View
271
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Having made the bold move of launching a start-up business, it is likely that you are faced with the challenge of spreading the word about your products or services to potential customers. Most start-ups look enviously at the big brands, wishing they could emulate their marketing activities. Of course, they are never able to do so due to an acute lack of funds to invest in marketing, especially in the early stages. The goal of media relations is to get positive coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly as by advertising. Media relations involves working with media for the purpose of informing your potential customers about how your offering will benefit them, and doing so in a credible positive and consistent manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people who influence, generate and distribute news and features in the mass media. One of the most cost-effective ways to build buzz around your start-up is to get it covered by the media, either local or national. But how does one go about doing that on a shoe-string budget?
Citation preview
Media
Leveraging Media Relations
N Bringi Dev
July 05, 2014
What?
Why?When?
(w)How?
Who?
Why?
What can Media Publicity Do for You?
� Build awareness
� Potential Employees
� Investors and Banks
� Possible Partners
� The public at large
� Build Brand and Value
� Generate Business?
Media
Relations
& Public
Relations
Advertising,
Promotions,
Sales
Caveat:There are No Free Lunches!
� While media relations appears to be ‘free’,
there are costs involved:
� Financial costs
� Collateral
� Outside resources..
� Non-financial
� Time!
� Work!
� Consistent Focus!
When?
An Absolute Must Read
When?
When?
Networking +
WoM
Push PullPush +
Pull
Advertising
+ MRMR
Advertising
+ MR + PR
Note: My adaptation
Public relations vs. media relations
How is it different from Advertising?
Advertorial vs. Editorial
Types of Public Relations
� Offline
� Online
� Social
Source: Alok Kejriwal
Does Offline PR Still Matter?
� There is a market of decision makers (CEOs of
Companies, Heads of Departments, Senior
Govt. Officials, etc) who only read print.
� The online websites of large publications have
large audiences and once you are written up in
print, you automatically get featured online too.
� Think of it as ‘proof of concept’ test. The day you
can make it in the Fortune or Time or The
Economist, you have done something
worthwhile.
Source: Alok Kejriwal
How are
we doing
thus far?
What?
The Media Milieu
• Time
• Channels compete
• E-relationships
• Low attention span
• Technology massively propagates pictures, videos and ephemera
News is a Product
What media wants
Conflict of Interest?
What ‘sources’ want
Messaging Model
Messages
Target
Audience
Messaging Model - Now
Messages
Influencer/
Opinion
Leader
Target
Audience
Opinion Leaders
� Have credibility
with readers that
media wishes to
leverage
� Political figures
� Celebrities
� Community/
religious leaders
� Teachers
� Media analysts
� Industrialists/
Investors
BEHIND THE NEWS
Behind the Scenes
Who Decides?
� Editors commission stories/columns
� Journalists/writers file
� The Editors decide
� Sub-Editors hack the story
� Priorities change all the time
Journalist Roles
27
journalist has a personal
role
personal approach is allowed for the
journalist
journalist must be objective
newsroom
work only
commentary, note,
columns, opinion
news, news feature
story
reporting
interview
Traditional Interaction Model
Spokesperson
PR
Agency
Readers
Wire/News
Services
Spokesperson
Spokesperson
In-house
MarComm
Journalists
Editors
Analysts
Web Sites
Other
Stakeholders
Editors
Investors
Readers
Lower Hanging Fruit
� Bloggers
� Niche/Trade/Industry publications
Start-Up Publications
(w)How?
Fundamentals
� Know thy TA!
� Whom are you talking to?
� How do I reach them?
� What do they read?
� Know thy messages!!
� Find the right publications to reach your TAs
Getting Past the Gatekeeper
Connecting
� Who are the journalists that write in your
area?
� What kind of stories do they write?
� Comment on their stories online –
responsibly yet provocatively
� Write to them, but not spam them
� Find out who their commissioning editor is
� Give them reasons to want to know you
Network, network, network
� Conferences & forums (sic): Speak!
� Attend entrepreneurship group meetings
� Be active part of the eco-system
Connecting Online
� Develop serious blogs
� Be the expert
� Have a trenchant point of view
� Comment on relevant issues
� Develop an individual Brand personality
Be Prepared
� Develop a pitch for the media
� Focus on highlighting the aspects of your offering that they think will be useful to their readers
� Have a media page on your site
� Your pitch is a ‘living document’
� Develop a media kit: online + offline
Any
Questions?
Who?
Make vs. Buy?
You are the Business!
“The vast majority of the time,
the founders are the
voice and heart of the company.”
- Brooke Hammerling, Brew Media Relations
DIY MR
� Is there a media-savvy person in your
founding team? Why Not?
� No Idea? Get Idea
� Can you find a media relations person
cheap?
� One-person outfits exist - call themselves consultants – select one who comes recommended by someone you trust
� The Moonlighter Option
Send Out News!
� Blog!
� Web site Media Section
� E-newsletter
� Create & post media releases for free
To Agency or Not to Agency?
� Only three reasons an early-stage company
should consider retaining the services of a
firm:
1. It’s entering a crowded market.
2. It’s a very disruptive company that needs to
get out there ahead fast.
3. There’s a legacy CEO involved who has
history with the press. - Brooke Hammerling, Brew Media Relations
A Few Bright Ideas
� MR Now – Pay Later
� Find a PR agency that will provide consulting now for a slice of the business or later
� Work on a pay for results basis
� Fledging agencies may be willing to work for
costs
� Get your investors to help you connect
� They have a vested interest
� Most times we do not ask them..
Stay the Course
� Like all relationships, building media relations
takes time
� Be prepared for the long haul –it is worth it!
� Most importantly – the leadership team needs
to invest time and effort to make it work.
Last chance!
Any
Questions?