Managing PR: Gaining media coverage for visiting executives

published 2005

Few companies plan for and execute successful media coverage for inbound executive visits.  For PR and marketing people it feels like half the time they’re expected to put quite junior executives in front of tier one media and half of the time really good VIPs arrive with little warning, no time left in their itinerary, and with no pre-thought about possible media exposure.

Gaining exposure for visiting executives is, even at the best of times, a balancing act.

First, it is necessary to take account of media attitudes.  Many editors, subject to numerous poor approaches by PR people over the years and interviews that had no news value, say they just don’t want to know about yet another ‘visiting fireman’. So, this is an area that PR people need to tread warily in when contacting media.

Second, for this reason it is necessary to ensure that your organisation doesn’t expect media coverage to be a ‘given’.  Media exist to publish news, and unless your visiting executive can provide news, or provide real insight not available in, but relevant to the Australian market, there’s precious little chance of arousing media interest.

And it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in - consumer electronics, automotive, fashion, IT or banking and finance, the same ground rules apply.

So, once these ground rules are understood here are a few pointers that should help you plan for and deliver on placing visiting executives in front of media.

Why are you doing this?

An initial step, often forgotten, is that you must have a reason for putting someone in front of media - apart from the fact that head office expects it!  Ask yourself “Why am I doing this?  What am I trying to achieve?”  Possible answers could be:

Thought leadership - People quoted on particular topics and issues can help present their company as a thought leader in its industry.

Product positioning - Executives can be used to build a supporting proposition for the product positioning. This could involve showing how the product fits current trends or differentiating your range from competitors’.

Best Practice - Often you can use ‘back room’ executives to demonstrate how best practice is imbedded in all aspects of the company.  As an example, a Research and Development executive could be used to demonstrate how the company’s investment in R&D is supporting the development of new products, or capable of opening up whole new markets.

Employer of choice - Personal profiles of executives can be of interest to media, especially if the executive has been with the company for a number of years and the company has help that person grow as an employee and as a person.

Who’s who in the zoo?

• Obviously you have your best chance with the CEO (or equivalent) of a major company.  But often media will want an exclusive.
• Most C-level people should be able to be placed somewhere, so long as the company is well enough represented in Australia.
• Under that layer, there’s a plethora of VPs and SVPs who visit.  Think less about their title and more about what they actually do in the company.  Good occupations are:
  • Research and Development
  • Designer
  • People in charge of hot product categories.  In IT, this could be RFID projects or grid computing.  In consumer electronics it could be digital media or wireless home entertainment.
• Marketing managers are harder to place, as media are wary of well-presented sales spiels. So you might have to work harder with these.
• Match visiting executives to industry issues to ensure that you have the right people earmarked to speak on the most appropriate issues.

Feeding and grooming

• No matter how good a presenter someone may be, or how well they know their topic, work will have to be done with them if they are to gain not just an interview here, but quality coverage resulting from that interview.  Here are a few pointers to help:
  • Obtain a copy of the executive’s current biography for journalist background
  • Send the executive a backgrounder.  Include in this some ‘do’s and don’ts’ re: Australian media, a profile on the publication, a profile of the journalist and if possible examples of similar types of stories
  • Do a search to see what presentations the executive has made or what bylined articles may have been published under his or her name
  • Insist on a pre-briefing with the executive.  Especially for American’s; it is essential that they be coached to understand the different style of journalism in Australia

What size audience

• This is always a tricky subject, and again it comes down to balancing expectations with reality.  Here are a few different ways to have your visiting executive viewed:
  • Media briefings - mainly for the CEO when there is a major announcement to be made
  • Media luncheons - usually C-level when currently relevant issues are to be discussed amongst peers
  • One-on-one interviews - when personal opinions are to be shared at either a high corporate (C-level) or highly technical (product marketing/R&D) level. These are usually exclusive in nature

After the viewing

It is often advantageous to critique your executive after the interview or engagement has concluded.  This can be a difficult and diplomatic task for internal PR people.  For that reason, companies that use external PR agencies often find it easier and more effective to have the critique coming from a professional third-party source - their PR agency.

All in all, leveraging executive visits requires great diplomacy and a lot of hard work, but for those times when you do get your executive in front of media, it can be an important element in building the profile of the organisation.