DIY PR: A beginner’s guide to public relations

CONTENTS

Introduction: What is “Public Relations,” anyway?

SECTION ONE: MEDIA RELATIONS..................................PAGE 4

1. Planning your media relations campaign
2. Working with your local media
3. Determining what makes a good story
4. Defining your media target
5. Using the tools of the trade
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Listings
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Media Advisories
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The Pitch
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News Releases
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News Stories by Your Company
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Photographs
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Media Kits
6. Working with reporters in person
7. Following up

SECTION TWO: CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP.....................PAGE 11

SECTION THREE: PAID PROMOTION................................PAGE 12

1. Advertising
2. Media sponsorship and promotions
SECTION FOUR: CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS.....................PAGE 14
1. Dealing with the story
2. Crisis interviews

Copyright © CURVE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP LTD.

INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS, ANYWAY?

Thank you for your interest in Curve Communications and for downloading our e-book. We created this document to
serve as a ‘How To’ resource for businesses that are interested in learning the fundamentals of PR. We will explain how
to implement some basic tactics that will help to generate awareness of your brand.

‘Public Relations’ is an umbrella term used to define activities involved in managing and maintaining the public
image of a business or individual. It has often been described as the practice of managing communication between
an organization and its public. The goal of public relations is to make the company’s typical customer aware of the
company and its products.

Unlike media relations, PR is not only about securing coverage in mainstream media. Media relations plays an integral
part in any PR campaign but it is only one of many tactics used to generate interest in a brand. With the evolution
of the Internet and online social networks, public relations has progressed and become essential to raise a business
above the ‘noise’ of constant communication so that it stands out to its customers.

Curve Communications advocates using public relations as a component of an integrated marketing strategy that
spans online and offline venues. We believe branding, marketing and public relations work best when implemented
together as part of an overarching communications strategy. We hope you find this e-book valuable and welcome the
opportunity to connect with you.

Please get in touch for your complimentary proposal.

George Affleck
PRESIDENT AND CEO

www.curvecommunications.com | info@curvecommunications.com | @curvecomms

SECTION ONE: MEDIA RELATIONS
Media relations is the art of securing editorial space in the media outlets read, viewed, or listened to by your target
audience.
Third-party endorsements by media personalities (radio talk show hosts, television reporters, and newspaper
columnists) are valuable. Editorial coverage is worth at least three times as much as ad space. That’s because the
general public views advertising as biased, and editorial coverage as truth. So if a half-page ad in your regional
newspaper costs $2000, and the same newspaper writes a half-page article about your business, that article is worth
about $6000 in coverage.
However, as the saying goes, “In advertising you pay for it and in publicity you pray for it.” This section will explain
in detail how you can reduce your praying and increase your odds of gaining editorial coverage.

1. Planning Your Media Relations Campaign

As with any marketing campaign, you should plan your media relations campaign in advance. Don’t just randomly
send out news releases when sales are down!
It may help you stay organized if you plan your campaign out on a year-round calendar. List events you’ve been
involved with in previous years. Add major community events that you may want to sponsor. Work backwards from
these events to come up with deadlines for sending out listings, media advisories, and news releases. Be sure to
monitor and track new media relations opportunities throughout the year.
You should also monitor trends and popular ideas, and try to link them to your own business. Let’s say a study is
going to be released on rising cases of arthritis, and you know hot tubs help prevent it. That’s a good time to pitch a
story about your company to the media; a reporter will be more interested in what you have to say if it’s related to a
hot topic. Keep on top of what’s going on in industries relevant to your business.

2. Working With Your Local Media

Chances are, most of your news will be relevant to local media, not to the biggest newspaper in the state or province,
or the national media. There are a few things you should understand about working with local media.

Don’t Underestimate Their Value

They may be lower-profile, but don’t underestimate the value of PR in local media. Readership rates for local
publications are often higher than for their bigger, more glamourous counterparts. Local media are also more
likely to be receptive to your news stories. So treat local media outlets with the same regard as their larger regional
counterparts: give them well-researched story leads. They’ll appreciate the effort. They may even run the story more
than once.

