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Dan McMullan from Amaze PR's presentation on PR on a Budget. Presented at the Modern History Attractions Event at Queen Street Mill Textile Museum - 31st March 2011.
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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