Mastering the aste g t eMedia CallMedia Call

Leeann Froese @lfroese @townhallbrands

IntroductionIntroductionWhy are we here?y

You can be faced by the press or captured on social media at any time

Take this as an opportunityBut how can you feel comfortable?feel comfortable?

The Media’s RoleThe Media s Role

- Hard vs. soft

- To be objective- To inform the public- To be a “watchdog”- To ask the questions:

5 Ws and How

Publicity earned mediaPaid media is advertising

Publicity – earned mediag

What the press can do:– An independent third party endorsement – Spread awareness – FREE exposure!– Which can help sell

About MediaAbout Media- Canadians who follow the news tend to get g

their information from more than one source.- TV, radio, newspapers and magazines or online- Online includes news sites, blogs and social

Types of Media TVTypes of Media - TV- Entertainment and image-driveng- A visual medium to get your message across - Very limited time – events are condensed and

magnified- 15 or 30 second quotes

Studio appearances 5 mins- Studio appearances 5 mins- TV appearances require

alertness and concentration

Types of Media RadioTypes of Media - Radio- If hard news, usually fast and often distracting, y g- Little time to establish rapport with the interviewer- Your message is limited to

what is heard- Be precise with language

Types of Media Print / BlogTypes of Media – Print / Blog- This is one of the most common for the wine industryy- More opportunity for rapport with interviewer- Some control is lost because the reporter interprets your

body language and wordsbody language and words- The reporter tries to tell both

sides of the story, so there is more room for details and quotes

Types of Media OnlineTypes of Media – Online- A strong medium – most people under g p p

30 years of age get their news online- Virtually all media outlets put their news on their web

thi i l d hi f di d idpages – this includes archives of audio and video- An exciting way to

spread your messagespread your message to millions

When the Media CallsTips for handling the query and getting

When the Media CallsTips for handling the query and getting

your message out

Media Contact ProtocolMedia Contact ProtocolThe best practice in responding to a journalist’s call:Ask the reporter

1. what the deadline is2 what the questions are2. what the questions are3. what the story is about

and then call back with the information as soon as possibleas soon as possible.

This allows time to gather your d l tmessages and locate your

spokesperson.

Why Would the Media Call?Why Would the Media Call?In addition to information, for ,

– Confirmation: prices, SKU numbers, availability

– They call for photos!– Comments or quotes

For “expert” opinion– For expert opinion– For reaction– ClarificationClarification– An update on facts

You Want the Media to CallYou Want the Media to Call. Why?

- The media can communicate your message- The message is credible and direct- Exposure can provide an edge over your competitorsExposure can provide an edge over your competitors

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:Th di ’ l i NOT th t f f i d- The media’s role is NOT that of your friend

- The media’s job is not to “sell” your side of the story- The media’s job is not to provide positive publicity to help j p p p y p

you “sell” your product

SoSo… When the Media Calls…

Be Prepared to Be Interviewed- Treat media as a priority and use a checklist.

Be Prepared to Be Interviewedp y

- If the query comes directly to you, make your own determinations.

- Tell the reporter you are occupied at the moment but will return the callbut will return the call in 15 minutes.

Interview Preparation ChecklistGet the following essential information from the reporter:

Interview Preparation Checklistg p

– Name of reporter, phone number and media outlet– Focus of requested interview– Other interview subjects for the story– Reporter’s deadline

f– Amount of time required, location etc

Be Ready to Deliver yYour Messages

- Every interview is an opportunity to present your messages. Th b it ti l t ifi- These messages may be situational to a specific occasion or topic, or messages may be more of a strategic nature.g

- Let’s look at some do’s and don'ts

Deliver Your MessagesDeliver Your Messages- No matter what the reporter’s agenda, you have p g , y

yours.

- The reporter may not lead questioning in thisThe reporter may not lead questioning in this direction. It is perfectly legitimate to use and answer to an unrelated question as a launch to your message.

- Use the interview as an opportunity to deliver your main points

Deliver Your Messages- Based on available space and time, the

Deliver Your Messagesp ,

interviewer is looking for only a fraction to use.- Appreciating this simple fact is actually an aid to

tti thgetting the message across. - Stick to your messages.

Just Answer the Question- One word may be a perfect answer.

Just Answer the Questiony p

- Short answers are less likely to be misquoted and more likely to provide a punchy quote. The short appropriate answer carries its own- The short, appropriate answer carries its own message of authority and decisiveness.

- Remember that an interview is a professional h d t i t th tiexchange, and your part is to answer the questions. .

There’s No Such Thing as g“off the record”

- What comes out of your mouth cannot be put back in.

- Do not believe that the reporter who offers anonymity if

you give some information.

- The reporter is not your friend!- The reporter is not your friend!

Don’t Take It PersonallyDon t Take It Personally- The interview is a professional exchange of

i f tiinformation.

- The media has a job to do, and you have to giveThe media has a job to do, and you have to give them something worthy.

