ZB Group

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7 Things a Well-Planned Media Relations Initiative and My Trip to Paris Have in Common

Travel is back after three years of pandemic restrictions. Visiting Europe is a first choice for many people vacationing this summer. This New York Times article explains the reasons for its popularity and this one discusses why travelers are flocking to Paris in particular.

My husband and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Paris this past spring. It was my first time in France. The museums, delicious food and wine, charming neighborhoods, and centuries-old historic sites, were all unforgettable.

This got me thinking — the steps followed so that our trip met our expectations and went smoothly, are similar to those when we thoughtfully develop and implement a media relations plan for a client.

Here are seven ways our memorable vacation and our results-oriented media relations plans are similar.

RESEARCH – About four months before our trip, I read travel books, spent time researching online, and spoke with Gary Lee Kraut, a tour guide and editor of France Revisited. I also consulted with my brother who is a longtime travel professional and other family members and friends for their recommendations.

The first steps in creating a media relations plan generally include investing time to: learn about our client’s business, ascertain their ideal customers, understand their marketing strategy, find out about business challenges, inquire about new products or upcoming announcements, events, etc., and familiarize ourselves with their unique story.

PLANNING – Our itinerary included historic sites, museums, dinners at brasseries and bistros, a scenic boat cruise (during which I snapped the photo above of the Eiffel Tower), a guided walking tour led by Gary Kraut of the Marais neighborhood and nearby points of interest, and time for shopping.

We found out that May 1 is Labor Day and a public holiday in France when many things are closed. Therefore, on that day we planned to visit Montmartre where famous artists lived, worked and socialized.

Planning for an effective media relations project requires developing one that will achieve a client’s goals. Creating a target media list, writing press materials and crafting story ideas that align with the brand’s news, products, services, messages, and audience, are a few key components.

BOOKING – We pre-booked most activities; some are featured on the Paris Museum Pass and others are not. We didn’t want to miss out on seeing certain iconic sites or spend time in long lines.  

Similarly, we reach out to reporters, bloggers, and influencers to pitch story ideas that will resonate, arrange interviews, fulfill necessary requests, schedule on-site visits, and complete other pertinent tasks, in advance.

ENJOYMENT – We intentionally didn’t overbook. For example, we spent the entire day visiting the stunning Palace of Versailles and its beautiful gardens to enjoy them at a leisurely pace. On another full day we rode the Paris Metro to Montmartre where we donned berets to explore this charming area.

It was a delight to stroll through the manicured gardens at Versailles

Had fun climbing the hills in Montmartre

A media interview should be an enjoyable experience and opportunity for the interviewee to share their knowledge about a subject and connect with their audience. Prior to any media interview we prepare our clients (or their spokespeople) on best practices and how to field potential questions to ensure it will be worthwhile.

FLEXIBILITY – We made some changes to the itinerary while there. For example, we wanted to be near the Paris Opera House (Palace Garnier) for our 2pm tour, so we shopped in the area instead of visiting the Monet Marmottan Museum that morning as we had planned. We went to this museum on another day.

Listening to our Paris Opera House guide

We intentionally left two evenings open and by doing so, joined Gary Kraut for a fun small group champagne and wine tasting tour that he organized.

We met the owner Morgane Fleury, who shared the story behind her family-run business which produces the bio-dynamic Champagne Fleury

Being flexible is important during a media relations initiative. Perhaps the latest news cycle or the need to fulfill last minute media requests, must take precedence over tasks that were originally planned.

DOCUMENTATION – We’ll create a photo album to document our trip including these favorites.

Pablo Picasso’s “La Lecture” on view at the Picasso Museum.
“The Kiss” at the Rodin Museum
The Orsay Museum is housed in a former railway station exhibiting a vast collection by impressionists and post-impressionists

Upon a project’s completion, we document our results by sending clients a comprehensive report of the print, digital or broadcast coverage generated. It may contain copies of published stories, interviews, product features, reviews, blog posts, videos and images, along with other relevant information.

SHARING RESULTS – We’ve shared details and photos with friends and family fondly reliving our trip.

We encourage clients to share the media coverage that was garnered from influential third parties to benefit from the positive validation. Posting it on the company’s website, on social media channels, in newsletters, and sharing it with staff, clients or customers is recommended. This helps builds community, drives traffic and SEO, showcases the coverage, establishes credibility, and strengthens brand reputation.