Local, Local, Local

Keep in mind that local media audiences want news and pictures of local people, not strangers. Community
newspapers go out of their way to carry photographs of people in their town. Use this to your advantage. If you’re
contacting a Surrey community newspaper, tell them about an event happening in Surrey. Or about your top
salesperson, born and raised in Smithville, who has been recognized by the state/provincial Young Entrepreneurs
Society. You have to give your local newspaper a reason to write the story, so make sure you have that local angle.

Timing Your Announcements

Talk to your local media about the timing of announcements. Find out when their deadlines are so you can get them
the information they need on time. It is in your best interest to present your news in time for the local newspaper
deadlines first – at least two weeks before your event or story should break. Most local newspapers will not give your
story prominent coverage if it has been in a daily newspaper or on television days earlier. No newspaper wants to print
old news.

Understand the Media

Lastly, while you may see that small write-up as costing the newspaper very little or nothing at all, that simply isn’t the
case. News releases need to be typeset, photographs need to be scanned, and stories need to be researched. Each of
these consumes staff time, which costs money. In many smaller newspapers, the typesetter may also be the sales rep, and
the costs to the newspaper are compounded if the sales rep is typesetting news releases as opposed to selling.
3. Determining What Makes a Good Story
The most important thing to remember when trying to get a story into the media is that it must be newsworthy.
Editors need stories that readers or viewers will find interesting and that will attract an audience.

Story Ideas
So what makes interesting news? A grand opening – as long as it’s a genuinely fun event, not just a few balloons and
free coffee. A new study explaining the cost savings of buying a pre-owned vehicle. A workshop you’re hosting on
how to fix minor mechanical problems. Those could all make good stories.

Some Other Newsworthy Items Might Be:

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Announcing an interesting new product
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Forming a new joint venture or partnership
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Events: celebrity appearances, fundraisers, or contests
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Getting or receiving major contracts or grants
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Receiving awards or special honours
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Plans for a new facility (the architect’s drawings would be a good visual for print media)
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Prize winners from a promotion or charitable event

Human-interest Stories
When thinking of what stories you could offer the media, don’t overlook human-interest story angles. People want to
read about people. They want to hear about personal struggles and how they were overcome. They want to know why
people did what they did and how they got where they are. Your employees might be a good source for these stories.

4. Defining Your Media Target

Now that you have your story idea in mind, you need to figure out which media to target. Don’t cover the town in
news releases. Editors are swamped with them all week and usually just do a quick once-over of everything that
comes in. For your story to get a second glance, you need to carefully match it with the right media outlet.

Define Your Target Audience

First, know who the targets of your PR campaign are. If you’re looking for new clients, keep in mind their age group,
gender, income level, and place of residence.

Find your media match

Look for media outlets whose audience matches your target demographic. All media outlets keep statistics on their
audience. Call the sales and marketing department to get this information.
For example, do the listeners of the local hip-hop radio station want to hear about the latest gardening tool? It’s
probably a bad fit – don’t waste your time or the news desk’s time by contacting them.

Create a Contact List

Now you need to create a contact or media list. You need the right names and titles on your list – a news release
coming into a large media office without some direction can easily go astray. You can try to get a contact list from
anyone with PR staff, such as your municipal government, or you can create your own.

Local Media
You probably already know the names of your local newspaper, radio station, and cable TV network. Just look them
up in your phone book or on the Web. Phone to find out the editor’s name and correct spelling. Newspapers and
magazines always list their contact information inside them, so grab a copy and look it up. You’ll also need the editor’s
fax number or email address.
Be thorough in thinking of your local media resources. There may be other media you could target, such as
shoppers or your downtown business association’s newsletter.
Regional Media
For regional media, such as television stations or daily newspapers, there may be local staff as well as head office
editors or producers. The local reporter usually has little, if any, decision-making power about what is covered and
what is not. Still, local staff can make recommendations to head office, so it’s worthwhile finding out who covers your
area.

