A GUIDE TO PUBLIC RELATIONS

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What is public relations?

Public relations is a group of activities aimed at influencing people's attitudes about your community or attraction with the ultimate goal of getting them to vacation there.

Public relations is one "tool" in the marketing toolbox that you can use to promote yourself as a vacation destination. Advertising is another marketing tool, perhaps the best known one. A key difference between the two is that advertising is paying the media to run your message and public relations is providing your unpaid message to the media without control over it and how they run it. You must rely on the creativity and value of the information you are presenting to get the media to carry your message to the public. Successful public relations creates an extremely credible third-party endorsement.

In this section of the workbook, we'll review tips and techniques for successful public relations, including how to write a good news release, how to "pitch" information about your community or attraction to the media, and how to develop and maintain relationships with reporters. We'll also cover how to develop a public relations plan and how to use public relations in the management of a crisis or specific issue. .

How do I develop a PR plan?

You know your goal is to get more people to visit your destination. The question is how public relations can help accomplish this goal. The first step is to develop a written public relations plan - a blueprint for the year. Particularly if you have a limited budget, a written plan can help ensure that you will spend the money on your priorities, where those dollars will have the greatest effect.

Structure your plan so that it becomes a working document, with objectives that you can refer to in order to make sure you stay on track, and with goals against which you can chart your progress. Once written, it's a document that you can amend and build on from year to year.

Before you start writing the plan, think about who your target audiences are, what message you want to get across to them, where your target audiences are located (geography) and when you want to reach them. A basic public relations plan might have the following elements:

• Situation Analysis - Recap travel trends affecting your business. Then chart your own strengths and weaknesses and those of your competitors in the marketplace. Finally, assess where you've been and determine where you'd like to be.
• Target Audience - Describe your target customers, using both demographics (geography, age, income and education levels, family composition) and psychographics (what they like to do in their free time, travel turnoffs and turnons), as well as their life stage - single young adults, heads of families, older empty nesters, women, etc.
• Key Messages - Develop a short list of core messages that will be part of every communication you forward to your target customers. (Examples might include "We offer affordable, family fun" or "This is a great place for a romantic getaway.")
• Public Relations Objectives - Develop a list of objectives that public relations can accomplish, things such as enhance image, build awareness, create positive word-of-mouth, reach a broader customer base, differentiate from the competition, increase customer satisfaction. All these objectives should relate to your overall marketing goal, which, of course, is to increase revenue.
• Strategic Approach - Summarize how you intend to reach your public relations objectives. In many cases, publicity will be the cornerstone, along with special events and promotions. Your budget will determine the scope of your strategies.
• Public Relations Tactics - Now you can finally think about specific tactics. As we suggested, these include publicity campaigns and promotions. Here's a brief rundown of these tactics. Publicity will be covered in-depth following this section.

Publicity Campaigns

Print and broadcast stories about your destination are a great avenue for getting your message to potential travelers. Elements of a successful publicity campaign include:

• Developing a list of publications and radio and television shows that you would like to carry a story on your business;
• For each media outlet on the list, finding the name of the person to contact about doing a story;
• Researching deadlines and upcoming themes or subjects that the publication or program plans to cover (this is often referred to as an editorial calendar);
• Developing a list of story ideas about your destination that would interest a media outlet; and
• Creating background materials that will support your publicity efforts, such as a fact sheet about your destination (depending on the type of destination, this might include how old it is, how large, etc.), a short history and color slides or photos.

Promotions

Develop a list of potential promotions, such as contests, special events or tours, then look at which will help you achieve your PR objectives and reach the greatest number of consumers. For example, a contest that only reaches people in your community is unlikely to significantly broaden your customer base. A major promotion with major prizes or rewards will gain greater attention from media and consumers than a series of smaller promotions. You may want to investigate the possibility of cooperative efforts with non-competing businesses as a way to increase the scope of your promotion. Once you decide on a promotion, prepare a detailed checklist noting due dates and who is responsible.

