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Association News
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Mastering the Media Interview,
by Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association News
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Los Angeles, CA – May 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / Association executives and their volunteer leaders are often asked to serve as the spokesperson for their organization. An interview with the press may be helpful in advancing the association’s agenda—if done correctly. Bob Farrace, director of public affairs at Marketing Design Group, an agency specializing in association and event marketing, offers some basic strategies on how to make the most of a media interview:
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Mastering the Media Interview, by Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association NewsRemember your goal in doing the interview—to get your message out. Success is measured by how clearly you are able to convey your message. During the interview, you may have engaged in an interesting conversation or made a valuable professional connection. But if the intended message does not come through in the story that’s reported, you will need to rethink your approach.

Know your message. This may seem like obvious advice, but it’s a point that regularly trips up leaders in all industries. Professionals with many years of industry experience possess deep reservoirs of knowledge, which is, ironically, the very reason message preparation is so important. Taking time to identify the three main points to deliver will focus responses and increase the chances of your message staying off the cutting-room floor. PR message points should generally consist of a main point supported by anecdotes, statistics, calls to action and sound bites—allowing the same idea to be reinforced in several ways.

Staying on point is as easy as ABC. Marketing Design Group cites Sally Stewart, a journalist and public relations consultant, who proposes a simple response process:

  • Answer. Dip into that reservoir of knowledge and provide the information the reporter needs. If nothing else, a knowledgeable answer will reinforce your authority and reliability as a source.
  • Bridge. Transition from the answer to a message point. A simple expression such as “and that is why it’s important that…” or “to bring it full circle…” is sufficient to make the connection between the question and a key message.
  • Conclude. Present a message point that is relevant in the context of the question. The stronger the connection you make, the greater the likelihood that the message will be conveyed in the published piece. Keep the conversation brief—no more than 15 minutes. Consider it a numbers game. The average on-air quote lasts 7.8 seconds, the equivalent of 18 words. A 30-minute interview might produce 5,000 words. Keeping the interview brief increases the chances that the 18 words selected are the ones you prefer.
The discussed strategies apply not only to media interviews, but also to all messaging that comes from your association. Having a set of key points is sound communications practice that can help your group further its mission while also avoiding any potential PR disasters.

Practical advice such as this is always an important part of the educational program at Meetings Quest, which will be held July 22–23 in Oakland, California. For more information, please visit MeetingsQuest.com or call 877-577-3700.
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Timothy SchneiderTimothy Schneider is the publisher of Association News and SportsTravel magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating 106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider Publishing also organizes Meetings Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting planners, and the TEAMS Conference & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers. TEAMS '15 is being held in Las Vegas, November 9–12, 2015. For further information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free 877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.

The current issue of Association News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking here.
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Media Contact:
Timothy Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.

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Placement Dates: 05/05/15 – 07/05/15
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