SpinSix Strategic - Marketing Design

Although "media relations" and "public relations" are frequently used interchangeably, in truth, media relations is the subset of public relations that deals with pursuing favorable and accurate coverage in news and mass media.

Unlike advertising, in which you get exactly what you pay for, the degree to which media will mention you—and how they will mention you—is partly out of your control. Skilled and experienced media relations professionals have fostered close relationships with editors, journalists, and bloggers as some of the world's most influential media outlets. In other cases, such relationships are focused on several targeted "beats" or areas of interest, such as high-tech, automotive, business, cooking, or parenting.

Effective media relations are part art and part science. The art involves understanding the industry, trends, and personalities well enough to craft pitches that will appeal to editors. The science involves having a thorough understanding of seasonal and publishing calendars, trade shows, knowing whom to contact, how to contact them, when to contact them, and knowing what to say. Effective media relations requires far more strategy than cranking out occasional press releases and putting them on the wire. It means developing a comprehensive strategy for getting in front of the individuals who need to hear your story, and then knocking their socks off.

At SpinSix, we can handle all of your media relations needs. Whether you need help developing a complete strategy, or just one part—such as creating media calendar for a product launch months away—or simply outsourcing the daily tasks associated with responding to media inquiries to somebody who truly knows the business, we're here to help. Best of all, because we're also a full-service strategic marketing, design, and Web firm, we can guarantee that all of your communications and marketing strategies are working in lock-step with one another like a well-oiled machine.

See Also:

Media Planning, Public Relations, Social Media