SEM – 4.03A - Promotion

• PE - Utilize publicity to inform stakeholders of business activities• PI - Write a press release

PRESS RELEASE• Factual announcements sent to the media to be

used as news items on a regular basis• Who sends press releases?– Businesses, Organizations, Individuals, and Government

• Locally, Nationally and Internationally

• Who creates press releases?

– Public Relations Department

– Marketing

PURPOSES of PRESS RELEASES• Introduce new products

• Keep the business in the public eye

• Position the business’s image

• Support good employee relations

• Create good community relations

• Types of press releases in SEM

– Game advance – previews an upcoming game/rival

– Hometown release – highlight of player sent to their local media

outlets

– News release – information about the team (scores, schedule, statistics

and ticket prices

Information in Press ReleasesHARD COPY SOFT COPY

•Information that should be announced immediately •Public will want to know about it right away•Stories that deal with formal serious information

•Information that does not need to be announced immediately •Public will not care if they hear about it now or later•Stories that are informal or lighthearted

Procedures for writing a press release

1. Prepare– List the most important facts– Identify which media to use– Know the medias print deadline

2. Put important information first– Inverted Pyramid Approach– “Who, What, When, Where, Why, How”

3. Stick to the facts– Avoid using opinions or emotions– Use statistics, factual data and team/player goals

4. Write clearly and easy to understand– No complex words

5. Write in active voice (Verbs)

6. Edit Grammar and Spelling– If sent with errors, contact the media to give the

correct information immediately 7. Attach a “captioned photograph”– Photograph with text about the picture

Procedures for writing a press release

Sending press release to the media• Obtain and acknowledge media deadlines– Sending press releases close to deadline is better

• Catch the editor’s attention with a hook– The editor decides whether to publish or broadcast the

press release as time and space is limited– Getting published is not due to buying advertising space– Include a captioned photograph – hook?

• Picture that is accompanied by written text called a caption

• Send the release to a specific person• Send a cover letter with the release• Send a thank you note after the release is used

Create professional press releases

• Typed• Arrange information appropriately– Company name/contact Information– When the release should be used – If a photograph is enclosed– A headline for the release– The place and date of the news– The body of the release– End of the release (“-END-”)

SEM1 – 4.03 Activity Write a Press Release for one of the following using the format

in the 4.03 PPT

– Ardrey Kell High School _________Team going to States

– _______________Band is having a concert in Charlotte

– _________________ NFL Team is going to the Superbowl

– _________________ NBA Team is being purchased by _______

– _________________ (professional athlete) is injured for the rest of the season

– _______________________(corporate sponsor) is dropping sponsorship with __________________ (NASCAR Driver)

– _______________professional athlete is found guilty of possession of illegal drugs

SEM – 4.03A - Promotion

• PE - Utilize publicity to inform stakeholders of business activities• Develop and generate a SEM

newsletter

Newsletters

• Bulletin issued periodically to inform a group about a business/organization

• Excellent marketing tool– Communicate with the public– Increase business– Market your brand– Send next year’s schedule to current ticket holders

• Types of newsletters– Printed– Online

Effective newsletters• “Catchy content”

–Needs to be interesting to customers/fans

–Written for the target market audience

• Blend content articles with advertisements

–Promote your product throughout newsletter

–Provide relevant information

–Maximize your revenue stream

• Be polite

– “Dear Friends”

–Visually appealing

–Published on a regular basis

Steps to writing a newsletter1. Research

– Look at other newsletters for ideas

2. Develop a plan– WHO will write it, WHO will read it, WHO will distribute it?– WHAT is the content?– WHEN will it be published?– HOW will it be produced (Email or print)?– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M

3. Design a format– Number of columns/pictures/articles per page– Colors and Font Types

4. Select people to write articles to submit5. Create submission deadline6. Edit and proof 7. Distribute

SEM – 4.03A – Promotion

• PE - Utilize publicity to inform stakeholders of business activities• PI - Explain media relations in the

SEM industry• PI - Develop a media guide• PI - Cultivate media relationships• PI - Plan a media day

Media Guides – what & why• Term - Sports-related press booklet published

by sporting teams for the media• Provides information about:– Participants/players – Organizations/teams– Location/venue – Coaches/managers– Ticket prices – Statistics/photos

• Encourages television/newspaper/online coverage of the sport, venue, team or player – they have info!!!

