BETTER BUSINESS
Enhance your Public Relations strategy Exhibition Press Packs by Phil Turtle, Managing Director, DataCenterIndustryPR
Probably the most important elements of at-exhibition or conference PR is the old-fashioned press pack. And because it’s an old fashioned idea, many PRs and marketing managers either fail to produce one, or produce one that is simply not up to the job. Why are press packs important?
Because many journalists use them, in the press room, to decide which companies to visit at the show – based on ‘interesting’ (to their readers) announcements in the press pack. To be able to do this, the journalist
Phil Turtle explains how to maximise your at-show public relations success....
needs printed press releases on paper. No matter how clever your CD or memory stick, he/she cannot simply ‘flick’ through it over a coffee.
So here are the basic press pack rules: 1. Either use a corporate-branded easy to open folder or, probably better, a clear plastic one through which your lead news story as well as your branding can be seen.
2. Put in three or four (no more) announcement press releases for your new products and services.
3. If one of your people is giving a conference paper – put in a short summary of the key things s/he said. 4. Also write a `round-up’ press release that tells the journalists what they saw when he visited your stand. That way they can write-up what they ‘saw’ even if they didn’t have time to physically visit your booth.
5. Print your press releases in colour with the accompanying photo between the headline and the body copy. Many editors choose between stories of equal news value based on the quality of the photo.
6. Don’t forget to put contact details for more information on each press release in the pack as the journalist will only keep those that are of real interest.
7. You can, if you wish put in a short backgrounder for the journalist. Glossy brochures should be avoided – they’re not editorial and they’re too heavy to lug around a show.
8. Most important – do put in a branded CD or memory stick with all the press releases and images on - since this is often the only part of your useful, but heavy, press pack they’re likely to keep.
9. If you have feature articles and case studies to offer, you might put in a sheet at the back listing these too.
Don’t assume Don’t assume that all your target journalists will attend the show. They won’t. So on the final day of the show send
out your round-up press release and any others that are new to your whole list. This also ensures that any you did see at the show have your info in their in-box when they get back to the office.
Online press office Some shows run an on-line press office as well as the physical one. These tend to go online a couple of months before the show. Make sure all your relevant press
Good PR: Feeding the exhibition press corps 38 NETCOMMS europe Volume IV Issue 1 2013
releases and photos are uploaded onto that during the run-up to the show as well as the actual show ones. If necessary, you should embargo the
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critical ones until the first day of the show. But use embargoes with care, you run the risk of getting forgotten
Coax a journalist Over the years, the author has had great success with this ruse to get journalists to visit a particular stand – although it is important you’ve got a decent story to give them or you’re wasting their time. Have some high-quality/value
giveaways secreted away on your stand just for the journalists. On the front of your press-pack
mount a day-glow star saying “Free XYZ waiting for you at stand 1234 when you show us this press-pack”.
On your stand Have a few press packs under the counter in case a journalist comes onto the stand who hasn’t picked one up in the press office. This way you can draw their attention to you main news while you show them the relevant demonstration or show them the new product. Also, why not have a sheet to hand
with half a dozen synopses for feature articles you could write? Don’t forget to make notes of your
conversations with each journalist and follow up by email that same evening with a ‘thank you for visiting our stand’ - plus a confirmation of any arrangements you made to provide any follow-up information. I know this is not as much fun as
heading straight to the bar with your colleagues, but 20 minutes doing your follow-ups at the end of the day will help to ensure that nothing gets missed – and it indicates to the journalist you take their requirements seriously. And if you have a PR agency, do
please copy them in too. Have a great and successful show
season.
phil.turtle@turtleconsulting.com
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