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When it Comes to Media Outlets, Why Thinking “small” can Have a Big Impact.

The various ways to share a media placement online including on social media, in blogs and on websites

Interviews on national outlets are indeed valuable, but in the digital age, it’s important not to dismiss media opportunities with smaller outlets as Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent experience illustrates.

In the spring when the coronavirus outbreak surged in the U.S., Dr. Fauci was a frequent guest on all the major TV talk shows. However, by August, the New York Times reported most interviews were with outlets like Instagram Live, an online education platform, a local TV affiliate and podcasts. Continuing this trend, Dr. Fauci was a guest on Sirius XM’s Doctor Radio, in early September.

He realized smaller outlets could be instrumental in promoting his public health messages to their audiences and may even be picked up by larger ones. According to the article, “His appearances are widely watched by reporters from large outlets, who then quote him in their news reports.”

Obviously not everyone has the clout that a prominent health expert like Dr. Fauci does to weigh in during a global pandemic, but here are eight reasons to consider opportunities with smaller outlets for a positive impact.

  1. Present, Explain and Expand Your Message. Connect with your target audiences where they spend time which includes smaller channels.
  2. Accrue Online Visibility. Journalists looking for sources on a subject and consumers alike can find the interview, story, feature or content.
  3. Ability to Share on Multiple Channels. Social media, subscriber-based newsletters, websites or company blogs, all provide more eyeballs.
  4. Lend Credibility to Your Brand, Company, Product or Service. Conveying your story on their platform, relays its importance for their community of readers, viewers, listeners, loyal followers and fans.
  5. Raise Local Awareness. Depending on where your customers are based, recognition by local media outlets may be preferable vs. national media.
  6. Engage with Niche Audiences. For certain products or services, blogs, websites or publications that appeal to specific interests may be best to target. For example, ones comprised of health or eco-conscious consumers, fashionistas, home cooks, entrepreneurs, cyclists or golfers.
  7. Express Thought Leadership. Via bylined articles and interviews with reporters at trade publications, promote expertise and convey influence.
  8. Reporters, Editors and Producers Change Jobs. Someone working at a smaller outlet today may leave for a larger one tomorrow, or start their own one day. Connections and positive impressions made in the past, will help build relationships with media professionals that may be advantageous for your business or organization in the future.

For a recent project, we arranged for the owner of a bed-and-breakfast, Woolverton Inn, to be quoted in the Associated Press, but we also intentionally selected to pitch smaller outlets that are a good fit for their messages and various audiences. As a result of our efforts, blogs geared for baby boomers and millennials, a meetings and events publication and a New Jersey business magazine, among several others, featured the inn.

There are many factors to consider when planning a media outreach strategy but keep in mind that smaller outlets may yield big rewards.

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Is Brick-and-Mortar Yesterday’s Retailing Model? Obviously not.

People shopping in a retail mallBefore you know it spring will arrive and along with colorful flowers new stores will sprout welcoming customers who want to shop in person. For a myriad of reasons shopping offline hasn’t lost its appeal among today’s consumers. When referring to the increase of Web retailers opening stores, Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester Research says in The New York Times:

“Well over 90 percent of sales still happen in physical stores, so there is a huge, compelling reason to think about the physical store as a driver of sales.”

The word has evidently gotten out!

Those that have been selling their wares exclusively online like the Gap’s Piperlime, men’s apparel brand Bonobos (which starting selling at select Nordstrom’s last year) and the eyeglass company Warby Parker, have already or soon will open their own bricks-and-mortar locations. Bonobos’ decision to build physical stores and their Guideshops are explained in the New York Times story cited above.

A retail partnership will bloom in March when the Canadian apparel brand Joe Fresh opens nearly 700 shops within JC Penney department stores across the U.S. Known for its brightly colored clothing at affordable prices for men, women and children, Joe Fresh already operates six stand-alone stores in New York and New Jersey.

Retailing has become a multi-faceted business where it’s necessary to interact with customers face-to-face in addition to doing so via e-commerce websites to build strong brand loyalty and repeat business. This is clearly evident in our neighborhood.

