How to write, implement and evaluate a successful proactive media strategy

1. How to write, implement and evaluate a successfulproactive media strategy Paul MathewsHM Revenue & CustomsUK

2. Proactive v Reactive Reactive • Respond to enquiries • Media set news agenda • Standard approach: media briefing • ‘Sit back and wait’ Proactive • Sell your story • Help set news agenda • Many different approaches • ‘Get up and go!’

3. Proactive Media Strategy • Before you start you must have… • A news story or angle – something new, unusual, a change, an update or reminder etc • Time and resources to draft, implement and evaluate • Someone who can manage the project through to completion • The agreement of your officials/operational staff

4. Proactive Media Strategy • Key Elements • Objective • Key Messages • Target Audience • Target Media • Activity • Risks • Evaluation

5. Objective • What are the key aims of your media strategy? • What do you want to achieve/ people to do? Good Examples: • Raise awareness of the dangers of counterfeit goods • Encourage the public to report suspected fraud Bad Examples: • To get some positive publicity for our organisation • Our director wants his photo in the newspapers

6. Key Messages • What are the key messages of your campaign? • Short ‘soundbites’ in order of importance • Can be general and/or specific Good Example: • Fake toys can harm children Bad Example: • EU Directive 745/1A, issued in December 2004, prohibits the sale of counterfeit products.

7. Target Audience • Who are your key messages aimed at? • You can have several target audiences • Different target audiences can have different key messages Examples: • The general public • Retailers • Manufacturers

8. Target Media • Which media will you use to communicate key messages to the target audience? • Consider national, regional and local media • Consider press (newspapers and magazines), broadcast (TV and radio) and websites/online Examples: • National consumer correspondents • Trade press e.g. clothing, toy magazines • Consumer magazines/websites

9. Activity • The key part of the strategy – what will you actually do and when will you do it? • Can be short- or long-term • Should ideally include key events / milestones • Lots of different options: • News releases / quotes • Press conference / briefings / spokespeople • TV footage/photos • Case studies/examples • Articles • Statistics

10. Risks • Identify any risks to successful implementation of the strategy • Make sure you list an ‘Action’ for each ‘Risk’ Examples: • Risk: Recent stories on EU’s inability to tackle fake goods could influence media coverage • Acton: We will explain the EU’s extensive work at the press briefing • Risk: Key officials are not available on launch day • Action: Offer interviews with officials before launch day.

11. Evaluation • How will you judge/demonstrate the success of your proactive media strategy? • If you can’t evaluate, you can’t show other people the value of your work • Examples: • Media coverage report • Number of calls/emails • Downloads/website visits

12. Summary • Every strategy needs a news story; a reason for the media to be interested • The best strategies are long-term and have a number of different events to help build awareness over time • Be proactive – don’t sit back and wait – contact media and sell your story • Review regularly and change your approach if necessary • Evaluation is the key