Garnering Earned Media For Your Public Health Activities Mary Bray Gallagher, MBA, APR Public Relations Associate CAI

Today’s Presentation 1.Communication & Media 2.Terminology 3.Garnering Earned Media & Newsworthiness 4.Tips & Best Practices 5.Q & A

Communication  Very important component of public health  You are communicating information that will change lives and communities  Your communication strategy will depend on your objectives, budget and audience

Communication Your strategy might include some or all of the following:  Marketing  Public Relations  Paid Media/Advertising  Earned Media

Today’s Media Traditional  Television/Cable  Radio  Newspapers  Magazines Digital  The Internet  Blogs  Social Media: Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, etc…

Terminology

Paid Media Paid media is advertising that you pay for, such as:  Newspaper ads  Television or radio ads  Web advertising

Marketing Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. (Approved July 2013, American Marketing Association Board of Directors) Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Promotion, Place

Public Relations Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. (Public Relations Society of America)

Earned Media Earned media is media attention that you don’t pay for directly, but instead gain through work effort. For example: Articles News stories Letters to the editor Op eds

Print

Television

Op Eds/Letters to the Editor

Radio

Print

Building a Rationale for Earned Media: Media can be a powerful & effective tool to support or oppose policy or social change.

Tobacco Policy

NYC Sugary Beverage Ban

Newsworthy Of sufficient interest or importance to the public to warrant reporting in the media. Reporters may ask “What’s new?” or “So, what?” to determine newsworthiness.

What makes something newsworthy?

What Makes News?  Timely  Controversy/Conflict  Offers new insight or data  Unusual, unexpected or shocking  Seasonal  Celebrity or prominent figure  Local Impact  Dollar amounts

What Makes News? (con’t)  Contains action  Defines a trend  Creates an extreme  Anniversaries  Service Oriented  Visuals  Personal Angle  Broad interest

Key Earned Media Tools Press Release Letter to the Editor (LTE)

Tips & Best Practices The Media:  Know your media landscape  Understand how the media works  Build relationships  Stay connected: Follow reporters on Twitter, read their articles, etc.

Tips & Best Practices The Message:  Clear  Concise  Compelling

Messages That Need Improvement Spay/Neuter Clinic for Low Income Residents Statistics Show That Teen Pregnancy Drops Off Significantly After Age 25 Red Cross in Search of Donors with Low Blood Supply

Clear, Concise Compelling Messa ges 12 Charts That Show How Tobacco is Destroying the World Will Locking Up Formula Help New Moms? 9 Foods that are Saltier than You Realize

Tips & Best Practices The Approach:  Make It Newsworthy  Demonstrate you are a resource/expert

Tips & Best Practices The Follow-up:  Do More than send, call  Ask questions  Don’t be deterred by rejection

Q & A

Resources Helpful Resources & Links:  News For A Change, An Advocate’s Guide to Working with the Media – Wallack, Woodruff, Dorfman & Diaz   National Health Observances Calendar:

Thank you! Mary Bray Gallagher (518)