Five Simple Ways to Host a Successful Media Trip

Five Simple Ways to Host a Successful Media Trip

By Erica Schlesinger, Communications Strategist

For our hospitality PR client partners, a key component to a successful media relations strategy is planning press visits. Sometimes, this involves setting up an individual journalist with a hotel stay, activities and meals on their own, but often, we will plan a group press trip. Also called a familiarization, or “fam” trip, these team endeavors are a great way to form personal relationships with members of the media while also securing multiple features for client partners. I have personally planned and attended more than 10 press trips, so I like to think I know a thing or two about making them smooth and successful!

Check out my top five tips for pulling off a great getaway:

  1. Plan ahead – As much as possible, start narrowing down dates, general trajectory of the trip, how many people to host and target audiences about four or five (or even six for a longer trip) months in advance. Many sought-after travel journalists have trips lined up back-to-back, so getting on their calendars is much more likely when you give them the chance to plan ahead. It may seem like overkill, but you’ll have a clear picture of who can make it – and who can’t – with enough time to fill your trip and stay organized… without having a last-minute panic attack.
  2. Be flexible – Schedules change, people run late and guests can develop newfound food allergies or fears of heights when you had a meticulous tasting menu and zipline excursion planned. There is no such thing as a perfect fam trip – when you’re balancing five to seven writers, their guests, their requests, different onsite teams working together and robust itineraries, something is bound to change (and often last-minute and on-the-go). It may not always be convenient or ideal, but tackle it as you would any professional issue: take a breath, use your head, ask for help as needed and take it from there. You’ll soon have it handled. I’ve had writers have overnight flight delays or at-home emergencies, change preferences on a completed itinerary, show up with an unexpected guest and much more. At the end of the day, you’re there to make sure they arrive safely, have a good experience and leave happy – and want to work with you again and say nice things about your clients as a result. Another tip – be transparent with your client partner and inform them of any issues that may impact their teams, but if they don’t need to get involved, don’t bring them into the mix.
  3. Be a control freak – Staying organized is critical for a successful fam trip. You need to make sure a lot of details are sorted and effectively communicated to all involved parties, travel arrangements are made, itineraries are approved, rooms are booked – you get the idea. At WOC, we have a few things that always make their way into our fam trip planning rotation:
    • Bio sheet – Ask each press trip attendee for a photo, brief bio, what their story will be about and the reach of their outlet, then compile into a single document to share with stakeholders. It gives a snapshot of who they’ll be meeting so they can prepare to chat with them, address any special preferences and get an idea of what sort of result they can expect from their time and money.
    • Google Docs/Google Drive – AKA your press trip BFF. Load any spreadsheets, bio sheets, itineraries and other documents up, add approved editors and watch edits appear in real time… without having 50 back-and-forth emails. Isn’t that nice?
    • Preference sheet/head count sheet – This is like a press trip “master document.” Here, we will have all key information any given member of our team or our clients’ team may need at any time to plan the trip. Excel is a great platform to build this in, then – you guessed it – load it into Google Drive. At the very least, this should include all contact info for each attendee, information on their preferences and any health or dietary needs, their guest, their meal selections and their activity preferences. For the latter two, build a “total count” row into the bottom of the sheet – this makes interfacing with activity partners and building BEOs a much easier process.
    • Itinerary – Also like the Press Trip Bible. This is a very detailed timeline covering everything attendees can expect from their trip, right down to notes about driving times if they’re arriving separately and check-in tips for spa appointments. It will keep you, your team and your guests on track from day one to waving goodbye. We WOC-ers like to add each element of the itinerary into our smartphone calendars with a 30-minute warning so we can always be one step ahead.
  4. Be a social butterfly – As a PR pro, you are on a fam trip to represent your client partner, guide the trip and act as a go-to source for information, but in reality, you’re the chief entertainer, too. You will be the person these folks will see the most over two, three, sometimes six or seven days, and it is your job to make sure they all feel welcome and are having fun. When everyone arrives, get them all introduced to one another (including their guests) – and you should not have to refer to any notes for names or what outlet they’re from! During the first meet-and-greet with key members of your client partner’s team, introduce both parties with full names and titles. While at meals or driving in a group, make an effort to mix and mingle with different people. Sometimes, some attendees are much harder to connect with than others – resist the urge to stick with Chatty Cathy the whole trip through. It may be Silent Sue who has the most questions, is the most uncomfortable around groups or just needs some encouragement to open up.
  5. Be a human clock – Real talk… media attendees are rarely keeping track of the time and itinerary while on press trips. Which is fine, since they’re there for the experience. PR pros, however, need to be on schedule at all times. During activities, keep an eye on the time and give updates (“Hey, guys, we have about 20 more minutes in this location. Is there anything else you need to see or photograph before we prepare to move on?”) – this can even mean politely urging a tour guide along, or pulling a chef aside in advance of a big meal to remind him or her of your after-dinner itinerary. If sending people off on free time before another set of activities, and during the last get-together of the evening, remind people of the time and location of their next scheduled stop. It might seem like a lot of “hovering,” but you’ll be surprised how quickly people forget when dinner is or where they need to check it for their morning horseback ride after a full day.

