A nationwide survey by D S Simon Media found that social media and national news were far less trusted than local TV news. “Brands are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on advertising, marketing, and public relations each year. Given the high value placed on establishing trust, these findings are important to consider,” says Doug Simon, CEO at D S Simon Media.
Who are TV producers interested in interviewing? When they do interviews with people off site, how are they looking to acquire the footage? And, what are the implications of these findings for PR professionals?
62 TV producers participated in our latest survey, here is what we found:
92 % of producers are open to interviewing brand spokespeople for a segment on their television shows
By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, producers prefer to interview a brand spokesperson than a third party expert
82 % of producers said they’re conducting interviews via Zoom
56 % of producers said they’re conducting interviews via satellite
34 % of producers said they’re conducting interviews via Skype
As communication/PR professionals, you need to:
Get your spokespeople out there through tv and radio interviews
Schedule a tech test to make sure audio, picture and lighting look/sound good
Work with a production operation to capture the footage in the format that stations need
Establish a way for your PR team to provide feedback throughout the production process
Need some help getting ready for an interview? D S Simon Media is providing free tech checks to help make sure spokespeople deliver the best audio and video quality for their next TV interview. Contact Doug Simon, dougs@dssimonmedia.com to schedule.
Need some help getting ready for an interview? D S Simon Media is providing free tech checks to help make sure spokespeople deliver the best audio and video quality for their next TV interview. Contact Doug Simon, dougs@dssimonmedia.com to schedule.
The number of earned television bookings for satellite media tours are increasing by about 60 percent and the question most often being asked is: what types of subjects are working well for satellite media tours?
Reopening to the new abnormal
Safety and Health
Travel
Retail
Recreation in the summer
Technology for the school and home office
Interestingly, stations are still preferring to hear it straight from a spokesperson that works directly with the brand. All of these factors are leading to a significant increase in bookings and activity.
Need some help getting ready for an interview? D S Simon Media is providing free tech checks to help make sure spokespeople deliver the best audio and video quality for their next TV interview. Contact Doug Simon, dougs@dssimonmedia.com to schedule.
A recent report by TVB shows that local TV news viewership is up 162% among 18-34 year olds. What are PR professionals saying about the shifting local TV landscape?
61% were surprised that a high percentage of journalists is interested in interviewing brand executives.
More than 80% said that COVID-19 made it more important to get organization leaders and CEOs featured on television, with 52% increasing their efforts in trying to realize this goal.
Only 37% felt that they were technically prepared to make sure their leaders looked and sounded their best.
It is more important than ever for PR professionals to recognize the importance of leveraging local TV news and presenting organization leaders in the best way.
Need some help getting ready for an interview? D S Simon Media is providing free tech checks to help make sure spokespeople deliver the best audio and video quality for their next TV interview. Contact Doug Simon, dougs@dssimonmedia.com to schedule.
So, you’ve landed your client or senior leader an interview opportunity on a major outlet. You want to make sure they’ll look and sound their best in this era of Skype, Zoom and Cisco Webex interviews. While audiences have quickly gotten used to cable news interviews from home environments, the better the picture and sound quality, the more effective your message. In this issue of COVID-19 Media Guide for PR Pros, we provide you with tips on:
Video Set Up
Position the camera at eye level or slightly above to give you the most complimentary appearance. We’ve found Zoom provides the best video quality and is easiest to use.
Make sure the device and program you use can send the signal in landscape 16 x 9 mode. Note: Using Zoom on an iPhone will not send in full 16 x 9 so that is not ideal.
Frame the shot just slightly above your head to your belly button or slightly above. This allows the station to crop out your name and other information that appears on the bottom of your screen that shouldn’t be broadcast.
Lighting and Your Appearance
The best option is to be in a room that is evenly lit.
If you add light, it should be in front of you and above you. If it’s too bright push it further from you.
Avoid a window in the background as it causes a light imbalance during the day and reflections at night.
Avoid shooting against a flat wall. Shooting in corners gives the shot more depth.
