Ms. Gendron

Sales & Marketing

How to Score National Television Broadcast Coverage

By Mary Gendron, President, Middleton & Gendron, Inc.

The relaunch of legendary toy retailer FAO Schwarz in New York City on Thanksgiving Day drew dozens of camera crews and resulted in more than 650 broadcast hits locally, nationally and worldwide within the first week of the store's reopening. Obviously considered hard news by the press, the event was a magnet for broadcast, in particular, given the wealth of visuals to choose from: the uniformed "toy" soldiers at the front entrance; excited children lined up to be among the first to get in when the doors opened; the enormous signature bronze bear sculpture at the entrance - an ongoing "photo op" for parents whose youngsters could not resist the urge to crawl up and sit on its lap.

Once inside, the camera crews had a field day, photographing the life-size "studio plush" ranging from majestic elephants and giraffes to adorable pigs and other farm animals. A nursery where children could "adopt" an infant was staffed by uniformed "nurses". The giant piano made famous by Tom Hanks in the movie "Big" took center stage on the store's mezzanine, and featured performances throughout the day by trained store associates as well as shoppers.

The decision to debut the store on a national family holiday was a calculated risk that paid off. Camera crews already assigned to cover Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade did double duty by heading a few blocks over to cover the FAO Schwarz opening. The launch gave FAO Schwarz a jump start on "Black Friday" stories that kick off the holiday shopping season the day after Thanksgiving. Publicity generated by the camera crews that showed up on Thanksgiving Day created a momentum that carried through the entire holiday season. FAO Schwarz was the backdrop of choice for holiday shopping broadcast coverage.

Prior to opening day, we had provided an advance exclusive to NBC's "Today" to have the first look inside the store and to conduct the first interview with the retailer's CEO. Due to the momentum created by this piece and the opening day coverage, FAO Schwarz was also featured by the other two network morning shows between Thanksgiving and Christmas - rare in the competitive world of morning television.

It's easy to see how a legitimate news event is the most logical route to securing national broadcast coverage. As you will see from the next example, however, it is not the only one.

A few years ago, we were challenged to achieve a hit on NBC's "Today" for our client, Boca Raton Resort, Club & Spa. In the absence of a hard news angle, we turned to the resort's executive chef with an idea: Could he create a dish representing each of the five recently nominated films for that year's Academy Awards? He accepted our challenge and developed five beautifully presented dishes to represent each of the nominated films. Sure that we had a winning idea, we approached a producer at "Today" and the idea was accepted. The chef and his dishes were featured on "Today" the morning of that year's Oscar presentation. The exchange between the chef and co-host Matt Lauer was lively and entertaining. We achieved our goal and our client, needless to say, was delighted with the result.

These two examples show two of the many ways that broadcast coverage can be achieved. In the first example, FAO Schwarz owned the story. It could not have been duplicated by any other entity. The strategy we implemented took a solid news story and maximized the potential for coverage. Because the store had historically been one of New York City's biggest tourist attractions, we were looking for high impact coverage not only in the city, but in other tourism markets.

The second example, however, was not proprietary in any way. It took imagination and drive and could have been developed and pitched by any entity with a quality kitchen and camera-worthy chef - both of which we were fortunate to have in our favor.

So how does one best approach national broadcast? How does one capture the attention of the major morning shows, feature programs like "The View", and other high profile broadcast opportunities? Here are a few useful tips to get you there:

1. Develop a winning angle:
In the absence of a hard news angle like an opening, examine your property and analyze its strengths. Is it a talented and articulate chef? A spa that is offering indigenous treatments or a host of services for children? Are you taking any initiatives that distinguish the property among its peers? Green initiatives, once considered faddish, are now in the mainstream and will continue to be of interest to the media for some time to come. If you notice a national trend and can contribute in a meaningful way to the discussion, that might be the angle that captures attention and leads to media coverage. Above all, think visually. Put yourself behind the camera and conceive of that great visual shot that is all-important in broadcast coverage.