Accountability - With every tactic, make certain there is a way to track effectiveness. That might involve subjective assessments, such as monitoring the quality of stories about your destination, or more objective measurements, such as calculating the number of calls to your toll-free number following distribution of a news release and resulting media coverage - did the calls increase? - or participation levels in a contest. You can also gauge effectiveness by measuring a story's size in a publication and comparing it to the cost of buying that much space (or air time), or by calculating the number of people who read and/or saw a particular story (based on the circulation figures or a program's viewership), divided by the cost of the public relations effort for a cost-per-impression. Tracking results gives you the information you need to decide whether to repeat or revise a particular public relations activity.

How do I get publicity on my business?

Efforts to get publicity are sometimes called media relations campaigns because they rely on the media to reach target audiences (potential travelers) with your message. Therefore, the first people you have to sell yourself to are the media - reporters and editors. With a media relations campaign, you don't control the final message the way you do with a paid advertisement. However, when a media outlet runs a story on your business or community, you get the benefit of an apparently objective third-party endorsement - the public tends to give greater weight to the information than they do to an ad. The step-by-step tips in this guide will help you maximize your success with publicity campaigns.

Developing a Media List

Step #1 - Determine your primary geographic market. This could be a particular city or geographic region, such as Chicago, the Twin Cites or the Upper Midwest.

Step #2 - Put together a list of newspapers (daily and weekly), television and radio stations, and magazines that reach those markets and cover travel. (We recommend including all Wisconsin daily newspapers as a good starting point.) Your local library or chamber of commerce may be able to help you compile such a list. There are publications available for purchase that include listings of media contacts at newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations. Bacon's Information offers a line of books with media contacts (312/922-2400) as does Burrelle's (1-800-631-1160). The Editor & Publisher Yearbook lists all daily and weekly newspapers in the United States by community, along with their circulation figures and editorial staff.

Step #3 - Verify by phone your list of contact names, addresses and phone and fax numbers. For daily newspapers, call for the name of the travel editor or reporter. For weeklies and magazines, obtain the name of the editor and address all correspondence to that person. At television stations, direct your press releases to the assignment editor, and at radio stations, send press materials to the news director.

Step #4 - Become familiar with the publications, programs and media on your list. Read the publications, watch the television programs, listen to the radio shows, and get to know the content and style.

Step #5 - Update your list at least quarterly or any time that you make media calls and find out that someone new is covering your industry. Job changes are common in journalism.

Step #6 - Develop a list of all specialty markets, including locations outside your primary market, as well as niche markets, such as a particular demographic group: families with young children, older couples, singles, etc. Also consider special audiences, such as travel agents and motorcoach operators.

Step #7 - Research publications that reach those markets. For example, consider Child or Family Life magazines for family travel, Modern Maturity magazine to address the senior group, Outside or Backpacker magazines for outdoor sports, trade publications or newsletters for special audiences.

Step #8 - After you have determined all of your specialty and niche markets, follow the same steps as above for developing your list of media contacts.

Story Angles: Once you've assembled your media list, you need to develop story ideas, also called story angles, that would interest the targeted media. There's a lot of competition for reporters/editors' attention and the simple fact that you exist as a great vacation destination is usually not enough to a) get their attention and b) inspire them to do a story. Even when you are promoting a specific event, there are ways to increase your chances of broader media coverage.

A Local Twist on National Events

Tying into holidays and national observances is a great way to promote local attractions. Chase's Annual Events is a helpful resource; this book is a day-by-day directory to more than 10,000 festivals, historic anniversaries, special food celebrations and other notable occasions.

Following are several Chase's entries that would be naturals for travel-related tie-ins: February is National Cherry Month, an ideal opportunity for cherry-producing communities to hold a fun event - maybe a pie-eating contest.

Areas strong in craft offerings might hold special demonstrations, festivals or exhibits during National Craft Month in March. National Bike Month in May is an ideal time to promote bicycle trails or hold a special bicycling event. Approach media with a roundup of resorts, special packages, events and attractions geared toward families to link to National Family Week in May.

