When I was in second year and we did the unit “PR – Media”, we had to make up a media strategy for Rotary. When I did “PR – Consultancy” we had to make a PR plan for Aspen Parks Resorts. I’d sit in classes and listen to the lecturers going on about how hard it was to get media coverage and how you can’t just send out a media release and expect something to happen, I never thought much of it. When writing up our plans it all seemed that it would be easy and flow smoothly because we had such innovative angles and targeted just the right person.
Working in the “real world” I can now see just how hard it is. Especially if management want you to get media coverage for something that isn’t really newsworthy! I’m working at an organisation that is quite well-known in Perth but doesn’t have the best of reputations and any news coverage we do get is usually quite negative. We’re holding an event this Friday night and a couple of weeks ago I was instructed to draft a media release and send it out to a bunch of media outlets. I did my best, it was featured on a few event listings and in one community newspaper, and ticket sales didn’t improve much.
Media coverage is not easy to get, especially if it’s something that is not very newsworthy. It can’t be relied on as the only promotional tool. Lesson learnt.
I think that the best type of promotion for events is word of mouth. We hold functions and weddings as well and when these started it took about a year to gain in popularity, but as people came and told other people about it, it started to pick up momentum. As we didn’t have a year for this event, we decided that we needed to get people talking sooner. I was sent into the city around lunch time to hand out brochures and chat to as many people as I could about the event. Ticket sales went up the next day by 25%! They were quite low in the first place so it wasn’t a massive coup, but it was a first step.
I think everyone at my organisation is still learning about PR and how to do it right. My supervisor has taught me some really valuable lessons about having realistic expectations and some “think out of the box” PR ideas.
Gemma
1 comment:
Hi Gemma,
I agree with your point that you need to have realistic expectations with PR. I think part of this comes with learning that, although you may have really creative, strategic ideas, it can be difficult to make an impact with your PR strategies, whether that 'impact' is gaining media coverage or increasing ticket sales. As we have learnt in class, this is why it is important to have a mix of tactics embedded into your strategy, and employ evaluation techniques to inform the way forwards.
The Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) uses media monitoring services to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns, and compiles the data into yearly progress reports. Similar reports are compiled in the marketing and audience development departments, with a focus on key recommendations for the future. In class our lecturers have always stressed the importance of measurement and evaluation, so it is promising to see these techniques being used in the workplace and sets a good example for how to remain accountable to the objectives of your organisation.
I hope you are enjoying your placement.
Thanks, Ros Brennan.
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