Delivering Effective Media Relations

Media Relations is not a black art. To achieve the best possible results Platform believes that the crucial rules to follow are:

• Whatever the communications programme, spend time up-front getting the messaging correct.
• Deliver useable information that supports a company’s messages to the right journalist, at the right time, in the right format.
• Understand how key journalists think and what they need.
• Respond instantly to all journalist requests.
• Think outside the box for unusual opportunities that can deliver really awesome coverage and invest time in these opportunities.
• Do the basics brilliantly. Account admin, journalist databases and editorial calendar lists are just as important as the quality of the thinking behind a communications programme.

All account handling staff at Platform follow the above guidelines as an absolute minimum for media relations. Joint meetings with Platform people outside the account team make sure that ideas and best practices are shared throughout the company – an important mechanic in ensuring that we can “think outside the box”.