Whether you’re launching a new product or informing your audience about some major changes within the company, media publicity is a great solution for getting your name out there and creating some buzz around your business. Being specifically designed to boost a brand’s publicity, media events are a perfect solution for getting free yet credible public attention. However, they are notoriously difficult to plan as well, especially when you have to stand out from the crowd. To make this process a bit simpler, here are some effective tips you can use to ensure your media event is a success:
Consider the type of event
When planning a media event, there are a number of formats you can opt for. For example, you can hold a press conference to convey important information to the media such as presenting innovative services and announcing new ad campaigns, or hold product launches to debut your new offerings to the market. Award ceremonies are also used to celebrate individuals for their achievements, while photo ops will give attendees the unique opportunity to meet notable people or products. The type of event you decide to host will ultimately depend on your main objectives and desired results.
Set your main objectives
Regardless of the event type, you select, setting some clear and specific goals at the very beginning will help to ensure it’s as successful as possible. Your goal can be marketing a new product or service, reaching a wider customer base, or simply raising brand awareness. In any case, it’s recommended to set an end goal, and then focus on developing smaller objectives that will allow you to reach it. This tactic is great for honing your message and defining better benchmarks for measuring the overall success of your media event.
Devise an impactful message
Messaging is another critical aspect of a successful event, allowing you to communicate the right ideas to your target audience and strengthen your brand identity. Ask your marketing team and PR manager to collaborate on creating an impactful message that will resonate with your audience, keep them engaged, and pique their interest in your event. Consider incorporating compelling storytelling into your message in an effort to develop a stronger emotional connection with your target audience and make your media event that much more exciting.
Think about the aesthetic
From your venue to the overall theme, every aspect of the event should be consistent with your branding, as it aims to reflect your company. Keep in mind that the media will be presenting the image you convey to the public, so make sure it’s suitable. For instance, you could invest in an impactful event mesh banner for your media event. This is an affordable method for enhancing branding, while also being ideal for creating natural barriers. If the banner is designed well, it can also present great photo opportunities, making it that much easier for attendees to enhance your branding efforts.
Send out a press release
Your event won’t achieve success if the right guests don't show up. That is why it’s important to create a buzz around your media event and make sure your target audience will actually attend. The most common way to achieve this is by sending out a press release. It should be short and simple yet interesting enough to catch the media’s attention and prove that your event is worthy of coverage. Social media can be another great place for advertising your event. Simply write a few engaging posts and share them on all your social platforms to interest your audience and ensure success.
Create a good press kit
To ensure every guest leaves your event with a good impression of your business, it would also be wise to create professional press kits and hand them out to all attendees. The information you provide in this kit will help the media to write their stories while giving you a certain amount of control over the narrative as well. For the most effective solution, make sure your press kit includes some important background information about your business, relevant information regarding the event itself, as well as other beneficial aspects such as websites, social media links, and interesting photographs.
Prepare for any follow-ups
If your event was smooth and successful, chances are high that the media will have some follow-up questions afterward. Make sure you have a small team of people on hand to answer emails and phone calls, preferably individuals who understand the event goals and your main objectives well. They could aid in conveying the right message and further solidifying the brand image you would like to present. Just make sure that this team is available for a couple of days after the media event to fulfill their responsibilities.
From budgeting to booking the right venue, event planning can be a complex and stressful process. But regardless of the challenges you face, you can follow the tips above to ensure your next media event is a true success.