A release or fact sheet about your area's hiking and bicycling trails would be a newsworthy tie-in to National Trails Day in June.

Check your local library's reference section for Chase's Annual Events for additional dates relating to your community's activities. You'll find plenty of ways to invite travelers to relax and goof off.

Editorial Calendars

It's easier to be included in a magazine story that's already planned than to pitch a completely new idea. To learn about a magazine's editorial plans, write or call for a copy of the publication's editorial calendar, which outlines major stories and features for an entire year. Knowing a magazine's editorial plans in advance allows you to provide pertinent information about your event, attraction or destination before the story is written, giving your information a better chance of being included in the final article. Make your requests for editorial calendars in writing to the magazine's travel editor. Editorial calendars are typically updated during the fourth quarter of the year.

Pick a Number

Editors love numbers because they catch readers' attention: The 10 Best...15 Ways to...The Top 20...52 Weekends..., the "list" goes on. A "Top 10" list is a great way to illustrate an area's diversity and provide an editor with a variety of information and multiple story angles.

Travel Trends

Tying into a national travel trend with a local twist is a great way to get the media's attention. Eco-tourism, adventure vacations, the popularity of two- to three-day getaways vs. longer vacations all offer opportunities to talk about Wisconsin destinations that fit in with those trends.

Packaging

Both numbers and trends can be used in "packaging" destinations, attractions, events and accommodations in your area that either appeal to a special audience or highlight the diversity of things to see and do in your area. For example, for families, "15 Family Adventures in Appleton" could tie together a mix of indoor and outdoor activities - museums, tours, parks, nature centers, sporting events and recreation opportunities such as swimming and skating - and restaurants and accommodations with family appeal.

The "Seven Natural Wonders in Door County" could include the spectacular sights and scenery in the area with 250-plus miles of coastline, the state's highest sand dunes, spectacular rocky shorelines, outstanding parks, beautiful apple and cherry blossoms, and the Ridges Sanctuary, one of America's largest wildflower preserves.

Roundups

Another packaging opportunity involves offering your travel destination or business as part of a broader feature roundup. If you want your attraction, restaurant or lodging to be positioned as among the best in the country, research other areas or states with similar venues. You see these stories all the time: The Top Ten Children's Museums. The Best Romantic Getaways. The Country's Top Ten Hikes. Premier Charter Fishing. Off-the-Beaten-Path Bed & Breakfasts. When you pitch this type of story, don't hesitate to do legwork for the editor, supplying him or her with additional spots in the state, country or the Midwest with similar offerings - especially if you have something out of the ordinary, such as a mustard museum, crane foundation, huge water park or cowboy museum.

Exclusives

One way to approach the media for coverage of an event, attraction or destination is to offer an exclusive - that is, pitch a story idea to a journalist with the clear understanding that you'll be giving the information to no one else. Reporters like exclusive stories because they know that theirs will be the only media outlet to receive the information. For them, an exclusive increases the newsworthiness of the idea. For you, offering an exclusive helps build a good working relationship with a journalist.

To make the most of that opportunity, when offering an exclusive story idea to a free-lance writer, newspaper reporter or magazine editor, be sure to do your homework. If it's a publication, make sure you're familiar with its editorial format. If it's a free-lance writer, be sure to have read his or her stories and note the journalist's interests.

Here Are Some Additional Tips

• Have a worthwhile story angle to pitch; emphasize what's new or out of the ordinary.
• Never be shy about pitching story ideas to reporters; never be angry when they turn you down.
• Put talking points on paper so you can follow those points when pitching a story idea to the reporter.
• After setting up an interview for a story, provide the reporter with as much background information as possible.

How to put together a media kit

A media kit is a package of information sent to reporters and editors to inform them about an event or potential story. Here are the different elements that it typically includes and tips on how to write effective media kits. Examples of the various releases are included at the back of this guide.

