media relations – Ignite PR

Media relations: what they don’t teach you at uni

August 13, 2013/in Uncategorized/by ignitepr

For the past three and a half years, I have been studying public relations at university. While I thought I knew everything I needed to know to start my career as a public relations practitioner, my time spent interning at Ignite PR has made me realise there is much more to PR than what we learn in the classroom.

‘Media relations’, for example, was a term chucked around in lectures but we were never taught what was really involved. At uni I was never taught as such the idea of ‘pitching’ a media release to a journalist and it was a completely foreign concept to me. Media relations isn’t even considered a unit of study yet most graduates from university will start out as juniors who need to know what media relations encompasses.

During my time studying at university, media relations was described at best as sending an email to a journalist and presuming that they would publish the attached media release. I was quick to learn that there was a whole lot more involved with media relations than met the eye and that it makes up a large component of the work we do as PR practitioners.

I was always under the impression that once you emailed a journalist with a media release that it would miraculously appear in the paper. I was soon to find out that this was not the case at all. Media relations is a skill in its own right. It isn’t a case of just picking up a phone and asking for coverage – you must ‘sell’ a story to a journalist, convincing them to cover it.

The idea of talking to a journalist was indeed a daunting task at first and I wished I had learnt how to do this at university. However, I came to the realisation that it would be very difficult for universities to assess students on the art of’ pitching’ and ‘following up’ – it is something that is best learnt in a working environment with real clients and real journalists to pitch to.

This is where the value of a work experience opportunity comes into play, as here you can apply what you have learned in your studies into practice.

I’m surprised Australian universities can’t include a media relations subject as a unit of study, considering it is such an essential part of PR. Saying this, it is something that is learnt over time and you do eventually become more confident and better at it with practice.

University students wanting to get a career in public relations should seriously consider taking up as much internship experience as possible before they graduate. It is not only a good GPA that lands students into getting full time paid position jobs, there are some things that can only be learnt in a work experience environment, one of them being media relations.

Finding your Perfect PR Partner

April 13, 2012/1 Comment/in branding, Business, Clients, Marketing, Media relations, Public relations, Strategy and Planning/by ignitepr

Public Relations is a cost effective way to ignite your brand with the right audiences and it should be part of every marketing communications plan. But when is the right time to hire a PR agency and when and how do you find one that matches your brand?

Ask yourself this. Does your business have the capacity to fully manage PR efforts internally? Or, are you ready to take your brand to the next level by putting it in the spotlight?

The marketing function specifically is a specialist area and not all entrepreneurs or managers understand it fully, nor should they need to. This is why many look for supporting agencies.

How do I find a PR agency? Google search using key words relevant to your company like franchising, retail, pr agency. Or, research companies you admire or that are similar to you and look at who is doing their PR through their online press releases.

But outsourcing to the experts is a tough decision to make. The PR agency becomes an extension of your operation. It speaks with media on your behalf and represents your brand. How do I pick the perfect PR match? Two words: experience and communication.

Experience.

Are you a coffee franchise? Look for PR agencies who have worked with other coffee franchises before. They understand your needs, understand the market and will hit the ground running when they learn your brand. Look to see if they have hit results similar to what you’re expecting with your brand. This could be coverage in national newspapers or consumer magazines.

But don’t look past an agency that isn’t heavily experienced in your respective industry. The key to good PR is the ability to forge relationships with editors and broadcasters for your company and any agency with a good PR account team can do this well. Look for client testimonials from brands similar to yours, and see what they say about the prospective agency.

Communication.

Good PRs have exceptional communication skills, so you be the judge. How did you feel the first time you spoke or met with an agency? Do you feel comfortable with them and excited about potentially working with them or do you feel like you’re being “sold”? If this is how they represent their brand, it’s probably how they’ll represent your brand.

Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about how they work. How often you can expect communication from them, particularly when it comes to activity and results. Ignite PR & Marketing sends weekly wraps of PR activity to all of our clients as well as monthly or bi-annual PR reports. We meet with clients monthly to discuss successes, challenges and any upcoming opportunities. We find that consistent communication with clients gives us the best opportunity to ignite their brands.

Our Director, Trina McColl, is always available to answer questions about how we can help ignite your brand.

