We’re about to take another client on a number of important deskside appointments to meet the editors of major US magazines. We’re going to get some valuable face time with Allure, Oprah.com, Real Simple and Essence to name a few. Its one thing to have the appointment with an interested media member, it’s another to be prepared for a story, segment and feature.
So, how do we prepare our clients to get ready for success?
We grill them.
We take a long look at what they want to launch and ask the following –
- Is it new?
- Is it really new?
- Is it noteworthy?
- Is it timely?
- Is it really interesting?
- Is it a timesaver? A budget buster?
- A splurge or a steal?
- Is it appropriate for each target viewer, reader, visitor of the media we want to visit?
- What are the unique key benefits?
Once we’re satisfied, we prepare the digital essentials. The tools a writer will need to build a mention, a story, a feature.
- A fact sheet and a press release. Yes, a press release.
- Intriguing story angles.
- High and low resolution images.
- Prototypes and samples to share.
- FAQs. The kind reporters will ask.
- Unbiased experts ready to be interviewed.
- Interesting testimonials representing our target markets.
- And a summary of the research behind this new product/service launch.
Why all the fuss? Because we really believe what Oprah Winfrey once said “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”
This is a great list, but you might want to add something about editing, especially since there’s a typo in the first bullet in the second list. Journalists write for a living, and most of them cringe at poor grammar and typos.
Thank you for taking the time out to let us know!