Resources
Some good places to find out about media in your area are:

5. Using The Tools of the Trade

There are a number of ways that you can contact the media. Depending on what your story is, you may use all of
these, or just a few.

Listings
If you are holding an event such as a workshop, an often-overlooked source of free publicity is listings. Industry
magazines, local newspapers, and Internet directories may all have event listings. Getting listed on their calendars
creates awareness for your event before it happens and helps draw people to it.
If you want your event listed in a magazine, be sure to contact the publication with your event details several months
ahead. For local newspapers and Internet directories, a month ahead will do.

Media Advisories
A media advisory alerts editors to an upcoming event so they can arrange for reporters to cover it. It contains basic
information on what the event is, who’s holding it, and when it’s happening. An advisory should catch the editor’s
attention and make your event sound interesting enough to justify staff coverage (see the sample on the next page).
Using your contact list, fax or email your advisory to the community newspaper three weeks before your event. Send
it to TV, radio, and daily newspapers (if appropriate) two weeks ahead. Follow-up the next day with a phone-call to
make sure they got it. As the event gets closer, follow up with news releases and/or phone calls to remind them that
it’s happening and to see if they plan to come out for it. The event will have to attract a lot of people to warrant staff
coverage.

The Pitch
If you just fax or email your media advisory or news release, it may never get a second glance. You can send the release
first and then follow up with a phone call, or you can start with the phone call. But either way, at some point you’re
going to have to pick up the phone and pitch your story to the editor.
This might sound intimidating, but remember – editors are looking for news. Just don’t waste their time.

How to Make the Phone Call

Some tips for pitching your idea to the editor are:
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Start with the reason you’re phoning. For example, “I’m phoning because I have a great suggestion for a
story....”
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Explain your idea within 15 seconds. Editors are busy. Get to the point or you’ll lose their attention. Why
is your story idea newsworthy? Why would their audience be interested in it? Is it relevant to current
events or trends? For example: “I have a great idea for a photo opportunity. Bob’s Recreation is hosting a
tenth anniversary party and the town councillors are going to be in their swim trunks in one of our hot
tubs. Your readers will love it – it’s going to be hilarious!”
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Explain what the story would involve. Do they show up at an event, and if so, at what time? Are you
going to arrange for a pre-event photo shoot? If so, let them know. Who can they interview?
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Be careful not to exaggerate your story. Watch for words like “first, only, greatest, biggest.” Someone
almost always did it before, as well or as big. Reporters are trained to look for lies and exaggerations.
Be persistent, Not Bothersome
Once you’ve presented your idea to the newspaper, don’t ask the editor: “When will this be in the paper?” If the editor
decides that your story has local relevance it could take from one week to one month for it to run in the paper. Most
media outlets operate with a limited editorial “hole” and need to utilize that space as effectively as possible every
issue. Without exception, fast-breaking news or a late ad booking will pre-empt a news release so don’t look for
guarantees.

Help Them Cover the Story

If the editor is receptive to your idea, ask how they would like to receive more information – by fax, mail or email?
Many prefer to use email because it allows them to cut and paste and saves retyping time. Ask if you can email them
a photo. See if there’s anything you can do to facilitate them covering the story. For example, if you’re giving away a
scholarship to a local high school student, offer to arrange an interview with the student.

News Releases
Once you’ve pitched your idea and the reporter or editor is interested, they’ll probably want more information. You
should have a news release and/or a media kit prepared so you can send it off right away, while the idea is still in their
mind.
A good news release covers all the details of your story and includes contact information. A great news release
does those things AND is written well enough that it seems like a newspaper article. If your story really is newsworthy,
and you’re a good news release writer, a newspaper may even print the story verbatim.