Trade Jargon- For mainstream or hard news, assume the

Trade Jargon,

interviewer and audience know little about the subject M t t li t Thi t i l- Most reporters are generalists. This puts a special onus on you to use common language to describe your area of expertise.

- If you need to use terminology that the public won’t understand, then quickly follow it with a plain language descriptionlanguage description

But Let’s Talk Trade- On the flip side, if you are interviewed by true wine

But Let s Talk Tradep , y y

journalists, they may know more than you- Wine writers and judges tend to have a much

l b l ti d i i f llmore global perspective and review wines from all over the world

- What if the last person they interviewed wasWhat if the last person they interviewed was Michel Chapoutier or the managing director of Mouton Rothschild? Consider their knowledge base and let it keep you humblebase, and let it keep you humble.

Never Say “No Comment”Never Say No Comment- It invites suspicion.It invites suspicion.- If you are constrained for reasons of confidentiality,

say so. Spell out exactly why you cannot address a subject.

- If you don’t have the information to answer a question say so andto answer a question, say so, and try to get it. Interviews are not the time to fear appearing that

d ’t k it llyou don’t know it all.

Never Lie orNever Lie or Make Something Up

- Better to say you cannot answer a question at this time.

- Lies come back to haunt. Always.

Body LanguageBody Language- Keep eye contactKeep eye contact

- Look at the interviewer, not the camera

- When seated sit straight upWhen seated, sit straight up

- Avoid using humour, irony or sarcasmirony or sarcasm

Common Mistakes

- Giving additional publicity to bad news by trying to rebuttaly y g

- Treating reporters as your buddies- Not getting back to a reporter when you

id ldsaid you would- Not tailoring the communication

to the audienceto the audience

Review the Don’tsReview - the Don ts

- Never say “No Comment”- “No comment” is a comment!

A di t ti- Answer a direct question.

- Never say anything is “off the record”Never say anything is off the record- There is no such thing

Review the Do’sReview - the Do s

Be aware of the deadline- Be aware of the deadline

- It’s OK to point out errors

- Keep the interview message driven, not questions-driven

- Remember, YOU are the expert on your wines- This can provide a big opportunity to lead

I t i St t iInterview Strategies

OK – the interview is booked: now what?- Consider the deadlines- Consider the audience- Designate the right spokesperson – this is where

your PR people come inyour PR people come in.- Know your story- Determine key pointsy p

The Sound BiteThe Sound Bite- A very short piece taken from an interview by those y p y

who edit the interview to be the most important point.

- A short phrase or sentence that deftly captures theA short phrase or sentence that deftly captures the essence of what the speaker is trying to say

Make your message as concise as possible- Make your message as concise as possible- More time? Expand.- Still more time? Colour the responseStill more time? Colour the response.

The Sound BiteThe Sound Bite

A side noteA side note…

Interview Strategies

So how do we get to our sound bite?

Interview Strategies

- So… how do we get to our sound bite? - Or at the very least, how do we get our message

across?

Use your Main Media Messages

Main Media MessagesMain Media Messages

- Your main points – key message, key facts.- All roads should lead back to your MMM. This is theAll roads should lead back to your MMM. This is the

reason you do an interview.- There will be no doubt in anyone’s

mind about what you stand for.

Triple MTriple M- MMM reflects the critical information you want to y

convey- Usually three thoughts – all can remember

- Review your brand to build your MMM• It’s the “so what” of your message

f• Meaningful to your target audience – has to be worthy• Tells them what you want them to learn or do

Main messages for BC WineMain messages for BC WineKey Positioning Statements:y g• The BC wine industry is writing its own history. With

each new achievement and accolade, we continue to lidif l th b t i i i thsolidify ourselves among the best wine regions in the

world.• The Wines of British Columbia are as diverse as theThe Wines of British Columbia are as diverse as the

regions in which they are grown. • The Wines of British Columbia reflect the stories of the

l d h th d th l hland where the grapes are grown and the people who craft them.

Main messagesMain messagesKey Messages ideas. Weave these into your story.y g y y• Buy local – farm-to-table• Hand-crafted• Consumer loyalty• Regional diversity

f• Local message – grown here, harvested here, crafted here

• Diverse experiencesDiverse experiences

A thought on messagesA thought on messagesCelebrate BC and your neighbours as you celebrate y g y

yourself.Make the bigger picture party of your story.

Fake example:1 We are the first to open a winery located food cart1. We are the first to open a winery located food cart2. We are located on Westside Wine Trail3 This is one of the many diverse areas in BC Wine3. This is one of the many diverse areas in BC Wine

Country

Let’s Review Strategies- Use your MMM and give your key messages

Let s Review Strategiesy g y y g

- Stop.- Be Quotable

- Make your response memorable by being quotable- Avoid Jargon

Now let’s hear from the media side ofNow let s hear from the media side of things…