The media is coming! The media is coming!
Now that it seems you’ve persuaded a reporter to come cover your product, who is facing the camera? In most cases, at least one interview is already set. Otherwise the reporter might be heading elsewhere. But if you don’t game plan further, the game can get away from you.
Take this example. A reporter and photographer show up to shoot a story about a new tech product. The reporter interviews an employee who uses the product on a regular basis. He interviews a customer who benefits from the invention. Then he interviews an expert with insight on how the device improves society as a whole.
But wait! There’s more. The inventor is local. Local guy does good! Got to interview him next week at the warehouse where the gadget is assembled. After all, he’s the man with the idea. When the reporter arrives this time, the PR pro asks if he wants to also interview the head of the warehouse. It would be nice if the news story could mention the name of the manufacturer. Can you blame a business for wanting a name dropped on TV?
At this point, it seems like the PR pro is winging it, trying to get as many people on TV as possible, trying to keep everyone happy. That’s her job. That’s understandable. But a better approach might be planning this all out ahead of time.
Ask a reporter:
- How long will the story be?
- How many interviews can the reporter fit into the story? How many does the reporter want to fit into the story?
- Give the reporter all the possible interviews ahead of time. Let the reporter make some decisions maybe with some nudging on your part.
There’s no point to throwing five interviews at a reporter if he only needs two or three. You force the journalist to start saying no and you disappoint people who expected their 15 minutes of fame. I’ve watched Keith’s stories for years and it’s rare when his stories include more than three people. But there’s no rule of thumb. Talk it out ahead of time. The media might be coming. But some of your important decisions are just beginning.
Subscribe via email to our blog, join us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter.