leveraging media relations | media for startups | prof. bringi dev | jul 05 @ iimb audi

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Having made the bold move of launching a start-up business, it is likely that you are faced with the challenge of spreading the word about your products or services to potential customers. Most start-ups look enviously at the big brands, wishing they could emulate their marketing activities. Of course, they are never able to do so due to an acute lack of funds to invest in marketing, especially in the early stages. The goal of media relations is to get positive coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly as by advertising. Media relations involves working with media for the purpose of informing your potential customers about how your offering will benefit them, and doing so in a credible positive and consistent manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people who influence, generate and distribute news and features in the mass media. One of the most cost-effective ways to build buzz around your start-up is to get it covered by the media, either local or national. But how does one go about doing that on a shoe-string budget?

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Page 1: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi
Page 2: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Media

Leveraging Media Relations

N Bringi Dev

July 05, 2014

Page 3: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

What?

Why?When?

(w)How?

Who?

Page 4: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Why?

Page 5: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi
Page 6: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

What can Media Publicity Do for You?

� Build awareness

� Potential Employees

� Investors and Banks

� Possible Partners

� The public at large

� Build Brand and Value

� Generate Business?

Page 7: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Media

Relations

& Public

Relations

Advertising,

Promotions,

Sales

Page 8: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Caveat:There are No Free Lunches!

� While media relations appears to be ‘free’,

there are costs involved:

� Financial costs

� Collateral

� Outside resources..

� Non-financial

� Time!

� Work!

� Consistent Focus!

Page 9: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

When?

Page 10: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

An Absolute Must Read

Page 11: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

When?

Page 12: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

When?

Networking +

WoM

Push PullPush +

Pull

Advertising

+ MRMR

Advertising

+ MR + PR

Note: My adaptation

Page 13: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Public relations vs. media relations

How is it different from Advertising?

Advertorial vs. Editorial

Page 14: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Types of Public Relations

� Offline

� Online

� Social

Source: Alok Kejriwal

Page 15: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Does Offline PR Still Matter?

� There is a market of decision makers (CEOs of

Companies, Heads of Departments, Senior

Govt. Officials, etc) who only read print.

� The online websites of large publications have

large audiences and once you are written up in

print, you automatically get featured online too.

� Think of it as ‘proof of concept’ test. The day you

can make it in the Fortune or Time or The

Economist, you have done something

worthwhile.

Source: Alok Kejriwal

Page 16: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

How are

we doing

thus far?

Page 17: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

What?

Page 18: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

The Media Milieu

• Time

• Channels compete

• E-relationships

• Low attention span

• Technology massively propagates pictures, videos and ephemera

Page 19: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

News is a Product

Page 20: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

What media wants

Conflict of Interest?

What ‘sources’ want

Page 21: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Messaging Model

Messages

Target

Audience

Page 22: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Messaging Model - Now

Messages

Influencer/

Opinion

Leader

Target

Audience

Page 23: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Opinion Leaders

� Have credibility

with readers that

media wishes to

leverage

� Political figures

� Celebrities

� Community/

religious leaders

� Teachers

� Media analysts

� Industrialists/

Investors

Page 24: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

BEHIND THE NEWS

Page 25: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Behind the Scenes

Page 26: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Who Decides?

� Editors commission stories/columns

� Journalists/writers file

� The Editors decide

� Sub-Editors hack the story

� Priorities change all the time

Page 27: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Journalist Roles

27

journalist has a personal

role

personal approach is allowed for the

journalist

journalist must be objective

newsroom

work only

commentary, note,

columns, opinion

news, news feature

story

reporting

interview

Page 28: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Traditional Interaction Model

Spokesperson

PR

Agency

Readers

Wire/News

Services

Spokesperson

Spokesperson

In-house

MarComm

Journalists

Editors

Analysts

Web Sites

Other

Stakeholders

Editors

Investors

Readers

Page 29: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Lower Hanging Fruit

� Bloggers

� Niche/Trade/Industry publications

Page 30: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Start-Up Publications

Page 31: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

(w)How?

Page 32: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Fundamentals

� Know thy TA!

� Whom are you talking to?

� How do I reach them?

� What do they read?

� Know thy messages!!

� Find the right publications to reach your TAs

Page 33: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Getting Past the Gatekeeper

Page 34: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Connecting

� Who are the journalists that write in your

area?

� What kind of stories do they write?

� Comment on their stories online –

responsibly yet provocatively

� Write to them, but not spam them

� Find out who their commissioning editor is

� Give them reasons to want to know you

Page 35: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Network, network, network

� Conferences & forums (sic): Speak!

� Attend entrepreneurship group meetings

� Be active part of the eco-system

Page 36: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Connecting Online

� Develop serious blogs

� Be the expert

� Have a trenchant point of view

� Comment on relevant issues

� Develop an individual Brand personality

Page 37: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Be Prepared

� Develop a pitch for the media

� Focus on highlighting the aspects of your offering that they think will be useful to their readers

� Have a media page on your site

� Your pitch is a ‘living document’

� Develop a media kit: online + offline

Page 38: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Any

Questions?

Page 39: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Who?

Page 40: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Make vs. Buy?

Page 41: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

You are the Business!

“The vast majority of the time,

the founders are the

voice and heart of the company.”

- Brooke Hammerling, Brew Media Relations

Page 42: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

DIY MR

� Is there a media-savvy person in your

founding team? Why Not?

� No Idea? Get Idea

� Can you find a media relations person

cheap?

� One-person outfits exist - call themselves consultants – select one who comes recommended by someone you trust

� The Moonlighter Option

Page 43: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Send Out News!

� Blog!

� Web site Media Section

� E-newsletter

� Create & post media releases for free

Page 44: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi
Page 45: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

To Agency or Not to Agency?

� Only three reasons an early-stage company

should consider retaining the services of a

firm:

1. It’s entering a crowded market.

2. It’s a very disruptive company that needs to

get out there ahead fast.

3. There’s a legacy CEO involved who has

history with the press. - Brooke Hammerling, Brew Media Relations

Page 46: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

A Few Bright Ideas

� MR Now – Pay Later

� Find a PR agency that will provide consulting now for a slice of the business or later

� Work on a pay for results basis

� Fledging agencies may be willing to work for

costs

� Get your investors to help you connect

� They have a vested interest

� Most times we do not ask them..

Page 47: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Stay the Course

� Like all relationships, building media relations

takes time

� Be prepared for the long haul –it is worth it!

� Most importantly – the leadership team needs

to invest time and effort to make it work.

Page 48: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi

Last chance!

Any

Questions?

Page 49: Leveraging media relations | Media For Startups | Prof. Bringi Dev | Jul 05 @ IIMB Audi