• Goals: – Generate interest so the media will provide coverage– Encourages spectators to buy tickets

Developing a Media Guide• Budget– How much will is cost?

• Advertising– Who will buy advertising space?

• Photographs and Graphics– Logos, photos from past seasons, team pictures, etc.

• Page design– Layout: where will certain information go?

• Printing - distribution– Online or Printed?– How will you get it to the fans or media?

SEM1 4.03 ActivityIn groups of three create one of the following for a

fictitious team of your choice:1. Develop a Newsletter using the steps from your notes.2. Develop a Media guide using the steps from your

notes.• Research other examples of newsletters/media guides

online for ideas. • Your newsletter/media guide may be printed in color and

match the format of a real newsletter/media guide (booklet).

• You may use existing celebrities but you must create a new team/logo/colors/mascot, etc.

Media relations and sports• MEDIA:– Media relations term: cultivating positive relationships

with media personalities that facilitate an organization/team in getting favorable and widespread coverage with regular follow up

– keeps us informed, entertained and enlightened of sporting events

• SPORTS – Provides media with news and events which attracts

public interest and builds brand equity of the team– Encourages media to cover the team – maximize

favorable publicity

Public relations vs. Media relationsPUBLIC RELATIONS MEDIA RELATIONS

•Communicating with all the many people an organization may have a relationship with •Employees•Customers•Fans•Communities’•Media

•Interaction with the MEDIA….• Reporters• Journalists• Editors• Print Media• Electronic Media• Online Media

…to communicate organization’s newsworthy

information

Media relation representatives

• Beat writers

– Writer assigned to cover specific topics

– Sports: typically assigned to cover specific sport or team

– http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-sports-beat-writer.htm

• Columnists

– Writer for a specific publication – offers opinions

– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnist

• TV game broadcasters– news crew

• Radio game broadcasters

• Wire service reporters - nationally

• Photographers

MEDIA RELATIONSPOSITIVE EFFECTS NEGATIVE EFFECTS

MoneyMedia companies pay for the rights to show a sporting eventSports shown on the TV generate sponsorships

Role modelsEndorsements from famous athletes

InspirationEncourage people to action

Coaching aids Watching games on TV can provide guidance other participantsIncreased number of media outlets

BiasOnly really popular sports get much attention

Lack of attendance Games shown on TV-ticket sales often drop – Is this true?

Attention Attention paid to pro athlete private lives more than sport

Demands Media coverage impacts games (timing, commercials, etc.)Increased options for media

Media relations and crisis

• Athletes have become celebrities because of

increased media coverage

– Their personal lives are covered by the media

– Sometimes, due to the money celebrities are paid they

are often criticized by fans and media

– Athletes/teams can use strong media relations to

correct this image by showcasing something positive

they might be doing for charities, etc.

Positive media relationships

• Why develop positive relationships with the media?

– Generates publicity

• More publicity = More sales = More Money!

– Maximize favorable news and event coverage

• Media will want to work with their favorite teams

– But you must be honest and professional

• Public relation professionals must present themselves in this

manner to gain a positive relationship

Types of media relationships• Interactive– Both media and sport entity have ongoing two-way

communication– Build trust and goodwill – Builds a mutually beneficial relationship

• Both parties must get something out it – a “win-win” situation

• Proactive– Consider positive messages the company wants to send – Planning ahead of the event and utilize risk management

• Reactive– Consider potentially negative news and establish how the

company will respond

Plan a media day

• Plan a media day• Invite the media to your venue prior to the event– This will encourage the media to publicize the

preparations of the event – creates excitement• Pitch stories, ideas, hold a news conference• Provide space, equipment, WIFI, feed and

entertain the media• Build trust by being honest and professional

SEM1 4.03 Activity• Individually, you will research and write an essay

about “Creating positive media relationships”• ESSAY CRITERIA:– 5-7 paragraphs – minimum 5 sentences per paragraph– Typed – 14 point font – double spaced– Address why it is important to have positive relationships

with the media if you are a sports organization– List and discuss in detail the three types of media

relationships– Argue which type of relationship you think is the best to

have with the media and why