News Release - This is the backbone of the public relations business. An upcoming event or winning an award are examples of announcements that you would use a news release to promote. Reporters receive literally hundreds of news releases each week, so the challenge is to make yours stand out from the clutter. There is one rule you should consider sacrosanct: Make sure your news warrants a news release. If the answer is yes, then follow these guidelines to increase your chances for pick-up:

Always follow the Associated Press style of writing news releases. If you're not familiar with AP format, then The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual is a good investment; it's available at many bookstores.

• Include a contact name and phone number in the upper right-hand corner.
• Start with a headline that's catchy and carries a news angle; it will make reporters want to read on.
• Keep the release focused on a single topic. If it's too general or tries to cover too many topics, it won't get used.
• Write your release assuming the reader has no prior knowledge of the topic. Make it easy to read (no run-on sentences) and informative.
• Since a newspaper will seldom run the entire release "as is," get right to the point in the opening paragraph, using the pyramid style of writing - reporting the most important information first and leaving the least important for last.
• Don't begin your press release with a quote. Since press releases are considered news stories, a quote doesn't provide the necessary information quickly enough.
• Apply the who, what, when, where and why test in the opening paragraph to confirm that you have included all necessary information at the start of the story.
• Include quotes that are conversational and pertinent without repeating information.
• Use everyday language.
• Avoid "fluff" terminology and adjectives; inform with facts.
• Include the name of your attraction or destination in the opening and closing paragraphs.
• Always proofread for grammatical and spelling errors.
• Keep your release to two pages or less. Reporters may not take the time to sift through a release longer than that.

An interesting description, complete with lively details, will do a much better job of convincing an editor to run your event than a simple listing of activities. Following is an example of a colorless description followed by a more effective depiction that is carefully crafted to create a picture in the reader's mind:

23^rd Annual Cranberry Festival in Warrens, Sept. 22-24. Tours of cranberry bogs, cranberry products for sale, antiques, arts and crafts, parade and more.

Or...

23^rd Annual Cranberry Festival in Warrens, Sept. 22-24. Cranberries are the featured attraction at this harvest festival, with tours of the colorful cranberry bogs offered on Saturday. Visitors can view cranberry beds, which are flooded so berry-ladened vines float to the surface for gathering, creating bright red rectangular "seas." Only five states in the United States grow the little red jewels, so expect plenty of cranberry products for sale including pies, jams and fresh cranberries. The celebration also features 700 booths selling antiques and arts and crafts, a farm mart and parade on Sunday.

Refer to the sample news release at the back of this booklet

Feature Story - A feature story is your chance to make the reporter's job easy. By pulling together great information, intriguing quotes and adding a human element, you've done a lot of the legwork a reporter would do in putting together an article. A feature story includes more in-depth information and more human interest elements than a straight news release. It could be a backgrounder on how your particular attraction or destination got its start, a story on the Native American history of your area, and so on. It also can be a newsworthy local subject that ties into a travel trend, noting how your attraction, event or destination fits that trend. Gather statistics to back up the claim. Solicit quotes from credible third-party sources since readers will interpret those quotes as endorsements.

When you sit down to write the story, the rule to remember is: "Tell it, don't say it." You want to conjure up a mental picture for the reader. Rather than simply stating a fact, get the same idea across in a conversational manner with plenty of details. Humanize the point by providing anecdotes that involve real people. As with a news release, keep the story to a reasonable length - less than three pages is a good rule of thumb.

Refer to the sample feature story at the back of this booklet.

Media Advisory - A media advisory often is not included in the actual media kit, but is sent as a follow-up reminder of an upcoming event or press conference. Limit it to one page. In a left-side column list WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, PRESENTERS (available for interviews), SIGNIFICANCE and PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES. In the right-hand column include a one- or two-sentence description corresponding to the left-hand subhead. Like the press release, a contact name and number should appear in the upper right-hand corner. The headline should begin with the words MEDIA ADVISORY, followed by a short phrase describing the event and its purpose. Since a decision on whether to cover a story is the morning of the event, FAX this advisory one or two days before for best results. A tip on effective Faxing: Address the FAX to a specific reporter or editor, not just the news room.