Basic News Release Format

News releases usually follow this format (see the sample release on the following page):
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“For immediate release” typed at the top
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Date
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Headline
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Strong leading paragraph
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Text answering the five Ws about your news item
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Contact information. Include the contact’s name and company, daytime phone number, and email
address.
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At the end of the release, type -30- or ###.
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It MUST be typewritten.

Keep it Short
A news release is usually one page, and definitely should be no more than two (100-400 words). If your release is two
pages, type -more- at the bottom of the first page.

Answer the Five W’s

Your news release should answer the five W’s about your story – who, what, when, where, and why. Some of the
questions you might ask yourself when writing it are: Who is involved? Who should the reporter contact for more
information? Who would this news appeal to? What is the story? When is it happening (include time and date if it’s
an event)? Where is it happening? And why? You’d be surprised how often people forget basic information in a news
release, such as who to contact for more information.

Make the Release Interesting

Use a catchy headline to draw the reader in. Put the most interesting piece of information at the beginning. Try to
show how you’re unique and why the media’s audience would be interested in what you have to say (how will your
story benefit them?). You may consider including a quote or testimonial from one of your better-known clients or the
company president to add credibility and interest.
Write Like a Reporter
Write in the third person. Make sure the tone of your release isn’t too formal, or too folksy. Don’t express opinions,
unless you can attribute them to somebody. For example, don’t say “The opening of Bob’s Recreation was the best
event in town last week.”
You can say: “Over a hundred people attended the opening of Bob’s Recreation, and we consider it a great success,”
said Bob’s Recreation owner Bob Wright. What you learned about making pitches also applies here: Be careful not to
exaggerate or your story won’t be taken seriously.

Keep it Simple
Remember that when you write your news release, write it to a grade seven level. This rule of thumb holds true for
readers in metro and rural households. Don’t think that a release full of five-syllable words will knock the editor’s socks
off because it’s more likely to make him nod off. Avoid using jargon.

Check for Mistakes

With luck and effort, your release will be seen by thousands of potential customers, so this is no time to make
embarrassing gaffes. Thoroughly check grammar, spelling, and accuracy. Use spell-check. Nothing is more irritating
to an editor than simple grammatical errors. Do be aware that editors may pare-down your copy for brevity or other
reasons.
Before sending out your release, proof it one last time! If you wrote the release, make sure you get a set of fresh
eyes to look it over. After you’ve spent hours writing and revising something, it’s hard to see your mistakes.

Follow Up!
Make sure you follow up to make sure they got the news release. This can’t be emphasized enough. If you wait for it
to magically appear in the next issue, you will probablybe disappointed. A simple phone call further explaining your
cause or event gives you another chance to “sell” it to the editor. Take this opportunity to find out more about what the
editor is looking for. Every contact you have with the editor helps you build a relationship.

News Stories By Your Company

Apart from sending news releases and pitching story ideas, you can also try to write your own article for your local
newspaper. Find out if the newspaper has any special sections coming up that might be relevant to you, and see if
they’d be interested in having you write a guest column. For example, if your newspaper is developing a summer
recreation section for one of its July issues, suggest that you write an article on caring for hot tubs. Make sure you
include contact information in your by-line.
Some newspapers may print this verbatim. But some may try to sell the space back to you and run your article as
an “advertorial,” a paid article.

Photographs
Images are important for TV and print media. Whenever possible, offer to send photos with the news release. If you
or a staff member are taking them, rather than a professional, take them twice as close as you think you should. Make
sure the light is behind the photographer, not the subject.
Look for dynamic, interesting shots. Ribbon-cuttings don’t count. Handshakes don’t count. If you’re donating a hot
tub, don’t send a picture of your store manager shaking hands with the President of the local Boys and Girls Club. Take
a photo of the kids actually playing in the hot tub. If you can’t provide an action shot, provide a headshot of your store
manager or hot tub recipient or salesperson of the year, or whoever might be relevant. In local media a picture of a
local face is important.
Sometimes a newspaper will run a great photo without a story attached, so try to keep photo opportunities in
mind. When you send the photo, include a brief cutline (e.g. Eight-year old Marisa plays with her grandmother at the
Beachcomber Hot Tubs seminar in New York), the date, and the photographer’s name.
Media kits
It’s worthwhile for you to develop a media kit that you can send media when they ask for more information about your
company. A media kit is like your company’s resume. You can use it to attract interest not just from media, but also as
a sales tool with potential clients, employees, and investors. Your media kit should grab the reader’s interest; it should
make your company seem hot and interesting.
Don’t scramble at the last minute to assemble one. Develop it now so you have it on hand when you need it.

