Media targeting is a key component in the success of your media communications strategy. Whilst the media organisations and specific editors and journalists you are likely to want to target will be driven by the type of product or service you are selling, there are still some issues to consider with segmentation.
If you are a lifestyle-oriented boutique hotel, for example, you may find that it is much more difficult to cut through the noise in such a crowded, very competitive and extremely localised space; perhaps there is a fascinating or innovative element of your marketing plan that would be of more interest to business media list, and you could therefore be better placed to attempt to leverage that approach instead.
CSR activations may give you some specific reach via certain demographics (diabetes support for young children, for example, could potentially make you a local hero among certain user groups – if it’s not done cynically…)
Develop Your PR Strategy Targeting The Right Media
Businesses should be aware that when targeting big and market leading media organisations, including the longstanding and indominable stalwarts which still remain exceptionally well followed such as Bangkok Post or Krungthep Thurakij (Thurakit), there is often a cost component (depending on the type of story you are offering). There is also the issue that a given release or campaign media communications may end up in the Press Release section of a news website – great for SEO, less likely to be read. You’ll also potentially be surrounded in the “PR News” sections with desperate entrepreneurs, life coaches and brands seeking mass market engagement but with messages that are not appropriate to mainstream or desirable media consumer markets.
Thailand Media Communications – Tier-A media cut-through in Thai media market
It’s often worth being patient and persistent – and perhaps even a bit more accommodating sentimentally – when it comes to exploring opportunities with less well-known publications. These can give you the support and message cut-through that will be of great benefit (bloggers too); so, don’t worry too much about going super A-list only with every single type of comms programme you wish to put out.
How to target the right media list? For many media communications project types, it may well be in your best interest to focus your efforts very tightly on securing placement with your “most wanted”. Events which include their physical attendance, or an exclusive media interview opportunity, are strong and proven ways to connect successfully and secure media endorsement. Usually, your chosen PR agency (serving as your media engagement lead) will use its connections and friendly ongoing relationships with any given media communications platforms to give you your voice and your message its wings.
For the above described (“highly targeted”) strategy with just a handful of optimal (and carefully researched) targets, the effects can be achieved very quickly indeed. Often, where we segment across a range of tiers and media consumer stakeholder types, the resulting program can be more slow-burn, but more sustained, with different tails of media reach across the different and associated media tiers in Thailand. Also noteworthy is that where print space is less expensive and less aggressively competed over, such as in more nondescript trade journals through to up-and-coming Facebook groups, for example, you may be encouraged to present more long-form, insightful and more expert thought leader opinionated pieces, for example, which are less in vogue right now with the tier-A, as they fight to manage costs.
Media target in the PR plan – Media List in the Strategy
The appropriate time to decide on which media list you are likely to approach is when putting together your initial PR strategy. This will often be in the form of a PowerPoint (or other accepted presentation format), and will consist of: Overall brand and campaign messaging, outline calendar of events and activations, explanation of integrated tactical components, types and means for media relations and finally the actual organisations you want to reach – and lastly, of course the budget.
A fully integrated PR plan will also detail any digital and social media activities you are looking to apply, the use of any influencers to support media events and virtual events, etc. A highly targeted media communications plan on its own conversely will focus on that one specific aim, as well as explain the tactical documents required to make it happen – your press release, for example, and your short calendar news release sequencing, pre-leading to you post event.
Media Attendance by Genre and by Social Group
It’s important to consider that when we approach a specific journalist or publication, we are not doing do in an isolated silo. It is likely that our event or launch will be for a product or service innovation which is likely to be of high interest to a specific sector. Consider a high-end new restaurant launch in town. Your exclusive program may target just two tier-A media list; but every other magazine, TV, blogger and KOL in that field will likely want an invite too. This is obviously great for your brand, so we seek to activate this ‘groundswell’ whenever possible. You will see the same waves of anticipation and desire for engagement happen in automotive too, in travel, in celebrity/entertainment interviews, and in anything to do with TV, hot drama, ‘talk of the town’ type events like high-profile time-limited art, opera and musical performances etc., and so on.
We always seek to create and leverage this groundswell approach where possible. It’s obviously worth noting, though, that for an industrial company launching a new type of fastener or seal may not captivate the same broad demographic of excited consumer reach. It’s therefore essential that time and care is put into your media demographic targeting and you go through channels which can help cultivate ongoing support and essential route to market. Beyonce or Rihanna will create more desire to attend an event in town than your fastener launch, but specific trade journals are often delighted to be contacted by you for the exact same reason – there is no noise, so cut-through is no challenge, and collaboration is therefore ongoing and extremely helpful to both parties. Those big entertainment stars are probably not inviting industrial SME trade journal editors backstage at their shows, but you can be a rock star within your own niche.
This is why – for many a mid-market, mid-presence brand – a diverse and flexible approach to media segmentation and engagement is often best. You can cover all your bases, ensure there is significant buzz from the top of the market through to the highly engaged mid-point and beyond … and you may even capture some exciting tier-A reach well beyond your expectations.