Refer to the sample media advisory at the back of this booklet.

Photography - Photos are a powerful publicity tool. If you have an interesting photo from a past event, think about sending it as part of a media kit or as a stand-alone. It's a good idea to check with a publication to see what picture format they prefer - a color slide or black & white print are the most common. Very few publications want color prints. Also, don't send originals; make duplicates from your negatives. It's a good idea to start your own photo "library" - photos of annual events as well as local attractions, sites and activities - that you store, with the negative, to send out to media as needed. Don't forget about fall and winter. If you take the photos yourself, remember that scenic shots are great, but editors are more likely to use a photo with people in the shot. Try to get close-ups with a few key elements, photos that don't have busy backgrounds.

Another option is to hire a professional photographer. There are several excellent commercial photographers in the state. However, if you are working with a limited budget, you may want to consider hiring a staff photographer at your local newspaper. These professionals have the advantage of knowing what editors want in a photo. Plus, they are typically less expensive than full-time commercial photographers. Local colleges or vocational schools with photography departments, and camera shops also may be a source of photographers for you. A photography student or hobbyist might be willing to photograph your area in exchange for the cost of supplies, the experience and a chance to get a published photo credit. Always attach the photographer's name to the photo before submitting it to the media.

If you do hire a commercial photographer to take pictures for a marketing brochure or ad, offer to include information about the photographer in the piece in exchange for some "out-takes" of the shoot for publicity use.

Photo Captions - Include a photo caption with the pictures. The caption must explain the picture to the reader; the challenge is to make it interesting with only limited space. Begin by making certain the caption "tells" the story through the who, what, when and where in the picture. Check spellings of names and places. Now, remove as many adjectives as possible. A final caution: Never write a caption without first seeing the picture.

Pitch/Cover Letter - A well-written cover letter goes a long way toward increased pick-up of your release or feature story. First, research possible media outlets, get to know their editorial formats, and look for ways they might use the information you're providing. Then, personalize the cover letter. Suggest your story might work well in a certain column. Or give them a timely news hook. Provide a brief summary of materials you've enclosed, focusing on the most important information first. Keep the cover letter short and sweet - no more than one page. Mention that you'll plan to follow up with them in a few days, but give them a direct phone number to contact you should they want additional information or to schedule interviews sooner than that. Save an interesting fact or local angle for your follow-up phone call, rather than just calling to see if they received your materials. When offering an exclusive, particularly for magazines and daily newspapers, if your first media choice isn't interested, move on to the next option.

Working with reporters and free-lance writers

Whether a writer is on staff or free-lance, one of the keys to developing a good working relationship is to read what that person writes, know what they have covered in the past and the types of stories they do most frequently. No reporter appreciates being pitched a story on a subject they recently wrote about.

For on-staff writers, find out when their deadlines are. This will help you get them information when they need it, and keep you from interrupting them when they are on deadline. For morning newspapers, deadlines begin in the late afternoon and continue most of the evening. Weekly publications typically have a day of the week when all the stories are due. For a magazine, it is usually a specific date. The final deadline for monthly magazines is three months in advance of publication, so plan ahead. Magazines are working on fall color features a year in advance of the publication date, taking photos and gathering information that will be published the next fall.

They are writing and laying out fall stories during the late spring. The best time to contact television news reporters is mid to late morning. TV news rooms get very hectic during the afternoon as they prepare for the evening broadcasts.

A great deal of travel writing is done by free-lancers. Often, you can contact the writer directly to pitch your story, then the writer will "sell" it to a publication. Look for writers' names in the publications that you would like to run a story about your travel offering. Would you like coverage in FamilyFun, Outside, Gourmet, Men's Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel? If so, call the publication and request the address and telephone number of the free-lancer. If the publication's editors are unwilling to give you this information, write to the free-lancer in care of the magazine or newspaper. The publication's editors will forward the letter on to the free-lancer.

Whenever you contact a writer with an idea, don't be offended if they aren't interested. Just let them know you'll stay in touch, and keep sending them information. Maintaining contact and developing a friendly relationship can help you get coverage in the future.