Ignite PR & Marketing is an established and experienced firm with a strong background in both franchising and retail services.

6 Questions: Emma Malone, Editor at CGB Publishing

August 4, 2011/in Franchising PR, Media relations, Public relations/by ignitepr

Next up in our 6 Questions series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them etc, we chat with Emma Malone Editor at CGB Publishing.

1) What is your deadline day/ time? CGB Publishing has three different magazines, Business Franchise Australia (published six times a year) Business Franchise New Zealand (published four times a year) and the Franchisor (published two times a year). Add to this the Franchise Guide – a full length book (published annually) and the Franchise Directory (published annually) and there is no day or time when we do not have a deadline!

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)? I prefer an email followed up by a phone call. It gives me a chance to review the information and see if it would be of any value to our publications.

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted? Preferably late morning. This gives me a chance to catch up on the mountain of emails and action items first.

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favorite venues? I would love to meet for coffee, but our deadlines don’t really allow for this. Emails and phone calls are much more effective for my schedule.

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs? I am not sure I have pet peeves. PR firms have a job to do, just like the rest of us.

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had? There is no perfect pitch – at least not that I have seen (yet) – I appreciate PR people who tell me about the company, what they are trying to achieve and what they would like from our publication – no sales dances.

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6 questions: Susan Ronai, Managing Editor, BUSINESSbne

July 7, 2011/in Media relations, Public relations/by ignitepr

Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Susan Ronai, managing editor of BUSINESSbne, a Brisbane specific magazine aimed at SMEs and targeted at business owners, managers and employees; effectively anyone who works in the business world.

1) What is your deadline day?

My magazine is published 6 weekly, so the deadlines vary… the balance of this year is June 30, August 11, September 22 and November 4 and the time is close of business on that day.

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Prefer email by far.

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Doesn’t matter, but I don’t have mobile email, so I may not get an email until I’m back in the office.

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

Anywhere except in town… the parking charges are prohibitive!

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

I don’t have any.

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

I have recently asked Ignite to join with me in supplying copy once every 6 weeks for an interview style piece either on a person of note for “Have a Coffee with ….” or on a business for a “Business Success Story”, so would be interested in receiving pitches for those sections. The [best PR pitch] hasn’t happened yet so I can’t answer any further.

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6 questions: Jen Bishop, Editor and Publisher, Dynamic Business

July 1, 2011/in Media relations, Uncategorized/by ignitepr

Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Jen Bishop, editor and publisher of Dynamic Business, Australia’s highest circulating magazine for SMEs.

1) What is your deadline day?

I have a different deadline every day of the week! We work on a two-month lead time as a rule, and don’t give out deadlines because if we haven’t commissioned something, why do you need to know?

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Always my email. Press releases by fax or post end up in recycling and I’m so often not at my desk, phone isn’t a good way to get me. I’m usually really quick to reply to emails and tweets/DMs though!

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Not really.

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

Sometimes. I like venues close to my office so it’s less time out.

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

One: Chasing up the press release sent half an hour ago.

Two: Not doing your research and getting my name wrong/knowing nothing about the magazine.

Three: Phoning up and reading off a script (usually the intern).

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

The best pitches are those targeted specifically to my publication by someone who has taken the time to look at it.

I get the best pitches from Caroline and Melissa Shawyer from the PR Group because they know exactly what I need and want and they make my life easier by thoroughly thinking something out before they pick up the phone.

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Why businesses should consider outsourcing PR

June 16, 2011/1 Comment/in Business, General, Public relations/by ignitepr

When it comes to marketing your business, there are a number of specialist areas that need to be looked at including graphic design, marketing and public relations. Whilst you might be able to do the basics in-house, there is expertise attached to these specialist areas. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth investing in your PR rather than DIY-ing it:

1) We’ve got years of experience and expertise: chances are we’ve done it all before, we’ve written the press releases, we’ve done the media training, we’ve spoken to the journalists, we’ve pitched the stories – we’re doing the job day in, day out, for a varied client list.

2) We can bring something new to the table: coming from an outside perspective we can put forward new ideas, different ways of doing things and challenge the way you do things ‘just because’. We’re there to make your business grow so we can grow too.