Putting together a winning press trip takes much more than following a few guidelines, but these are a great place to start. Hospitality PR pros, what other tips would you share after running trips of your own?

To learn more about (W)right On’s hospitality PR team, results and capabilities, check out WrightOnComm.com/Hospitality.

12 Signs PR Agency Life Isn’t for You

By Julie Wright

1. Month end is just another day to you.

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2. You’re happiest doing one thing at a time.

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3. You don’t read the by-lines as closely as the articles.

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4. You don’t measure your life in 5 minute increments.

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5. You come up with song hooks instead of news hooks in the shower.

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6. Your only sense of urgency is when the barista takes too long with your latte.

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7. You had to Google KPI.

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8. You think the work day is 9 to 5.

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9. You wouldn’t describe yourself as a people person.

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10. You follow the Kardashians more closely than Facebook’s algorithm changes.

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11. You fall asleep Sunday nights with no thought to the client projects waiting for you Monday morning.

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12. You fall asleep Sunday night.

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To Do Good, Communicate Well: Public Relations Tips for Non-Profits

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By Molly Borchers, Senior Communications Strategist

One of the things I love most about my job is meeting great people doing great things for the San Diego community. I have the privilege of supporting the community relations department for one of my client partners, which means I help them spotlight the great work of compassionate organizations like Ocean Discovery Institute, Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, Workshops for Warriors and many others.

Nonprofit-word-cloudAfter moving here from Ohio, I was struck by the beauty of San Diego’s beaches, bays, palm trees, rivers, canyons, mountains and deserts. With a little time, I was equally in awe of the people who are so deeply connected to their tight-knit communities, of all the passionate innovators who live here, of just how much people love this town.

As of 2014, there were 9,364 501(c)(3) non-profits in San Diego County. That’s a lot of people doing a lot of good. But a major problem for these organizations is that they often don’t have the time or the funding to toot their own horns.

It’s critical for non-profits to raise visibility in order to get funding and fulfill their missions. Here are five communications and public relations tips for non-profits who think they don’t have the bandwidth or budget to promote themselves:

  1. Map out a plan: At the beginning of each year, make it a priority to develop your non-profit’s communications road map. There may not be a lot of time or resources available, but try to carve out space for one promotional activity each month and set calendar alerts to stay accountable.

An example of what that could look like? Perhaps in January, you write and distribute a press release about a fundraising event you’re having. In February, send out a targeted media pitch on the topic you’re trying to generate awareness for. In March, apply for a major speaking opportunity. And so on. By making sure you have at least one activity a month, you sustain the communications momentum with the least time investment possible.

  1. Leverage strategic partnerships: I don’t have to wax poetic about the value of building your network. Once your network is in place, though, leverage the help of strategic partners to support your communications efforts.
    1. If your non-profit has received a corporate grant, ask that organization if they’d also be willing to support you with promotion.
    2. Try meeting people in the communications/PR field. You never know what counsel or advice they’d be willing to give.
    3. Collaborate with other non-profits with similar missions to see if you can pool resources.
  1. Don’t ignore free tools like blogs and social media: I’ve spoken with non-profit leaders who view social media as a low-priority, time-sucking task. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Organizations of all types have three communications channels: paid (advertising), earned (media coverage) and owned (websites, blogs, social media, newsletters). Only one of those is truly free.

Why eschew free platforms where you have the opportunity to both control the message and engage directly with potential donors and volunteers? My tip: find 1-2 hours to develop a strategic social media and blog plan. Then, hire an eager college intern to help execute. They can schedule most social media posts in advance via HootSuite or Buffer. Blogging brings excellent SEO benefits and can help elevate your website to the first page in Google. By using an intern to help, you’re helping them build their portfolio (doing yet another service to the community) without taxing your regular staff resources.

  1. PR measurementBe intentional with measurement: Often, communicators confuse output with outcome. For example, an output is “number of media mentions” or “speaking opportunities secured.” However, an outcome would measure the impact of that effort. Did your communications efforts increase volunteer inquiries or donations? That’s where the measurement gets juicy.

I recommend measuring a bit of both. Perhaps set a goal for number of media placements and then measure them on a graph against website visits, number of volunteer inquiries and donations, then see how the promotion efforts correlate with your desired outcomes.

  1. Ask for help: Don’t be afraid to ask the experts for a little help. There are several communications agencies who offer services priced to be very friendly to non-profit budgets. Sometimes there is even an opportunity to receive pro-bono work, depending on your relationship with the agency.

