event

How to Organize a Successful Media EventHow to Organize a Successful Media EventOne of the easiest ways for your company to receive free media expokoranvers (often known as earned media) is through media events. Whether youre teaming up with several sponsors to help the less fortunate, or holding a press conference to announce a product release, there are certain steps you should follow to organize a successful media event. Start With aPress Release Sending out your press release will help the media decide if your story is worthy enough of coverage. Thats why it helps to keep your press release simple and never use any hype. Stations and newspapers are looking for news theyre not looking for a sales spiel. Youve got a window for sending out your press release. You dont want to send it out too early and then it gets forgotten or buried, and you dont want to send it out too late when other stories may have already been assigned, and they simply cant fit your event in. Generally, 2 to 3 days before your event is enough advance notice. You also want to be sure you include directions and any special instructions within your press release. If your companys headquarters are at one location, but your event is at your plant 30 miles away, you need to make this clear in your release. Watch the Phone Calls After youve sent your press release, you can call the editors at the newspapers or the producers at the TV stations to verify they receive it. Thats all you have to ask. It will often open up the conversation for them to tell you if they think theyll be able to come or not. But even if it doesnt, you dont want to ask if theyre coming. Theyll be there if they can but wont make any promises. Do keep in mind, breaking news or heavy news days might prevent them from coming at the last minute. You dont want to pester them to see if theyre coming, even on the day of the event when youre standing there waiting for reporters to show up. You also want to watch the time y ou make your phone call. Calling at 10 minutes before 5 p.m. might seem like the end of the day for you, but for a producer thats 10 minutes until a nightly newscast. The best times to call are generally around 10 a.m., and between 1 and 230 p.m. Plan Your Events Time Carefully Everyones working on deadlines. Newspapers have set times they put the next days issue to bed. It means if they come to your event at 5 p.m. on Thursday, coverage may not show up until Saturday. TV stations generally have a morning, noon, 5, 6, 10 and/or 11 p.m. newscasts during the week, depending on your TV market. Getting coverage if your media event starts at 4 p.m. might be very tricky. They wont just hop into their news car and drive like crazy to get your tape on the air by 5. Theres a script that has to be written and a tape that has to be edited. Plan your event time so that its not only convenient to the reporters but also increases your chances of getting more immediate exposure. Dont Try an d Do Everything As tempting as it may be to become a director, dont tell the reporter, photographers or videographers what shots you want them to get. You want to establish a certain rapport with them and start a relationship with the newspaper or TV station. You wont win any friends by telling them how to do their job. Make It Easy to Get in (And Out) If youre holding the event at your 50,000 square foot plant and the area youre allowing media is in the back of the building, give them as easy access as possible. Dont have them park at the front of the building and then lug their equipment all the way to the back if you can help it. If theres a way to drive to the back, let the media know the driving directions in your press release and clearly mark the way when they arrive. You also want to consider what area of your facility is strictly off-limits. For example, if you cant avoid a long walk, do you really want the media to walk through your entire building with cameras? That doesnt mean theyre going to start shooting whatever they want. But many companies have strict policies about where cameras and non-employees can go for proprietary reasons. Consider the Visuals Think about your visuals carefully. Give the media as much of a pfotes-on experience as possible. Talking about a product for half an hour and then referring to the picture in the brochure is something the media doesnt even have to show up for. Remember, theyre passing the visuals on to your potential customers (their viewers or readers), so its important to keep your audience in mind so you can get the coverage you need. Dont Forget a Press Kit Include the information about your event and hand it out to the media. This info will help them write the story but also helps you have more control over the news since youre supplying them with the crucial info. Ensure Your Media Contact Is Available Dont forget to make your media contact available for questions. If a reporter has additio nal questions, they need to be able to get a hold of your media contact quickly. Be sure to include the media contacts phone number and any other contact info within your press kit. Use Employees With Experience You dont have to limit your events spokespeople to your own media contact. If an employee can give a better soundbite because hes had more experience developing and working with a certain product, by all means, make him available for questions. Prepare Your Statement Beforehand If you do plan on talking on-camera or to a newspaper reporter, think about what you want to say ahead of time. It can help to have a friend whos not familiar with your business to read over your press kit and ask questions they have. From these questions as well as some brainstorming of your own, come up with a list of answers. You dont want to sound rehearsed, but you dont want to sound unprepared or saying Umm... a lot either. You also want to consider the different types of mediums.The new spaperhas different needs than television and vice versa. A newspaper reporter might ask you questions that are much different thana TV reporter. Each medium has different ways of presenting your news so theyll need the type of that suits their audience the best. What If the Reporter Doesnt Show? The station or newspaper may very well send a photographer or videographer instead of a reporter. That doesnt mean your story isnt important to them. They wouldnt be there if they didnt plan on giving your story coverage so treat whoever shows up very well. If a videographer is lugging his gear, dont hand him a press kit right then. Offer to carry it for him until hes been able to get the shots he needs. Treating him or her like asecond-classcitizen will make it back to the station and could hurt your chances of future coverage.