Lip Service: Why your media strategy says more about you than you think

Why do some brands sidestep the media while others court them? What’s the best strategy for your brand? We’ve seen some lately who seem to believe that if they hide or play hard to get, it will help kill a story or give them control over what’s said about them. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Case in point: the recent kerfuffle between  the New York Times’ Cathy Horyn and Saint Laurent’s recently appointed designer, Hedi Slimane.

In  case you missed it, Slimane barred Horyn from attending his first show with the brand, which resulted in her critiquing his collection via online images. She panned it. Slimane has had a chip on his shoulder ever since Horyn made some harsh comments about him back in 2004.

Horyn has also fallen out of good graces with Oscar de la Renta after referring to him as a “hot dog.” I thought this had something to do with his predilection for tanning, but actually it was about showboating and taking creative license with his most recent collection. In turn, De la Renta took out a letter in WWD and returned the insult by calling Horyn a “3 day old hamburger.”

The open letter from Oscar de la Renta, published in WWD, rebutting Horyn’s insult by calling her a “3 day old hamburger.”

The point here is that in this day and age of 24-hour online and offline chatter, it’s virtually impossible to avoid critics so deal with it — and dialogue with them on a civilized playing field. Nevertheless, many brands continue to make finding their PR contacts virtually impossible, with unlisted press representatives, or altogether burying press information on their website.

Case in point, Uniqlo, which proudly states that “open communication is one of our core values, so please feel free to get in touch with us,” yet we found that to be quite a challenge. At the new San Francisco store, we inquired about the brand’s media contacts, but the manager could only direct me to the company’s  800 customer service line. When we called customer service, they didn’t know what “PR,” or “media relations” actually meant, nor had any idea who, if anyone, handled such a thing.

Target.com has one of the most comprehensive press pages in retail.

The company website is completely devoid of a press area, contact list, or phone numbers of any kind (yet it does offer some hi-res images and prepared comments from the CEO.)

However plenty of brands have gone to great lengths to offer media tools on their websites with downloadable images, press releases, Q&A transcripts, and even an actual person’s name and phone number – imagine that. Target.com has multiple contacts listed plus a huge library of images and information on Target products and people.

Christian Dior recently relaunched their web presence and created a separate site specifically for press.

What are the 5 ways you can be more transparent and foster a better relationship with the media?

1. Don’t play hard to get. Be reasonably accessible: make sure a contact person is listed on your website, either by email or by phone (both is better.)

2. Create a dedicated online space for journalists. Don’t make people hunt for information on your website. Create a clearly titled zone (“Press” or “Media Tools”) with up-to-date information, corporate bios, hi-res images of stores, merchandise, events, ad campaigns, and key people. Add a video Q&A with the CEO. Outline the company’s philosophy and business manifesto.

3. Journalists are people too. They have families, deadlines, bad days, and often with meager paycheck to go with it. Don’t make them work harder than they need to just to get a quote. Also remember that you’re not the only one who is banging on their door with a pitch. Work on your relationships with the press beyond just pitching stories. Remember their birthday and the names of their children.

4. Know what stories sell.  You may make a great product or offer a great service, but beyond that, what else makes you special? People want to see your clay feet, if only a little bit. What’s the “human” story behind your success and who are the personalities within the company who really epitomize the corporate culture. They bring a story to life.

5. Don’t overlook the blogger. It may seem obvious, but actually a lot of firms still don’t take bloggers seriously and instead set their sights on getting into the major dailies. When was the last time your checked the circulation of your local paper or magazine? Readership of American newspapers has been on the decline for over a decade, while social media and blogs have grown increasingly powerful and influential in garnering the younger, niche demographics.

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.