June 2004

Simple Rules for Media Success
By Nancy R. Teater, Hamilton Communications

Those who study media relations learn that effective communication with industry analysts and the press requires proper positioning of a company or product, clear messages, and a good spokesperson who knows how to stay on message and issue “quotable” statements. All of this is important; however, there are other simple but important rules for success that organizations often ignore.

Great Images Sell Products
Editors are always looking for high-quality photographs or illustrations to break up text and help tell stories. When I was editing Test and Measurement News, a glossy newsletter for Hewlett-Packard customers, we typically gave more space to new product announcements that included good photos. For key introductions, marcom managers learned to spend extra money on “beauty” photographs with dramatic lighting, unusual angles, or unique ways to illustrate product benefits. One of the best pictures we received showed a “hardened” component designed to work in extreme cold or heat. The black-and-white photograph featured the component with an ice cube and a flame. I still remember the photo even though I have no idea what the product was.

Relationships Take Work
A few years ago, I developed a proposal for a market research company that wanted to achieve greater visibility in the wireless communications field by establishing one of their senior analysts as a high-level industry expert. Other analysts were quoted regularly, and they wanted their fair share of the limelight. My proposal focused on tried-and-true methods of publicizing the analyst’s expertise:

• Speak at key industry events
• Write white papers and opinion pieces
• Invite senior press people to company seminars

The market research managers turned down the proposal, believing all they needed was an editorial calendar—a list of upcoming feature articles related to wireless that I would use to contact editors and offer up their expert. I told them that approach would be less effective because editors and reporters rely on experts with whom they have experience, not with those who are unknown to them. However, the managers didn’t see it that way. I’ve not yet seen their expert quoted in the press.

Answer the Telephone
This is so obvious; it seems silly to mention. Unfortunately, reporters frequently experience companies that don’t respond to calls. Quite often, a company will issue an important press release, yet key executives aren’t available for interviews because they’re in meetings, out of the country, busy with customers, or any one of a dozen other excuses. If someone knowledgeable isn’t available to answer questions, you can’t complain afterwards about your lack of coverage or reporting errors. Reporters have long memories about who answers the telephone and who doesn’t and, given a choice, prefer to contact those who’ve responded to their calls in the past.

Don’t Depend On Machines to Proofread
There’s nothing more irritating to an editor than a press release full of easily avoidable errors. Use of an online spell checker catches most typos, but it’s lousy at understanding the difference between their and there, it’s and its, and other common grammatical mistakes. It’s imperative that you have at least one other person read the final version of your copy. Your eyes are never enough, especially when it comes to highly technical material. This is true whether your audience includes investors, market analysts, the press, customers, or employees.

An independent consultant since 1991, Nancy Teater specializes in public relations for technology companies. She has over 20 years of marketing and PR experience in a wide range of technologies, including wireless communications, networking and telecommunications hardware and software, enterprise software, and energy resources and conservation. For more information, contact Nancy at nrt@hamilton.com or 650-321-0252.