Public Relations Public Relations and dealing with and dealing with

the mediathe media

Public relations is not...Public relations is not...

That’s more like it...That’s more like it...

We work with:We work with:

What is PR?What is PR?

The PRCA describes PR as:“Public relations is all about reputation. It's the result of what you do, what you say, and what others say about you. It is used to gain trust and understanding between an organisation and its various publics.” In simple terms PR is:

Speaking to the media Building relationshipsTelling an interesting storyGenerating positive coverage

PR v Paid for advertisingPR v Paid for advertising

PR Advertising

Third-party endorsement to inform and persuade

Paid-for media to inform and persuade

Who am I?Who am I?

Dan McMullan

Ex-journalist◦The MEN◦The Sentinel◦Cavendish Press

PR Account Director◦Modern History◦University of Salford◦Northern Rail

Why am I here today?Why am I here today?

To give you some PR pointers How to spot a news angleHow to write a press releaseHow to approach the mediaChannels to considerGreat examplesAnswer your questions

PR Hints and TipsPR Hints and Tips

You don’t need a huge budget – editorial coverage is not paid for advertising but it is effective

It’s all about the story, but a good picture or sound bite doesn’t hurt!

Read the news – make sure you are aware of the current agenda

The media needs fresh content every day so give them a call

Planning a strategyPlanning a strategy

Modern HistoryModern History

Two strands of activityTop Trumps – keyed into marketing drive

◦Launch activity◦Top Trumps Tournaments

Food and drink themed programme of events◦Food and drink then and now◦Includes schools link◦Celeb chef endorsement◦Cooking demonstrations◦Historic recipe books

What makes a story?What makes a story?

◦Unusual – biggest, smallest, first or last, most expensive, oldest, unique in some way?

◦Current - link the story into wider debates, take advantage of current hot topics e.g The Royal Wedding

◦Impact – Will it have an impact on people/the local community

◦Visual – Is there a great photo opportunity◦Interactive – Can the public/local community

get involved

Ideas?Ideas?

◦Working demonstrations – photo opps◦Collections – New, unusual, the first time, the last

time?◦Community involvement – Ask the public to

provide items for displays◦Competitions – ask the public for their input◦Child Friendly – Can kids get stuck in or hands

on?◦Key dates – Tie into first daffodils, Mother’s Day,

Valentines Day, Easter, The Royal Wedding◦Celeb support – who endorses you or lives

nearby and may do if contacted?◦Staff stories and achievements

How to write a Press ReleaseHow to write a Press Release

Journalists are taught to write in a specific style - the upside down triangle!

Its easy to remember and keeps text tight and focused

Use this method to maximise the chances of your press release being used

You put the most relevant acts at the top – who, what, where, when, why

Intro should be no more than 25 wordsPut the most technical information at the

bottomSub-editors cut from the bottom up when

looking to save space

Different ChannelsDifferent Channels

Its not all about newspapers – though they are important particularly at regional level

Also need to consider radio, TV and the internet, social media is growing rapidly

A well thought-out PR campaign and a strong story angle works across all channels

Newspapers love a good photo so always have a think about what image you could use

Radio like a spokesperson for a soundbite, they conduct pre-records which means you can go again or live interviews – do you have a spokesperson?

TV – Same as radio pre-records or live big audiences Online – Great opportunity to spread you message without

the media getting involved!

Be realistic - is your story strong enough for TV or radio

Approaching the mediaApproaching the media

Reporters are not as tough/scary as they would like you to believe

But, they are busy and don’t have time to waste

Much of their work is done by phone and email

If you have a named contact call them – if not ask for the newsdesk

Keep your approach short and to the pointStick to the facts and don’t be intimidatedSend through your press release by emailCall them – then call them againDevelop relationships with reporters

What to expect/How it worksWhat to expect/How it works

All media works to deadlines Weekly papers deadline is usually the

Tuesday ahead of Thursday publicationDaily papers like notice or stories as early in

the day as possible to diary for the nextRadio is flexible and can respond quickly but

like notice – local BBC channels are usually best for news coverage

TV like a lot of notice to get things set upThey can all drop out at the last minuteThe final decision rests with the editor

Record the coverageRecord the coverage

Keep a record of any coverageSet up Google Alerts Subscribe to news feedsMost newspapers will send out back copiesMany radio and TV shows can be

downloaded as listen/watch againCompile your coverage – find out what

makes and what doesn’tMeasure your success

Some great examples...

Director of FunDirector of Fun

Musuem Appoints Director Of Fun. The National Railway Museum in the UK hired a 6-year-old as its “director of fun.” Six-year-old Sam Pointon wrote to the National Rail Musuem and applied to replace retiring director Andrew Scott. In his application Sam wrote: “I have an electric train track. I am good on my train track. I can control two trains at once.” Bosses were so taken with his enthusiasm they offered him the role.

A Night at the MuseumA Night at the Museum

In 2010 capitalising on the impact of the Hollywood movie franchise, London’s Natural History Museum created a unique dinosaur sleepover event for kids. The initiative ‘Dino Snores’ was such a success the museum now plans to allow 400 kids to sleep there every month.

Ikeas Bondi Book StuntIkeas Bondi Book Stunt

For one day only the Scandinavian furnituregiant placed 30 bookcases on Bondi beach in Sydney. Beachgoerswere invited to swap one of their ownbooks or make a donation, with moneyraised going to The Australian Literacy andNumeracy Foundation.

Travelodge NativityTravelodge Nativity

In December 2007, Travelodge announced that all married couples named Mary and Joseph would be offered a free room at one of their hotels. The hotel chain said that husbands and wives who showed an official marriage license would get a night’s stay on the house between Christmas Eve and January 5th 2008, but with more home comforts than the humble stable of the Nativity story.

The best job in the world...The best job in the world...

To bring tourist attention to their region Tourism Queensland took an advert to recruit an “island caretaker” willing to spend six months exploring the land and waters around the Great Barrier Reef for £70,000. The post, billed as “the best job in the world” would involve the successful applicant moving to a rent-free three-bedroom villa, complete with pool, on Hamilton Island.

Trafalgar Square - TurfedTrafalgar Square - Turfed

In May 2007 Trafalgar Square was transformed into a green space as part of Visit London’s campaign to promote green spaces and villages in the city. The grass covered the square for two days during which visitors were able to soak up the sunshine in deckchairs or enjoy a picnic More than 2,000 square metres of turf covered the piazza around the national monument.

J’aime La TourJ’aime La Tour

In summaryIn summary

Think about your strategy – what do you want to achieve

Identify your storyWrite a clear press releaseDecide on the channel(s) to targetSpeak to the media and follow up on callsRecord the resultsWork out what works Maintain a steady drip feed of information out

to the press