Publicity Strategy

This resource provides guidelines for creating a publicity strategy for your marketing. A publicity strategy will give you the steps to take beforesubmitting anything to broadcast, print and online news channels.

Whilst many producers provide excellent media information as part of marketing packs it is important to tailor this to the needs of your location and situation. This may mean modifying and targeting content.

As some producers have limited media material, this resource will provide all the steps for creating a publicity strategy and the material.

Step 1

Setting objectives

The obvious objective is to fill every seat in the venue. The communications objective needs to consider what exactly needs to appear in the media that provides you with the best outcome. Consider the answers to these questions to create your strategy and then your media material.

  1. Who will be interested in this performance?
  2. What is interesting/original/different about this performance? – OR what is locally relevant in this performance
  3. Where and when is the performance taking place?
  4. How will they feel because of attending the performance?

Your strategy should consider these and ensure any material is tailored to this outcome.

A typical strategy example

Target women between the aged of 25-49 who have been involved in dance in their lives to consider reliving experiences.

A location specific strategy example

Target parochialism in region by attracting people from xx to experience a home grown performance

Step 2

Choose the media channels

Traditional media provides a 1-2-pagerelease to print media to reproduce in some format and this is still highly relevant.

These are the other media channels and overviews of the approach

Channel / Approach
Radio news
Radio interview / Radio news provides no more than a line or two so media statements must be condensed with a call to action for more information.
Interviews require information about the interviewee as much as the performance. See below for a format to do this. Biographical information is essential
Social media – Facebook/twitter / Effective social media publishing is very brief and provides readers options to seek further information. In this format, the media statement needs to be condensed into a single line or two and linked to further information
TV / If TV is available, it requires something live to film. Media generally takes the form of an alert of the opportunity to film visual elements of a performance and interview subjects. TV coverage is generally achieved with providing attractive visual opportunities and interesting speakers. An alert needs to focus on what is available to the station and why it is worth inclusion
Website/online channels / Writing a release for websites needs to consider the need for summarised and often bullet pointed brief text, especially in smart phone formats. Long hand text in media releases is not always web friendlyand needs summarised format
Blog / Blogs attached to websites tend to have a conversational rather than formal format. This can mean changing the whole style of media releases in formats like reviews and biographies
Digital news / Digital news requires understanding of the key words and phrases in the communication and needs to be in summary and long hand format, ensuring searches (like entertainment, venue, theatre) are part of the submission

Step 3

Make contact

Media material sent without prior contact is often wasted. It is essential to contact the media targeted and ask how the information/interview can be delivered in a way that will meet their objectives.

Media is more than twice as likely to get used if the media channel has prior knowledge of what is coming if it has been developed with their input.

Step 4

Identify you visual elements

As the old saying goes, a picture paints 1000 words.

The aim should be to be in the media as part of the ‘launch’ of the performance.Imagery created specifically for a print format tends to be picked up more than stock imagery. If the media can take the photo, or the photo is home grown it is sometimes regarded more highly than a publicity shot by local media. However, producers can often provide high quality imagery well in advance of the event and this is often what is pitched to the media. The final imagery needs to be a discussion with the media.

The aim should be for the most striking, impactful images that will compete effectively with other news or social media images

Step 5

Interviews

Performer interviews are a great addition to printed media or news media formats. Whilst live interviews are generally preferred by the media, radio allows for telephone interviews. This means they can to happen in the marketing period of a performance rather than a short period where an artist is available.

Preparation for interviews is essential and artists and journalists need a brief on the interview topic so some control is maintained to deliver the strategy planned.

Prepare briefing notes on the performance details for both the artist and the interviewer to ensure there is focus on the significant facts in the media strategy.

Step 5

Timing

Set timing based on the marketing programme rather than the performance if possible. If the marketing commences 4 weeks before the performance is programmed then contact should be made with the media as part of the launch.

Step 6

Writing

Media release - key points

  • What do you want heard from this release - what is your number one message take out? It should come from your strategy
  • Start with the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW of the performance
  • List the points of interest that are significant about the performance
  • Keep it brief – there is an unwritten rule that says two pages or less, but a single page is best if possible. You can always provide more
  • Make it easy for journalists to find the key parts of the release- structure each line to contain a statement or quote.
  • Use clear, simple and economical language and avoid rambling
  • Write your release in active voice
  • Avoid details of a performance that are unclear to an average reader.
  • Give it human interest – use quotes of artists or local fans.
  • Don't oversell what the performance will provide – it is not the best puppet show in history
  • Highlight past successes if they exist (e.g. seen by families through Australia)
  • Try and verbalise a benefit of attending (the performance will take people back to a time…)
  • Ensure that the location, the date, and the time is included
  • Include a media contact and someone who can be quoted
  • Write your headline– based on everything that is in the release, identify a significant point or points that can be written into an interesting headline –

e.g. stunning dance spectacular brings local artist home

  • Write your lead line or first line of the release (this is often used all that is used in radio news or in a TV alert)

e.g. In October, the Nooriotpa Theatre will host the Starlight dance company’s breath taking Whisper for anyone who has ever loved to dance.

Writing a TV alert

  • Date/time: when is there a time where there is a filming opportunity
  • Write the headline that shows it is worth vision – The Circus comes to town
  • Summary - Write an overview of the show in one paragraph
  • TV opportunity: Summarise what is available for TV cameras e.g.
  • Meet Coco – 50 years a clown
  • Ringmaster Dorothy discusses the future of circus in western Australia
  • High wire acts will be practicing
  • Provide brief, summarised biographical information if there is an interview
  • Provide a contact for the journalist
  • Include the media release

Writing a Radio interview pitch

  • Date/time:
  • Write the headline of an interview worthy performer- Jack Russell – ringmaster and performer will explain what is new in the circus
  • Summary - Write an overview of the show in a paragraph
  • Radio opportunity: Write what is available to radio and line it up with the programme you seek
  • Telephone interview daily from 12noon-2pm
  • In person interview 12th September from 3-5pm
  • Provide brief, summarised biographical information
  • Provide a contact for the journalist
  • Include the media release

Contact me to share your ideas orwith any questions on 6202 1043/0419971713 or email - Sam.

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