Wear solid colors. Their transmission takes up less bandwidth than busy patterns.
If you don’t use make up, wash your face with a non-abrasive soap beforehand and pat it dry. Dab your face with a tissue beforehand to absorb oils.
Audio
It’s best to use in ear headsets to limit audio feedback from a speaker and deliver the best audio quality as the microphone is near you.
Wireless ear buds eliminate the visual of wires in front of you.
If you don’t have wireless ear buds, a headphone extension cord will allow you to run the wires behind you for a better visual. Consider using masking tape to tape the wires to your clothing behind you so it won’t fall out during the interview.
Identify a quiet place in your home to broadcast from. Notify others in your home to keep sounds down and not interrupt you.
Make Sure You Do This
Look at the camera! It seems easy but we frequently look at the other images on screen instead of the camera. Use a Post-it note or tape to point to, and focus your attention directly on, the camera.
Test everything in advance. Do a practice interview using the spokesperson’s set-up to make sure you check all best practices.
Turn off notifications on whatever device you are using so it doesn’t interrupt the conversation
Have your PR team connect with the spokesperson to provide tips up until the interview starts, if needed
Need some help getting ready for an interview? D S Simon Media is providing free tech checks to help make sure spokespeople deliver the best audio and video quality for their next TV interview. Contact Doug Simon, dougs@dssimonmedia.com to schedule.
How are brands getting their stories on television? Does the media interest voiced in surveys match their actual interest when it comes to scheduling interviews with actual spokespeople? How is technology helping to put brand stories on television?
We address those questions in this issue of COVID-19 Media Guide for PR Pros. We put the “media interest” question to the test in one day of pitching a lifestyle story on creating relaxing spaces in your home to help you relax. The result? 23 earned media interviews were booked in one day of pitching. This “new normal” far outstrips what expected results would have been before the crisis.
The demand is there, but how are media tours handled with limits on travel and shelter in place requirements?
Here’s how they work: From anywhere in the world, and from the comfort and safety of their own homes, spokespeople are able to connect with our control room via Skype, Zoom or WebEx and are then connected via satellite to TV stations around the country. Clients are able to tune in via a web stream to provide feedback and engage in the process.
Finally, when brands don’t have a spokesperson available or the budget to own their own story, we are seeing an increased interest in partnering with lifestyle, technology, and wellness experts who share how products and services are helping to make lives easier during this difficult time.
In the third edition of COVID-19 Media Guide for PR Pros we share the first results of our radio survey. 25 radio stations responded.
According to Nielsen, radio audiences are increasing substantially as more people work from home.
92% of the stations were interested in a coronavirus related story.
88% of the stations were interested in interviewing a brand expert in a general story unrelated to the virus.
Radio is the fastest and lowest cost way to reach millions of people. It’s convenient as the spokesperson and communications team never have to leave home. It’s also crucial to include radio because employees listen to radio and you can easily target specific markets while you are creating your crisis communications plan.
In this edition of COVID-19 Media Guide for PR Pros we share the first results of our TV station local news survey. 52 stations responded.
87% of stations said they would take a story related to the virus from brands or non-profits.
77% would take a health story not related to the virus.
75% would be open to a story on a general topic.
Station demand is there for interviews with brand spokespeople and they want the interviews via satellite. Technology is helping brands adapt as spokespeople can Skype in to our control room and be connected with stations across the country limiting unnecessary human contact.
Given the enormous economic uncertainty and the need for brands and non-profits to continue to communicate with the public, we’ve started this guide as a way for you to keep track of what the broadcast media is open to covering.
There are two-parts to this equation. First, what are local news outlets open to covering. We’ll be surveying them on a weekly basis and reporting the results back to you. The second aspect needs to be judged on a case by case basis. Simply, is the message you are trying to convey appropriate during this pandemic and will it benefit your organization and the public in general. Clearly, hard sell messages don’t make a lot of sense right now and you need to be educational in tone or communicating how you are making things easier for customers and importantly, your own employees.
We welcome your feedback as well as what you are hearing during your media communication.