3) You can get results without another ‘mouth to feed’: the breadth of our experience means that we are often more cost-effective than it would be to get the person/ people necessary in-house to cover all the tasks we can undertake.

4) We can react fast: if something needs turning around quickly, if you need more hands on deck, an outsourced company should have the extra resource and capability to turn that around for you.

5) We can help upskill your team: working closely side-by-side should mean that your in-house team learns more and more about PR and what it can achieve for your business.

Outsourcing is an investment and it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons before taking that step otherwise you may end up resenting the company that is working for you, rather than using them to their maximum potential and allowing them to work with you and integrate with your team.

The best time to get in the PR experts is if you’re running out of ideas, if you don’t want to make a long-term commitment initially and dip your toe in the water, if your in-house marketing team is overworked, if your head office and marketing function is overseas, if you’re a start-up business and focussed on the core business, if you want to inject fresh ideas and new skills.

But if you choose to go down the path of outsourcing you must be very clear about the objectives and how you will measure success, i.e. what the desired outcome is. It’s important for you to meet the team who would be working on your ‘account’ – you should get on with them and they should have the enthusiasm and skills necessary to deliver.

The best PR agency-client relationships are partnerships where the business is open and honest with the PR consultancy – being up front about business objectives, praising good work, working alongside the agency team and keeping them informed of everything happening in your business.

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6 questions: Alex Tilbury, Finance reporter, The Courier-Mail

June 9, 2011/in Media relations, Public relations/by ignitepr

Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Alex Tilbury, finance reporter from The Courier-Mail.

1) What is your deadline day?

Deadline is normally every day from 4pm onwards. The afternoon news conference finishes around 3:30pm so that is when the section editors know what they want for the next day. The Your Money section is nationally syndicated across all News Ltd tabloids and is normally done and dusted each Wednesday for the following Monday.

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Email is definitely best. I don’t want faxes. I am just dipping my toes into the Twittersphere so even a tweet is good. I check it a few times a day. Follow me @AlexTilbury.

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Please don’t ring any daily newspaper journo in the late afternoon as it is simply too busy to talk. Mornings are always best to call, if you must. As a rule, news conference starts at the Courier-Mail at 9:30, then 10:30am. We are very keen to hear about video/audio options. If you can package a story for an iPad edition (every day at 5am and 5pm), then that’ll work in your favour too. We have to sell our own stories across all the multi-media platforms.

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

I definitely like to meet up but I prefer people to come to our office at Bowen Hills. I don’t have a lot of time to get out basically. It’s also very posh in the new newsroom, all renovated and we even have great coffee here.

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

I am constantly surprised when PRs call and ask if you have run such and such story and it may have run already but many PRs don’t actually read the book! Buy the paper, it’s so fundamental. Not every story gets uploaded online. In fact it is only going to get worse when the content online will eventually be subscriber-only. And, don’t ring me and ask who you should pitch a piece to. Start with the Chief of Staff and then contact journos directly.

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

Case studies really help, especially in business reporting. Find me a happy customer and it’s an easy way for people to relate. We are definitely not a trade magazine, so nothing extremely single product specific. Be aware of what is happening in the news and in terms of data coming out. New car sales data, retail data, building approvals… all these are hooks to a genuine news piece that highlights your car dealer, shop owner or builder. Think a little more ‘newsy’.

Best pitch… still waiting! Every day is different. I think the best PRs are the ones who understand we are all here just to do our jobs, fill the book and find the best angle for our readers.

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6 questions: Krystal Manson, Drive journalist and newsreader, 101.9 Fox FM

June 2, 2011/in Media relations, Public relations/by ignitepr

Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Krystal Manson, Drive journalist and newsreader from 101.9 Fox FM in Melbourne.

1) What are your deadlines throughout the day?

3.30pm, 4.30pm and 5.30pm for bulletins at 4, 5 and 6pm.

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Email is best.

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

For my particular shift before 3pm; between about midday and 3pm is preferred.

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

No. There’s no time for that really in radio.

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

One: PR people that call right in the middle of a reading shift or close to news time (6-9am and 4-6pm).

Two: Sending out a release then not having the talent ready to go.

