Kristie Aylett, APR
The KARD Group PR/Marketing
228-826-5650
ka@kardconsulting.com
July 15, 2009
Presented to PRSA Oklahoma City
Copyright 2009, The KARD Group

Tactical or Strategic?
 Tactic
 Releases serve only to support projects, events,
announcements
 Each press release is a new project
 Same reporters get blasted with multiple releases
 No plan
 Strategy
 Outreach is tied to goals, messages
 Contact with specific reporters is tracked
 Comprehensive approach encompasses all contact
with media

Understand the Big Picture
 Mission and vision
 Strategic plan
 CEO’s, Board of Directors’ goals and projects
 Other departments: finance, HR, legal, operations
 Funding challenges
 Pending legislation
 Organizational key messages

Study the Market
 Learn corporate issues faced by your target media
 Know which reporters are writing stories you admire
 Identify who’s getting the coverage you envy
 Discover best practices

Assess Your Work, Results
 Collect your output
 Review past coverage
 Categorize coverage by type: major stories, features,
briefs, column mentions, calendar items, etc.
 Identify the stories that made a difference
 Compare the two
 What were the tools that sparked great coverage?
 Which tools resulted in poor or no coverage?

Study Your Audience
 Who is your target audience?
 Why are they important to you?
 Where are they located?
 How do they consume media?

Study Your Media
 What are their goals?
 What are their challenges?
 How do those open new opportunities for you?
 Ask reporters, editors, producers about their
preferences
 How could you improve?
 What would they like to receive from you?
 How did specific stories come about?

Become a Story-Teller
 Identify compelling stories that reinforce
your key messages
 Assess your pool of spokespeople
 Media training
 Story telling skills

Develop Your Strategy
 Audience
 Story opportunities
 Geographic scope
 Target media

Refine Your Tools
 Releases
 Feature stories
 Advisories
 Calendar items
 Story synopses
 Pitch messages
 Media lists
 Graphics: photos, videos, charts
 Thank-you notes, compliments
 Calendar of known media touchpoints

Measure Results
 Output
 Archive releases in a single binder, file
 Assess timeliness, quality of writing, results
 Outcomes
 Document your coverage
 Analyze content
 Action
 Go beyond counting clips
 Calls, attendance, share of voice, support/opposition
 Conduct attitudinal research