We are located equidistant between New York City and Philadelphia, where the Quaker Bridge Mall has undergone a major transformation. It added 25 new retailers last year, four new ones (Bachrach, Vans, Lush and Bebe) will open by this summer and others are expected to be announced this year. One new addition is the high-end retailer Michael Kors which plans to open about 40 stores in North America this year. The Princeton MarketFair mall located a few miles away has also been adding stores and new restaurants.

Airport terminals now feature a variety of shops beyond fast-food restaurants in their food courts or kiosks selling souvenirs. A businessman can conveniently pick up a suit or tie he may have forgotten to pack for a meeting and a working parent can return home with a birthday gift she bought while waiting for her flight to board.

This is an exciting time for retailers and consumers alike as companies are reinventing themselves by forming partnerships, opening in unlikely locations and entering new markets to meet the needs of consumers wherever and whenever they have the urge to shop.

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If You Need a New Idea Take a Swim

woman taking a swimTo relax and recharge your work/life battery nothing beats a good swim. It clears the mind and energizes your body helping to tackle that daily “to do” list.  Now that summer is here it’s even easier to get motivated.  Unlike some other sports, not much is needed beyond a body of water, goggles, a swimsuit and a swim cap.

I learned to swim when I was young, but my main form of exercise throughout most of my adult life was dance by taking classes in ballet, modern dance and jazz. However, the last several years swimming has become my favorite way to unwind, stay in shape, and ponder over ideas. I took a lesson at my health club to improve my front crawl and breathing technique which helped increase my endurance. I swim all year round and like that fact that I’m not bound to a class schedule and can fit in a swim at my convenience.

A recent article in The New York Times, “Reaching for Zen With Each Stroke and Lap” by personal health columnist Jane E. Brody, explains the myriad benefits of swimming. She thought of the title for her last book while in the pool.

When I travel, I always take a swim if possible. This spring during a visit to Seattle, I was thrilled to swim in the 9-lane lap pool at the Bellevue Club during my stay. Any exercise that you enjoy doing and will incorporate into your life on a regular basis is beneficial for your mental and physical health but swimming is easy on your joints and is a great cardio workout.

Some swimmers bring a bag filled with kickboards, fins, paddles and water gloves to increase their endurance and strength training. The other day a swimmer in the next lane showed me his new contraption where he listens to his favorite tunes while under water. Personally, I prefer to swim un-aided and enjoy the silence during my laps. I occasionally follow up my swim by slipping on swim shoes for some water jogging.

So the next time you’re stuck on an idea, tense after a hard day of work or just want to burn off some extra calories, go for a swim!

{Image: Inigo Quintanilla via iStockphoto.com}

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There’s Good News on the News Front!

Good News! in large print on front page of newspaperA recent report from the Pew Research Center says the State of the News Media 2012 is strong. You can read it here.

It seems that even though lots of us are consuming news on tablets, smartphones and computers, this is actually strengthening traditional news brands.  People using mobile devices are spending more time reading the news, reading more often and are enjoying reading longer articles.

What I found most interesting is the fact that the reputation or brand of the news organization is the most important factor influencing where people go for news in spite of the growth of social media.

An average of 22.5 million watched one of the three network news programs on ABC, CBS or NBC. Sunday print editions did well last year, local TV news audiences grew, more people are listening to radio on their digital mobile devices and tablets may provide a bright future for magazines that adapt.

Digital subscriber programs have helped increase revenues for newspapers. The New York Times will begin charging readers in April for those choosing to read more than 10 articles per month instead of the previous limit of free access to 20 articles. 

In addition to an increasing number of newspapers installing paywalls for content read online, the news business is changing in many other ways.  Legacy print media like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal now produce hours of Web videos featuring their journalists with content accessible on various platforms. 

Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor and Executive Editor Online for The Wall Street Journal, explains in the video below, that telling compelling stories is still at the core of the news business. However, the WSJ is reinventing itself by using video and adapting in other new ways to meet the needs of today’s news-hungry readers and viewers.  

There are still many challenges ahead for news organizations as they learn the best ways of embracing new digital environments.  I’m encouraged that news organizations are making the necessary changes which appear to be working to reinvent themselves for the current and future news landscape.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdkBc31MEYs