Media Audits - If your media list continues to grow, but your mailings aren't producing the press coverage you want, it might be time to re-evaluate your current publicity program by calling contact names on your list. This telephone audit will tell you what you're doing right, where you fall short and whom to take off your mailing list.

The first step in an audit is developing the contact list. This should be a list of the media most important to you - a mix of publications and writers who use your materials and those who don't. The next step is to develop a list of questions - we recommend no more than five. Here are a few possibilities:

• "We've been sending you our seasonal press kits. Have you seen them? Have they been useful to you? In what ways could they be more useful?"
• "Do you prefer story ideas, releases or scripted features?"
• "Do you have any articles in progress or plans for stories about Wisconsin this year? If so, how can we help you with information?"
• "What do you see as important travel trends?"
• "Would you like to continue receiving our press materials?"
• You may run into reporters who, as a matter of policy, don't answer these types of questions from people representing an industry they are supposed to be writing about. However, they won't be offended. The time taken to make these calls can help build relationships with writers and editors. And this personal, direct approach might even generate a story as a bonus.

Deskside Visits - Deskside visits, where you go to certain publications and meet with reporters or editors, are opportunities to personalize communications and tailor information to the specific needs and interests of journalists. Such meetings provide opportunities for a journalist to get to know you and to learn more about your travel offering.

Initiating a Deskside Visit . When calling to make an appointment with a journalist, be up front about saying that you'd like to talk about your event, destination or attraction. If you want to discuss something new about your destination or if you wish to talk about a particular issue that relates to your business, all the better - tell the journalist what you have in mind.

Preparing for the Appointment. Familiarize yourself with the newspaper or magazine, reviewing several issues before the meeting so that you know what kind of travel information is typically covered by the publication. Acquaint yourself with the publication's special sections and columns in order to talk about how and where your information might fit in.

Also spend time thinking about what messages you specifically want to convey - this is the chance to promote anything you choose. Are you promoting a season, initiating a new promotion, adding a component to an event, attracting a new audience or focusing on off-season activities? This is an ideal opportunity to pitch your best story.

On the other hand, the visit might circle around getting acquainted, a time to discuss the most interesting highlights regarding your destination, attraction or event. Make sure to get to the point - a journalist always appreciates a meeting that's informative.

Finally, gather your best materials to take along, including a recent media kit, brochures, background information such as fact sheets, and photography. (However, don't overdo - too much information is overwhelming.)

The Visit. Come to the deskside with a strong knowledge of your industry as well as your specific travel offering. Provide current statistics about your destination or activity and be familiar with information and trends that apply to related national travel when possible. Know how you want to position your destination within the context of state, regional and national travel. This allows you to present yourself as an expert source to possibly be called on in the future.

Although you have thought out what you would like to discuss, you may find the reporter taking a different angle than you had planned. Be sure to answer his or her questions, but if you find the conversation getting off track, feel free to steer the discussion back to your topic.

Additional Talking Points

Discuss the types of travelers you attract and why your destination will appeal to their readers.

Review the materials you've brought, pointing out the information you have available. Also take along some of your best slides.

Talk about how your offering ties into a travel trend (i.e., how your bed & breakfast or historic rendezvous relates to heritage touring).

Ask questions. This is your opportunity to find out what the editor is looking for so that you can better offer information that will generate a story.

Deciding Whom to Visit. If you are receiving minimal coverage within Wisconsin, concentrate first on arranging deskside visits with travel editors at in-state newspapers. Wisconsin dailies that do a fine job covering state travel include the Appleton Post-Crescent, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oshkosh Northwestern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the La Crosse Tribune.

Also consider out-of-state newspapers, especially those in markets where you already draw travelers. The Chicago Tribune, the Rochester Post-Bulletin, Des Moines Register and Minneapolis Star Tribune are a few of the papers that include considerable Wisconsin travel coverage and might be most willing to meet with you. Magazines that are good candidates include Wisconsin Trails, Midwest Living and Rockford Magazine.