Three: Really looooong phone pitches without taking a breath to let us say NO THANKS!

Also, please don’t ask me what questions I’m going to ask or for a copy of what went to air.

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

The best story pitches are the ones with the best stories. Don’t waste my time if what you are trying to sell isn’t timely (in the news at the time) or meaty (have some research to back up what you’re saying). I can’t say that I’ve had any amazing pitches, but the ones I usually go for are short, not pushy, and relevant (something I would have likely put a phone call in for anyway).

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6 questions: Jayne Munday, Journalist, Queensland Business Review

May 26, 2011/in Media relations, Public relations/by ignitepr

Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Jayne Munday, journalist from QBR – Queensland’s only dedicated online news source for business owners and operators [QBR is also on Twitter].

1) What is your deadline day?

QBR is an online publication, so stories are uploaded throughout the day (Monday to Friday). Our daily e-newsletter is compiled in the afternoon comprising all the top news from the day and is then sent to subscribers at around 3pm.

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Email is usually the best option in case I am conducting an interview or in a meeting. If it’s sitting in my inbox I can always go back to it once I get some down time.

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Later in the morning and early afternoon are ideal for phone calls. The 3pm e-newsletter deadline means my afternoons are fairly busy. However, I am happy to receive emails 24/7 – news never stops!

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

I am always willing to build better working relationships with PR people and Queensland companies – it just depends on my work schedule. Daily deadlines can make it tricky to leave the office.

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

As a business journalist I welcome the contact from PR people. While I can’t say I have any ‘pet peeves’ as such, I do prefer follow-up calls/emails to wait a few days once the initial email is sent.

Knowing about the publication (whether it is online or print) is always a plus, as it shows you have done your research.

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

While no one pitch in particular stands out, I can say a one or two page press release with a photo attachment usually catches my eye when checking emails. A visual component is always good to accompany an online story.

It’s also a bonus if the news is given to me before it hits the mainstream media. Being a daily publication means I can get the news out to readers in a timely fashion.

If the ‘hard’ news is made clear in the first two paragraphs it is also more likely to get picked up.

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6 questions: Simon Sharwood, Editor, My Business

May 19, 2011/in Media relations, Public relations/by ignitepr

Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Simon Sharwood, Editor of My Business magazine – the monthly magazine for ambitious business owners.

1) What is your deadline day?

My Business goes to print on the third Thursday of the month, so I am generally flat out in the week before that date.

We also publish daily online.

I also edit another magazine, Government Technology Review. It goes to print in the last week of even-numbered months.

2) How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Phone. I keep being told about the importance of conversation to build relationships – and then people send me an email. I like to be called because it’s more effective than email and a lot more personal too.

3) Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Just call. I’ll either answer or you’ll go to voicemail 😉 But I am a good caller-back, nearly always same day.

4) Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

Yes. I’m honestly happy to meet over a plate of vegemite sandwiches, because I value information more than I value hospitality. If you’ve got a good story to tell, I’m far happier to hear it at a bus-stop than I am waiting for a meal to arrive at a posh restaurant. Please don’t think I’m churlish about hospitality: I just prefer rapid exchange of ideas no matter what environment it takes place in. And I don’t have the time for long lunches or stunts that involve hovercraft rides.

I prefer to do things in and around North Sydney, where our office is located. Travel time is a killer. The Local Café is as good as any. And To’s Malaysian [3/181 Miller Street, North Sydney NSW 2060, (02) 9955 2088] makes the best Har Mee soup this side of KL.

5) What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

One: PRs who pitch without ever having read publications I work on and therefore make nonsensical, time-wasting, pitches.

Two: Emails that aren’t personalized, or that are forwarded. Even Spam manages to name me, so emails that start “Hi” or “Dear Journalist” are less professional than Spam!

Three: Being invited to events later than other media. This often happens when PRs cannot get a decent turn-up at an event, so they turn to their B-list in the hope of getting enough people in the room to impress the client. Journos know when this happens: we’re pretty well networked people.

6) What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

A perfect pitch would tell a story that I’ve never heard before, one that is full of surprises and interesting people who generously share experiences that my readers will find interesting and so educational they cannot imagine why no-one has ever told them about this before.

I’m yet to get the best pitch ever.

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