There are a couple types of media kits:

Traditional
A traditional media kit contains articles or background information about your company that is packaged in a
folder and mailed out.
Website
Website media sections are a great way to keep your website visitors up-to-date on your company’s latest news,
product launches, and events. They’re also a convenient place to direct media to more information about you. It
should be easy for visitors to find this section of your website. Create a noticeable button that says “News” or “Media.”
This section of your website should include the same things as a traditional media kit, but you should also post photos
that print media can download. These might be headshots of your sales team or photos of your hot tubs. You could
also post video clips about your company.
Discs
You can also burn the contents of your media kit onto a CD or DVD to mail out. These storage devices have a lot of
memory, so it’s another great way to send photos.

Contents of your media kit

When putting together your media kit, be selective. Nobody is going to read through twenty pages about your
company, and you may irritate reporters by making it difficult for them to find the information they really need.
Some of the things you might include in your media kit are:
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News release: If you’ve already pitched your idea to an editor or reporter, include a news release that
details the story you described to them.
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Your business card
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Company brochure or product sheets
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Client testimonials
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A one-page fact sheet: About your company (how long have you been in business, how many employees,
annual revenue, etc)
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A list of recent awards
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Photos of your products
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Listing of community involvement projects
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Upcoming events or product launches
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Biography: If the story you’ve pitched to the editor focuses on a particular individual, include a
biography of that person.
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A sample product. Maybe you have accessories a reporter might find interesting.
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List of Frequently Asked Questions about your product or company
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Articles or audio/video files that have already been produced about your company. If you do include
these, make sure they aren’t about the same story idea you’ve just pitched or it’ll seem like old news.
Include only recent and relevant articles.
Packaging
Editors get piles of media kits every day. Since you’ve already made contact with the editor, hopefully they’ll keep
yours in mind, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure it gets noticed when it arrives.
You can get really creative and put together a basket of interesting products for an upcoming event. Usually you
would try this if you’re already working with a TV or radio station on promotions, so they have something to chat up
on air. For example, if you’re sponsoring a women’s spa day, you could send the station announcers a basket full of
relaxing massage oils, a sleeping mask, beauty products, and a bathing suit, along with information about the event.
Rather than just sending it by mail in a manila envelope, send it by courier or hand deliver it. This creates a sense of
importance and ensures they get it in time for your event or story.
The information itself should be packaged in an attractive presentation folder for a polished look. Many companies
send out marketing materials in their own custom designed and printed folders. The most important information (for
example, the news release) should be clearly visible, and placed in front of the other materials in the package.

6. Working With Reporters In Person

Interviews
If a reporter wants to interview you, do a bit of homework so you feel prepared. Research the interviewer as well as
the media outlet. Know the topic of the story or article and what angle they might take. Know the reporter’s name and
background. Reatd all of their recent articles so you understand their writing style and the type of topics they typically
cover. Think of a few interesting points or facts and have these in mind. But don’t memorize answers to questions or
you’ll appear stiff and formal.

Media Relations At Events

If you’re holding an event and your local media have agreed to send a reporter to cover it, make sure you assign
someone to greet them, show them around, and help them in any way possible. For example, at an event where
Curve Communications was responsible for the media relations, a radio reporter was running low on batteries for his
tape recorder. A Curve staffer quickly drove to the nearest store for batteries in time for the reporter to conduct his
interview. Make it easy for them to cover your story.

