Getting exposure in the media is a great way to lift your brand and build your company’s reputation. News stories and media placements in major news publications, TV and radio can position a business as an expert or thought-leader in its industry, promoting the company and enhancing its public reputation. One of the major PR challenges is being able to secure these targeted media placements, which comes down to three key focus areas: expert leadership, insights and data, and communicating company news to trade and business media.
Expert leadership in the industry
No matter what coverage you are trying to achieve, whether it be in major newspapers, TV or radio, local papers or trade publications, having an expert that is able to talk about your business, comment on your industry or translate data, will get more cut through in the media. To position a brand as an expert in the industry, a company needs someone who can be the face of the brand and easily communicate messages in an informative way. Media love a well-presented, talented and knowledgeable spokesperson and through PR, you can secure media stories by positioning them as a thought leader in media. Not only does this help you to communicate your own stories, but if you are able to build up a profile for that expert, they also become the point of call for journalists interested in writing about your industry.
Insights and data trends
Numbers tell a story and the media regularly publish industry insights based on data. Statistics can paint a picture of human behaviour and trends to anchor a news story, and we’ll often see headlines such as 80% of Australians XYZ, or New study reveals XYZ. In the information age, most brands have access to data that tells us about consumer behaviour which can be leveraged in the media. Gauging customer sentiment is another way brands are able to secure great media stories. To translate this data to the public, brand spokespeople will need to be able to communicate findings in a way that is informative and easy to understand.
Communicating the right brand news to media
Communicating news such as industry partnerships, funding and acquisitions, the appointment of notable people in the industry to your team, the launch of new products and services, shows competitors and the industry that yours is a brand that is energetic, is growing and engaging consumers, and is a force to be reckoned with It also keeps the media, public and shareholders informed. However, knowing what brand news to communicate can be a challenge. You’ll want to set your business apart from your competitors by promoting your brand’s uniqueness and strengths in each of these announcements in order to get great PR results. Businesses should nominate a spokesperson, usually the CEO, that is able to announce company news and communicate the vision and strategy of your company to the public.
PR can help brands leverage their spokesperson, customer insights and brand news to secure coverage in major news. The Ideas Suite has helped major brands secure tens of thousands of pieces of coverage, positioning these brands as experts and thought leaders in their respective industries.