Work for or volunteer for a non-profit? If you think we can be of assistance, let’s connect. Email me at mborchers [at] wrightoncomm.com. Engaging in highly targeted, measurable social media, PR, multimedia programs can help you achieve your mission.

 

Check out our similar posts below:

5 Essential Elements of Every Community Outreach Plan

How Infographics Work and Why Your Brand Needs to Use Them More

 

Going Up? Why Elevator Pitches are a Brand Essential

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Erica Schlesinger, Communications Strategist

We’ve all been there – grasping for the right words when someone says, “tell me about your business.” Worrying about sounding unique, professional, cool, innovative and established in one fell swoop can seem like a daunting task. The good news? It doesn’t have to be.

This, friends, is why we – individual professionals and brands alike – need to master the art of the elevator pitch. This statement, so named because it can ideally be uttered in the length of an average elevator ride, provides a simple and standardized way to communicate your brand’s perspective, values and accolades to networking connections, potential clients and investors… you name it.

Here at (W)right On, we have our own agency elevator pitch, which we all use quite a bit:

(W)right On Communications is a full-spectrum communications agency, with capabilities in PR, branding, design, development, content marketing and more. We work with an array of local and national client partners in industries including hospitality, healthcare, nonprofit, land development, technology, energy and professional services on projects ranging from media relations and social media to video production and Web design. As an agency, we excel at helping interesting people doing interesting things share their expertise with the world.

Of course, this isn’t a script – we each add our own flair and flavor to make it authentic. But the message remains the same. We tell our client partners, particularly those who engage with the public a lot, that having a solid elevator pitch is a key component of a solid brand.

It’s like a logo or a website – your calling card and first impression to the business world. And everyone likes to make a good first impression, right?

An elevator pitch can really follow the five Ws of journalism – who, what, when, where and why. You need to translate who you are, what you specialize in, who you work with and your core ethos or mission effectively and concisely.

WOC’s communicators are always game to drum up a new elevator pitch. However, if you’re a DIY kind of person, take a look at some pointers from other business-savvy folks via Business News Daily.

 

Check out some similar blog posts below:

Can You Pitch in One Sentence?

Kicking The Shit Out of Option B

 

The 5 Best Ways to Manage Your Time

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By Danielle Cobb, Communications Coordinator

Looking at your entire day from a bird’s eye view can be a daunting task. When your to-do list keeps getting longer and the day shorter, staying focused on the job ahead often seems impossible. In reality, you can’t do everything in one day.

Learning what’s important and what can wait until tomorrow is crucial to productivity, and your sanity for that matter. Over time, you pick up different tips and learn what works best for you. Here are some time management hacks I’ve learned along the way.

Get OrganizedDisorganized

Organization is key. It’s a motto to live by, if not one of the most important lessons to learn.

Start the day by making a to-do list, then prioritize tasks by what absolutely needs to get done and what can wait until later. To make life a little easier, group similar items together. If you know you have 20 emails to write, knock them out in one sitting and check it off your list.

Tackle Heavy Hitters Early

Instead of putting off big tasks until later in the day, tackle them first thing in the morning. Some call this “eating the frog first.”

We often procrastinate and leave the most important items until last, yet the longer we delay, the harder they become. You’ll have peace of mind knowing the tough stuff is out of the way and the rest of the day will be that much easier.

Take Breaks

Our minds aren’t meant to run continuously at full bore all day long. And if you’re like me, staring at a computer screen all day doesn’t help.

Take a break to recharge and refresh. You’ll come back energized and with a fresh perspective.

Though it might seem like a good idea to power through, your brain may start to retaliate around 2 p.m. Even if you don’t take a traditional lunch break, it’s good to get out and take a walk or workout.

Your mind will thank you.

Minimize Distractions

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When you’re constantly checking and answering emails, perusing social media, or checking your phone, it’s incredibly difficult to get anything done; and producing great work is nearly impossible. Try to minimize distractions by setting aside time throughout the day to check these things. Maximize productivity by blocking off time to focus on specific tasks. If you have a project that really needs attention, disconnect yourself entirely (even if it’s just for half an hour) so you can bang it out. You’ll save time and be able to get a lot more done throughout the day.

Get Adequate Sleep

This may sound like a no-brainer, but getting a good night’s sleep is important for productivity during the day. Quality shuteye will help you stay focused and be on top of your game. Lack of sleep doesn’t only affect work life, but your personal life and overall wellbeing.

Managing your day for maximum productivity and efficiency can be tough. The tips above are what I find to be most helpful, but if you have some secrets of your own, please share them in the comments below!

 

Check out some similar blog posts below:

Kicking The Shit Out of Option B

Your Competitive Advantage is Being Human