7. Following Up
Whenever you do get media coverage, keep a copy of the videotape, audiotape, or news clipping to add to your
portfolio. Don’t ask editors to provide these for you – they aren’t a clippings service.
And if they cover your story, don’t forget to send them a thank-you note. You don’t need to buy them gifts (you’re
not bribing them) just let them know you appreciate the amount of time they spent on your story.

Persistence Pays Off

Don’t get discouraged or sulky if the media doesn’t cover your first attempt at public relations. Free publicity is a
privilege and it takes some skill to achieve. It pays off when you get it though, so keep trying; How effective your
public relations campaign is depends largely on how persistent you are.
SECTION TWO: CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP
Corporate sponsorship is a cash or in-kind fee (such as donating a product or service) paid to an event or organization
in return for access to promotion and publicity. It’s another way to increase your profile within the community and
media.
Organizing events is time and resource consuming, so for PR purposes, you may want to link yourself with an event
being hosted by another organization. Keep an eye out in your local community for events that align with your brand’s
key messaging and your business’ values.

Why Companies Sponsor

Although the recipient of your sponsorship may be non-profit, sponsorship should not be confused with philanthropy.
Philanthropy is support of a cause without any commercial incentive. Companies use sponsorship to achieve
commercial objectives, such as:
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Heightened visibility: Sponsorship gives you publicity opportunities, for example, your logo on flyers or
title sponsorship of an event (for example, “The Recreation Show...presented by John’s Outdoor Sports).
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Shaping consumers attitudes: Improve your image as a community-minded business.
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Narrowcasting: Event sponsorship allows you to hone in on specific targeted markets.

Budgeting For Sponsorship

You may want to reserve a portion of your marketing budget for sponsorship opportunities, or set aside a
predetermined amount of inventory for donations and sponsorships.

Make the Most of Donations or Sponsorship

Don’t just rely on the sponsored organization’s event manager to promote your donation to the media – you’ll want to
contact the local newspaper yourself to set up a photo shoot and tell them about the story.
SECTION THREE: PAID PROMOTION

1. Advertising
While advertising isn’t really public relations we thought to include it here as it can be very complimentary to your PR
campaign.
Be Fair
When working on your public relations campaign, keep in mind that media make their living from advertising. Media
are deluged on a daily basis by requests for editorial coverage, sponsorships, and free space and like it or not, there is
a limit on how much they can give. Media outlets - like all other businesses- need to show a profit in order to stay in
business. If you’re announcing a factory clearance sale, buy an ad. If you’re announcing that you’ve donated some of
your inventory to the local community centre, put it in a news release.

A Few Tips About Media Buying:

You may be well versed in media buying, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
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Media outlets like to take money from their competitors. Sometimes you need to buy both competing
media outlets, but more often you don’t. You can frequently negotiate a better deal if you tell media
outlets you’ll buy them and not their competitor.
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When you choose your ad buy, carefully consider the demographics you want to target. You don’t always
need the biggest newspaper or radio station. For example, the big radio station might have the largest
audience, but if that audience is mostly young renters, they’re probably not the target customers for a hot
tub retailer.
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Your ad might have more impact in a specific section of your newspaper. Co-ordinate paid promotion so
it has a better chance of appearing near possible story coverage. It’s not cheap, so make your advertising
work harder and smarter.
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The advertising and editorial departments at media outlets operate independently. Even if you’re a big
advertiser with your local radio station, don’t try to use that as a reason for them to cover your story.
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Remember, successful advertising is about good writing and frequency (the number of times your ad will
reach the same person in a given period).

2. Media Sponsorship and Promotions

Media sponsorship and promotions are helpful if you’re hosting an event. These “value-added promotions” round out
your advertising campaign, and should almost always be in place if you are making a significant ad buy with a media
outlet. You should expect an even stronger promotion if you have granted the media outlet title sponsorship of your
event. (For example, “The Seattle Outdoor Recreation Show, presented by the Seattle Times.”)

