Avionics News July 2014 - 66

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MARKETING

REPORT
C RD

Media Relations
S T O R Y

B Y

P A T R I C I A

he school year - at least the marketing school year
- isn't over yet. In fact, it is never finished. Budget
years come and go, but your marketing efforts continue to blend into the next year and never stop.
In a special-interest market like aviation, the trade press is crucial to your company's success.
The trade press introduces new customers to your new products and services, provides unbiased analysis of your company
and keeps market participants excited and active with their airplanes.
Rather than being a passive observer, successful marketers
engage the aviation media, provide them with a steady stream of
real news about the happenings at their company, big and small,
and forge relationships with specific editors and writers.
So how are you doing?
You previously graded yourself on advertising and trade
shows, so now let's see how you fare with media relations.
What grade have you earned?
You're an F student if: Your company policy is, "We don't
cooperate with the media." Give yourself an F-minus if you're
proud of this policy.
You're a D student if: Every year or so, you write a news
release and are disappointed that it rarely gets used. You are sure
the aviation media are prejudiced against you because they cover
the same companies again and again. You believe the big companies get all the coverage. Why don't those editors know what's
happening with your organization? Years ago, you knew some
of the writers who worked at the aviation magazines, but they all
seem to be retired, and it's not the same.
You're a C student if: You issue news releases four or five
times a year. You maintain a media list but don't regularly update
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it. You don't have a particular media relations strategy - after
all, the aviation magazines should know what's happening in the
industry; they should come to you. You post your news on your
company website. But now that you think about it, the last news
release was posted in 2009. Disseminating news and working
with the media is just not a priority.
You're a B student if: You maintain a working media list that
gets updated regularly, and even extends to your local business
(non-aviation) media. You have relationships with at least one
individual at the major aviation magazines and news organizations. You issue regular news releases and post them on your
website. You read both the print and electronic media so you are
familiar with the type of news stories they run. Most importantly,
you understand what "news" is - and it's not an announcement
that your company offers "great customer service."
You're an A student if: You regularly cleanse and edit
your media list while keeping track of new hires and other
personnel changes in the trade press. You read the aviation
media, always looking for opportunities to pitch a story to
an editor. You understand you need to provide a "hook" for a
story about your company to be interesting. Your media list
includes the local business press. You actively call editors
just to say hello or mention something of interest that may
be happening at your airport with nothing to do about your
company. You maintain these relationships through phone
calls and meetings during trade shows. Editors know they
can rely on you as an expert and to provide honest, unbiased
opinions. You have photos ready that a magazine or website
can use. You keep your promises to the media by returning
phone calls, providing information and honoring deadlines.
You never mix your advertising clout with your editorial
desires. You understand that editors and reporters work on a
24/7 news cycle.

Avionics News July 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2014