Back
PM Forum - Dublin
Maximising your firm's media impact
The role of the media is becoming increasingly important for professional services firms. But how do marketing and PR professionals ensure that messages are making the right impact with the right audience? To answer this and other media-related questions, PM Forum Ireland welcomed Richard Curran, Deputy Editor of the Sunday Business Post, and Stephen O'Byrnes, Director of MKC Communications, in the hope that they would have all the answers! The event was chaired by Alex Gibson, senior marketing lecturer with DIT and host of The Persuaders, a weekly marketing and media radio programme.
The lynch pin of all media strategies is the press release. Curran noted that email is undoubtedly the medium of choice in 2010. The question is how does a news editor filter through the hundreds of emails to find the story that will appeal to the public?
Stephen O’Byrnes’ advice was to ensure that the email subject line or press release headline actually contains information as to what the press release is about. Once the attention of the news editor has been secured, oblige them further by putting key messages into the first paragraph of the release.
An issue that is all too familiar with professional services firms is the challenge of making a press release more newsworthy. The message is to transform a technical article into a piece that is accessible and relevant to the general public. The article then has a greater chance of being carried by some of the main publications that are so coveted by partners. Remember that there are a host of specialist publications that will be more than happy to carry a technical piece.
When it came to social media, both Curran and O’Byrnes were cautious in giving this new medium their blessing, particularly as a tool for professional services firms. While acknowledging that industry-specific blogs can be invaluable sources of information, others are often no more than a venting forum and can be difficult to manage.
According to O’Byrnes, the first point to consider when developing a PR strategy is what is the firm’s overall strategy and will a PR strategy complement the business plan? If the answer is a resounding yes, an effective PR strategy will be central to a firm’s success. It is important that spokespeople are media-savvy and have received adequate training. The old adage of quality over quantity was alluded to.
Both agreed that an effective PR strategy is built on strong media relationships. Provide your media contacts with a good story and access to expert knowledge and be assured that “off-the-record” comments will be treated as such. Ongoing stories can provide media opportunities if a suitable angle is presented. Curran noted that the survey story has reached saturation point and doesn’t command the same profile as it may have previously.
The evening ended on a positive note. Generally speaking, Curran felt that standards in PR had improved significantly in recent years with the media placing greater trust in in-house PR professionals. Quality will always trump quantity so the key to maximising your firm’s media impact is a good story. Simple!
Liz Hughes
ACCA Ireland
Back
