On Media Relations
When people think of strategic communications, media relations is typically the first (and sometimes only) tactical approach to come to mind. When done right, media relations can be a powerful tool in your strategic communications arsenal. But it works best when part of an integrated approach, aiming to accomplish a clear business objective and with complementary programs.
To get a better sense of what media relations is and what it can accomplish, we can compare it to that most ubiquitous of marketing tools, advertising. At its core, media relations can be considered “earned” whereas advertising is “bought.” As it is filtered through a reporter and sometimes an editorial staff, most audiences will see earned media as much more credible than bought media. Messages also tend to enjoy a much deeper level of audience penetration when earned rather than bought (who skips content just to see the ads?) But at the same time, advertisers have 100% control over the content of their messages, within the boundaries of applicable regulations. Earned media is subject to the perspective and perception of the reporter.
Through media training, tailored messaging and properly targeted outreach, you can mitigate much of the “content control” issue that comes with earned media. A much larger issue is how to actually get noticed in an ocean of press releases and a flood of pitches.
For Torch Communications the media relations process is highly targeted and specific to the objectives of our clients – more like a tightly focused Mag-lite beam than a diffuse camp lantern. We don’t purchase massive media lists, spamming every reporter under the sun with a cookie cutter press release hoping that someone, somewhere will take interest. Our approach is much more fine-tuned, strategic and relationship-based.
We are immersed in the media that report on the industries we serve. We know what interests the reporters who cover our clients – and what doesn’t. This allows us to tailor our pitches to the interests and perspective of our target reporters. We also know how much of a pitch a reporter is likely to read. Because of our extensive industry experience, we are able to take each client’s story and boil it down into a succinct, informed pitch designed to whet the reporter’s appetite to learn more.
Our approach is also multifaceted. We leverage relationships, often with third-party experts, to underscore the credibility of the messages we’re communicating. When appropriate we utilize multiple clients to create a more well-rounded pitch. We also cultivate networks of influence – within the industry and within the media – to give our outreach efforts the greatest chance of success by creating a chorus of voices on the topic at hand.
Some say that media relations is more art than science. While it certainly does require an artful hand, we believe that our methodology, built upon a history of success, respects the professionalism of all involved and is the best route to accomplishing your objectives.