Managing the media study tour
Active and campaigning market town partnerships need to develop a clear message and sell it clearly and appropriately to a targeted audience.
Delegates on this study tour were introduced to the media strategy of Newmarket’s new ‘Shop Local’ campaign
and discussed the essential elements of media campaigns.
The session was led by Bill Laws
1. Your Press needs you!
UK has biggest press coverage in the world
National: newspapers, magazine, TV, radio, web. Regional: newspapers, radio, TV, Local: Newspapers, radio, email, newsletters.
Make the most of it. Compile database of media and contacts.
Appoint a PR. Keep cuttings. Cultivate contacts.
Hit the deadline. (E.g. Local glossy, 3 months; local radio: 24 hours)
2. Grabbing the headlines
Think about:
News: Good story, bad story.
Features.
Advertorials.
3. Hooks, lines & sinkers
The medium: email, cold call or press release?
Attachments.
Hospitality.
Don’t be a let down.
4. Perfect press releases - every time
Keep it brief.
Give clear contact details . . . and mobile number.
Feed them a famous first line.
Who, what, where and when in paragraph 2.
Why? And a strong quote in paragraph 3.
Additional background in paragraph 4.
Lay-out: avoid clever formats, frames or colours; space text 1.5.
Add useful information at the end in Notes to the editor.
Follow up with phone calls.