Don't shy away from national travel and other consumer magazines, even those with offices in New York such as Travel & Leisure, Travel Holiday, Family Life and Men's Journal. These publications are always looking for new story ideas. A trip to New York might be worth the price of a ticket, even if you get placement in just one national publication.

When you conduct a deskside visit, you plant a seed. Results may not be immediate, but sometime down the road a journalist might give your release greater consideration or pick up the phone to call you for information because he or she has met you. A meeting with an editor or reporter is part of the one-on-one media relations that will bolster your publicity initiatives.

One-on-One Fam Tours - There's probably no better way to develop a relationship with a journalist and make a lasting impression regarding your travel offering than a one-on-one familiarization (fam) tour. In the past, lavish press trips with scores of travel writers played a major role in travel public relations. Today that trend has given way to hosting smaller - in many cases one-on-one - familiarization tours.

These briefer tours are more strategic, involving specific story objectives and often targeting niche markets through special interest media.

A one-on-one fam allows the host to tailor the trip to the specific interests of the reporter or the story he has planned. Because these trips are more specifically designed to help a journalist produce an authentic story, the fam tour becomes a more effective marketing tool.

From the reporter's perspective, a personalized tour builds in the opportunity for an exclusive story rather than the sharing of information and experiences that characterizes a group trip.

This type of fam tour makes sense because it's reflective of the travel market itself. For one thing, consumer lifestyles have changed - people travel for very specific reasons or are looking for very specific experiences. Plus there's increased specialization of the media. Keeping these factors in mind, an area can arrange a fam trip based on topics such as folk art, kayaking or golf. These topics may be of interest to just a handful of publications, yet readers of those pubs are likely to have the high incomes that destinations want to attract.

Finally, an obvious but practical point: It's easier to get complimentary air fare, accommodations and meals for one journalist than for a group, and logistically it's far easier to plan for and spend quality time with a single reporter.

Tie Your Fam Trip to a PR Strategy or Objective. Target your invitations to special writers for special stories. Selection or approval of a fam tour should be based on what type of coverage you want, where you would like the information to be published and what audience you wish to reach. This means developing fams and inviting writers with messages targeted at families, seniors, couples, meeting planners. Niche fam tours can be based on bicycling, historic touring, backpacking, charter sailing and fishing, parks, bed & breakfasts, snowmobiling, skiing and special events. The opportunities are endless, but consider several guidelines when deciding whom to host.

Whom Should You Invite? You may be calling a writer to pitch a story idea and extend a fam invitation. Or you might be responding to a reporter who has asked to visit your area, attraction or accommodation. Either way, find out about the journalist's professional background. Ask for a list of publications in which his or her stories have appeared, including topics and dates. Also request several sample clips. If the writer has asked to visit, does he have an assignment from a specific publication? If not, to whom will the story be pitched? The same criteria apply to broadcast journalists.

There's another consideration in whom to ask. Many newspapers and some magazines accept neither free trips for staffers nor articles written by free-lancers who have taken a complimentary trip. However, these outlets are open to travel pitches. If an editor likes a travel pitch, the paper might send someone to cover it on its own. Even major newspapers, such as The New York Times and Chicago Tribune, have small travel departments and will pool writers from other sections to write travel pieces. These reporters especially look to public relations reps and CVBs for information.

Syndicated writers are probably the best pitches because they usually accept invitations and are a way to get multiple placements, which means a good return on the dollar and time well spent.

When Is the Best Time for Press Trips? From one point of view, the shoulder seasons are ideal times to conduct fam tours. This is especially true if you are trying to build on your off-season and have a program or theme to highlight, such as a romantic winter getaway in an area that's traditionally a summer destination.

During off-seasons, accommodations are more willing to provide rooms because they're not as heavily booked. Plus everyone has ample time to devote to accompanying the writer wherever he or she would like to go.

However, there's another way to look at timing. To show off your area, attraction or lodging to its best advantage, there's something to be gained by conducting a fam tour when there are plenty of special events and activities going on.

