Mark Demko

Sr. Director of Communications

ArtsQuest

Free Media:

Big PR Ideas for

Smaller Festivals

What is PR?

“Public relations is a strategic

communication process that builds

mutually beneficial relationships

between organizations and their

publics.”

- Public Relations Society of America

Media 101 – The Basics

There are more media opportunities than ever before!

• Print– Daily

– Weekly

– Monthly Magazines/Other

• Websites

• Social Media

• Television & Radio

• Bloggers

• Trade & Business Publications

Keys to Success

• Understand your outlets and their

audiences

• Know your reporters, bloggers and

assignment editors even better

– Crucial if working with media outside your

local area

• Take advantage of hot trends and topics

– Listicles

– Food news

Things to Keep in Mind

• Smaller news staffs often mean they need more advance notice to cover non-breaking news

• Do your research - provide new angles and information every year

• Great media hooks include: – What’s New

– Numbers/Dollar Amount

– Children/Family Elements

– Controversial Topics – media will find you in regard to these

• Visuals are huge – include photos and/or video whenever possible!

Step One - Determine What

Success is for Your Event

• Greater awareness

• Attracting more people or new audiences

• Ticket and event sales

• Highlighting new elements

Benefits to Using PR Firm

• Wider reach

• Better connections with national media

• Objectivity

Benefits to Doing Your Own PR

• You know events and programming better

• Able to turn things around quickly

• More cost efficient

Small or No PR Staff? No Problem!

• Develop marketing/PR internship program

with local colleges

– Students are looking for experience/credit

– May be knowledgeable about newer media

trends

• Create volunteer street team to help

spread the word

• Don’t try to promote everything – focus on

most important elements

The Press Release

• Need good lead to grab attention

• Make it easy for media to understand

• Write concisely – more important than

ever!

• Include photos, video and links to website

Relationships are the Key!

• Give the media what they’re looking for

– More likely to listen to pitches if you work well with

them

• Provide visuals to

make their job easier

• Blend your

objectives with

their interests

• Develop relationships

in advance

You Never Know When Relationships

Will Pay Dividends Down the Road

After You Get the Story:

• Share link via social media

– Tag outlet or reporter when you share

– Helps reporters as well

• Send ‘Thank You’ email

• Better yet…call or send a personalized card/note

Beyond the Press Release

• What to Do When No One Picks Up Your Story?– Follow up

– Pick up the phone!

– Explain clearly and provide reasons to cover you• Remember media doesn’t follow you as closely as you think

• Use existing contacts to point you in right direction

• Offer different angles to different outlets

• Work every possible angle (Crystal Bowersox)

• Successful because it: – Highlights mission

– Promotes upcoming show

– Ties in educational element

Press Releases Aren’t Needed

for Everything

An individual pitch is often more successful

– Offers outlet an ‘exclusive’

– Helps build relationships with reporters

– The right coverage

in the right outlet can

be all that it takes

– Other outlets will

often pick up the story

Capitalize on Uniqueness of

Your Event or Brand

Festivals Have a Built-in Advantage:

Programming!

– Focus on new & unique programming elements

– Give them reasons to cover you and they will!

• SoccerFest Viewing Party

– Men’s World Cup Brazil – 2014

– Daily paper didn’t attend

press conference

announcing event

– ESPN offered live look-ins

for one of the matches

– Resulted in coverage in

USA Today, LA Times,

Philadelphia Inquirer & more

Include the Media as Part

of Your Programming

• Gets them invested in covering the event

• Highlights their support in the community

• Provides new opportunity for PR

PHOTOPASS Workshops

• 6 students work with Rolling

Stone photographer at

Musikfest

– Educational program and

fundraiser

– Partnered with daily paper

on program

– Coverage in advance and

students’ images published

online and in paper after

show

PHOTOPASS Workshops

Keep PR in Mind When Developing

New Programming

• Add in elements that will grab their

attention

• Provide opportunities for reporters to go

hands-on

Step Outdoors

• Free festival with no budget

• Worked with new media market – outdoors and

recreation writers

• Included ‘cooking with insects’ demos

– WOW factor

– Highly visual

Work with Your Performers,

Artists & Vendors

• Most are eager to do press – promotes

you and them!

• Offer live performances

• Culinary demos from food vendors/chefs

are HUGE

– Share recipes and cooking demo videos

http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-lehighvalley/Musikfest-gears-up-for-Friday-kickoff/41064712

Working with Radio Stations

• Offer live interviews with artists &

performers

– In advance

– During event

• Highlight other unique audio elements

• Provide a complete package, with ticket

giveaways or a enter to win contest

Television Media

• Focus on elements that are highly visual

or interactive

• Offer live interviews in the studios/during

newscasts

• Think outside the box

– Present unique opportunities that are outside

the station’s typical coverage

http://www.wfmz.com/news/latenight-laughs-plentiful-at-this-years-

musikfest/34549440

Connecting with Bloggers

• Research and identify high-impact

bloggers in your region

• Contact individually – don’t mass email or

blindly send news release

• Offer contests and giveaways

• Don’t always need to have tons of

followers

Take Advantage of Your Partners

• Work with:

– Performer and artist publicists

– Corporate partners’ media relations firms

– Other area nonprofits and community groups

Working with the Media

• Always be courteous and respond as

quickly as possible, no matter the situation

• Avoid saying ‘No Comment’

• Create talk points for key staff

• Bridge back to key messages

• Take advantage of live interviews

• Turn negatives into positives

Musikfest 2011

• Flooding hits last

weekend of Musikfest

• Devastation on

festival grounds

• Announced “Save Our

Songs” to bring

attention to issue and

recoup losses

• Work with local media

to raise awarenesshttps://www.youtube.com/watch

?v=gJa9NbXBmqM

PR Hits and Misses

• Great ideas come from everywhere!

• Let’s hear a few of yours!

Questions/Comments?

Mark Demko

Sr. Director of Communications

ArtsQuest

mdemko@artsquest.org

610-332-1342