How to awe the media to cover your event

The first think that one could think of is why would media attend my event? And the answer is very simple: the objective is to invite the media to gain visibility, coverage, brand awareness and lead generation.

To gather the media it is essential to create a press release to inform them about the event. A brief that must contain essentials such as place, time, and date plus some approach to the event theme, participants and the content thereof.

Once we have our media release a crucial process starts, that is, its dissemination. That this release is sent to the media does not mean that they will immediately publish it or that they will attend the event. It is here where creativity and boldness can make possible that media and influencers attend it, and this is one of the essential objectives of any celebration.

In order to grab the media attention we will use PR actions. Public Relations create a good vibe between brands and media, and boost a natural alliance between both parties. Among the many possibilities among actions, the most effective is to send a press kit, normally an emailing including the invitation, a photo gallery, and corporate videos that provide journalists relevant information and content. This however is not enough in many occasions, since the media are used to receive hundreds of these samples.

Thus, we must look for a differential value and make our media call make a difference.

A good strategy is to send a merchandising or customized item together with the invitation to the event, in order to provide the receiver engagement and interaction, together with some information about what can they expect there.

These could be some inspirational examples:

• When organizing a press a call for the motor industry, a miniature car steering can be send to the media professionals, with a logotype linked to an augmented reality marker. Thus, when they check the marker, it displays the interior of the car, allowing a 360º perspective of the new model. A technological incentive to attend the event.

• To celebrate the anniversary of a beauty brand on Halloween you can send a cake made with selected makeup products. Along with the cake, an invitation to a costume party can include some tips to use the products when attending the event.

• An invitation to the inauguration of a new pizza restaurant can be sent together with a fresh pizza delivery to the media offices.

All these actions arise from creativity and imagination and are the perfect push to boost an event and maximize its impact.