Media promotions come in various different forms. The most common media promotions are:
Radio/Television:
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Two-for-one ad buys (or buy one-get one buys) are often extended to non-profit event organizers.
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Pre-produced promotional spots: These are very valuable and usually are centered on an on-air
promotion like ticket giveaways or a special night for listeners of the station. These promotions often
involve a drive-to location where listeners have to visit a store to pick up an entry form.
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Traffic or News sponsorship: Ten- to five-second acknowledgements of the event that precede or follow
news, sports or traffic reports.
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Community cruiser mentions: On-air mentions about the event from the station’s community events van.
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Live-liners. Live on-air announcements made by the DJ.
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Remote broadcasts: Only given in special circumstances. Live broadcast from the event to help drive
ticket sales through the event.
Newspaper:
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Promotional ads with a contest element
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Donated space in the newspaper
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Other promotional possibilities – websites, newspaper promotional material giveaways like bags and
pens, ad space for booth space at an event to sell subscriptions.

Promotional Value: Make sure you look at the value the media partner is giving their product in kind or trade. Ask: is
this the true worth? For example, the value of website presence has declined over the last couple of years. Make sure
the value they place on listing your product or contest on their web site is realistic – this could vary depending on the
success of their website.
SECTION FOUR: CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
Crisis communications is a branch of public relations that you hopefully won’t have to deal with. It’s about dealing
with negative images of yourself or your company in the media.
Let’s say you install a hot tub at a local community centre, and five kids develop severe rashes after using it. The local
media get a hold of the story and the next thing you know, everyone’s talking about how bad your company and its
products are.

1. Dealing with the Story

There are three main ways to deal with crisis situations: One is that you lie low, refuse to talk to the media, and hope
the story goes away. Unfortunately, this doesn’t usually work because it makes you look guilty and rumours will fly
when you’re not out there defending yourself.
Another school of thought among PR professionals is that you should spin any story you can to make yourself
look good – essentially, lie. This might not sound so clever, and it isn’t. Chances are, your lie will be found out and your
reputation will be even more damaged than it was when the story about the rashes first broke.
The better way to deal with bad media coverage is to face up to your mistake and tell the truth. The key is to
do so in a way that shows you are genuinely sorry for your mistake and that you’re doing your best to rectify it. For
example, you might openly apologize for the rashes, explain what caused them, and immediately fix the problem.
Even better, you might offer to give 10 percent of your profits for the next two months to the community centre for
new equipment. Or you could offer to send your staff to check on the chemical level in other clients’ hot tubs. Take
responsibility for the problem – and for fixing it.

2. Crisis Interviews
Let’s say a reporter wants to interview someone from your company about the rashes.

Before the interview

Ensure you have a designated spokesperson that will deal with all media inquiries. This person should have extensive
knowledge about the company, be an effective and straightforward speaker, and appear assertive.
You may not have much time to prepare, so it’s important to think about how you might handle media inquiries.
Try to anticipate reporters’ questions and how you might answer them. Have facts organized and at hand. Think about
and write down the points you should make.

During the interview

t
Communicate the most important points first.
t
Be careful with leading questions that might put words into your mouth. This kind of question might
begin with, “Don’t you think that...?”
t
Answer questions and then bridge to your next point.
t
Tell the truth.
t
Focus on the positive. Highlight how you are resolving the problem, as well as your long safety record.
t
Don’t be evasive. If you don’t have all the facts yet, give a good reason why they aren’t available or why
you can’t disclose them yet. Say when you will have the details if possible.
t
Take the names and phone numbers of reporters and get back to them when you do have all the
information. Get back to them exactly when you said you would.
t
Appear concerned about the issue but not worried.
t
Don’t speculate about what happened. Give factual information only.

And lastly, you can’t afford to say the wrong thing when your reputation is already on the line. If you aren’t
comfortable dealing with the media under pressure, this might be the time to hire a professional to speak on your
behalf.
We hope you enjoyed our ebook. Please get in
touch with us for your complimentary communications strategy proposal.

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