2. Determine your media "wish list":
If broadcast is your goal, you are likely seeking to reach a mass audience, or are looking for the credibility that coverage on a major network or cable station can provide. Put together an "A" list of media you'd like to pitch your angle to. Then put that list into priority and begin at the top. Approaching broadcast individually and offering an advance or exclusive on the story is more likely to get a positive response than a one-size-fits-all approach.

3. Know who to approach:
Media reference books go only so far in providing contact information on broadcast producers. Many contacts are out of date as soon as the information is published. It is worth making calls to the stations on your hit list to make sure that you have the right producer for the show or segment you are targeting.

4. Consider a guest correspondent:
Although our chef guest appearance on "Today" was accomplished through direct contact with a producer, we have on many occasions provided information to Travel Correspondent Peter Greenberg and other correspondents who have covered news of our clients without an on-air interview. Most of the morning shows have regular guest correspondents covering a host of topics including travel, family travel, health, fitness, food and other topics that may relate to your own story angles.

5. Be patiently persistent:
If you are used to working primarily with print journalists, you'll find the broadcast world very different indeed. The pace is much faster, the producers often rushed, and your time on the phone may be very limited. The goal with the initial contact is to secure any indication of interest. You can follow-up with an email providing details on your angle. If you don't get a reply, you'll need to call again (and, perhaps, again and again) until the interested producer has the time to turn his or her attention to your idea. If you sit back and wait for a return call or email from a producer who has indicated interest, it may never come. Producers are simply too busy to respond even to ideas they are interested in. You need to facilitate the process.

6. Be poised to move quickly:
Although days or weeks might pass while a producer considers your angle, be prepared to move immediately once you get the green light on your idea. If your story is considered an "evergreen", it can be covered at any time. That time might be this afternoon or tomorrow if the broadcast lineup provides a hole that needs to be immediately filled. Being prepared with your angle, interviewee, and all other aspects of your story may prove to be the difference between great coverage and none at all.

7. Arm your interviewee with media training:
Unless your interview subject is already seasoned at broadcast interviews, it pays to provide media training prior to a first interview. Many of the national programs, before committing to an on-air guest, require a videotape showing the subject in action in a broadcast situation. They do this to ensure that the subject is camera worthy. If your rising star has no broadcast hits to draw from as of yet, on-camera media training will provide a tape that can be used as b-roll to send to producers you are pitching.

8. Know when to move on:
If you are getting nowhere with your initial media contact and a week or more has gone by, move onto the next one on your list. One station's castoff may be another's story. In addition to having the right angle, interviewee and visuals, matters of timing and luck play into your pitch. If you believe in your idea, keep the faith, remembering the "patient persistence" noted in tip #5.

9. Consider other broadcast alternatives:
If awareness is the goal, you might consider providing a prize package for the growing number of national programs that provide travel awards to viewers and guests. Long the domain of game shows, such as "Wheel of Fortune", the travel giveaway is now a mainstay of "Live With Regis & Kelly", "The View", "Today", and "CBS Morning Show".

10. Keep the momentum going:
By keeping broadcast in mind, you will likely, over time, find yourself developing ideas that are timely, visual and compelling. Working regularly with broadcast producers will evolve over time, so you are seen as a resource, and you will find them calling you for ideas. It is worth the investment of time and strategy; results are rewarding.

Good luck with your effort! I hope to see you on TV!

Mary Gendron is president of Middleton & Gendron, Inc. Brand Communications, a public relations and branding firm specializing in travel and hospitality for three decades. Prior to moving into public relations, Gendron was editor of Hotel & Motel Management magazine and engineered its redesign. Prior to that, she was part of Gralla Publications. Where she was instrumental in the launch of Meeting News magazine, and was the magazine's first managing editor. Her writing, as a journalist and on behalf of agency clients, has appeared in a wide range of media. Ms. Gendron can be contacted at 212-990-9065 or mgendron@mg-pr.com Extended Bio...

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