What Is a Satellite Media Tour?

A satellite media tour is the best way to get your experts and spokespeople interviewed on multiple TV stations across the country in a very short period of time. The tour can target specific geographic regions, or a large national audience. During the five hours your spokesperson conducts 25 or more interviews with stations across the country, reaching millions of people. The tour can take place from a broadcast studio, or on location to add visual interest and convenience.

 

The way it works is you develop a storyline and angle that is pitched to media knowing that the executive spokesperson will be available at a specific time period. You’ll know going into the SMT what is on the schedule. There is a control that’s very different than say a press conference where you have limited knowledge about what the coverage will be. It usually takes about two to three weeks to get the stations lined up. After the tour some TV stations even repurpose the interviews on their websites, creating even more exposure for a campaign.

Download Our ‘TV Interview Trends 2022’ Report

The desire to feature your own spokespeople in TV interviews is the single biggest factor driving satellite media tour growth

–  Doug Simon, CEO & Founder, D S Simon Media

 

Key findings:

  • 97% of communicators surveyed planned to maintain their use of SMTs at a high level or increase it in 2022
  • 68% of brand communicators preferred to use Zoom when conducting satellite media tours
  • While 70% of communicators prefer to feature one spokesperson during satellite media tours, of those preferring two spokespeople, more than 90% included featuring at least one company or brand spokesperson