What Should You Provide Free of Charge? Most journalists expect accommodations, ground transportation and most meals to be included. CVB personnel are most helpful in arranging for complimentary accommodations, which sometimes are included in the story itself. Providing air fare is a variable that depends on the specific situation.

What Is the Best Length of Time for a Fam? Three to four days is the ideal, but the time varies with the destination and the journalist's story.

Additional Tips

• Work out a full itinerary that includes many stops; don't worry about wearing out the reporter - he or she is there to work.
• Provide the writer with a print copy of the itinerary, which should include the complete schedule of destinations, times, contact names, accommodation information and phone numbers.
• Develop a detailed itinerary, but be flexible. If a journalist sees or learns about something of interest and requests to stop, try to accommodate.
• Even though a reporter may be visiting with a specific topic in mind, be sure to talk about other story possibilities - try to interest them in additional travel options.
• Make the most of the journalist's time by inviting other travel reps in your area to participate. If this is not possible or appropriate, consider inviting others to join you and the travel writer for a meal so they can at least meet, talk and provide materials.

Public relations valuation - How much was that publicity worth?

A concrete way to measure the value of the publicity you receive is to compare your coverage to what it would have cost to place an ad of equal length either in terms of air time or column inches.

First, get copies of all the stories that have appeared. For print publications, you may ask the reporter or editor who did the story to send you that issue of the publication, but even with the best intentions, many journalists don't follow through on that. More reliably, buy the issue yourself. Or if the publication isn't available in your area, contact the circulation department at that newspaper or magazine. You can usually arrange to purchase a single issue (or several copies), which they will mail directly to you.

For broadcast or cable stories, as a matter of policy, stations don't generally send out program tapes free of charge. Stay in touch with the person who did the story to try to find out when it will run so you can tape it yourself. You can also contract with a video monitoring service to monitor coverage in specific markets and tape the story when it does run - though that service is expensive. Or if you contact the station promptly after your story runs, you can often buy a tape of the program.

Once you have copies, determine the amount of air time or length of coverage in terms of column inches. By calling a publication's or station's advertising department, you can find out what the advertising rates are to discover what that amount of coverage would have cost as an ad. Then the standard formula is to multiply that cost by three, because of the added credibility unpaid media coverage has, and because, in general, that size ad or amount of air time could not be purchased at any cost. The result is the final value of your publicity.

Issues management

Unfortunately, bad things sometimes happen to good people or threaten to happen. When a potentially troublesome issue appears on the horizon or lands in your backyard, the best thing is to be prepared to respond to media inquiries.

Preparation can help you minimize the negative effects on your business and even turn around a negative story. Here are some basic DOs and DON'Ts to follow when responding to reporter questions during a crisis or controversy.

DO's

• Gather all the facts.
• Appoint a single spokesperson to handle all reporter calls.
• Respond quickly, dealing only in the facts and providing as much detail as possible to prevent suspicion and rumors. Avoid descriptive adjectives or exaggerations.
• Stick to your core messages.
• For radio and television, train yourself to think about speaking in quotable sound bites - the broadcast equivalent of a direct quote in a newspaper or magazine. Include the most important information at the beginning of a sentence to increase the likelihood of that information making the final editing cut.
• Try to tell the whole story at once, rather than keeping it alive in the media while additional facts are being announced or uncovered. Several small negative stories are worse than one big negative one.
• Be accessible to the media so they won't go to other sources for news.
• Report your own bad news. If media have to dig it out, you will appear guilty until proven innocent and will have lost control of your own story.
• Provide sufficient evidence of statements, enlisting credible third-party sources when possible and appropriate.
• Inquire whether the reporter has interviewed other sources. Suggest other resources the reporter might contact.
• Try to contain the crisis to a limited geographic area, keeping the "media story" a local one when possible and appropriate.
• Maintain relationships with key media under normal circumstances to increase chances of fair and accurate coverage during a crisis.

DON'Ts

• Avoid saying "no comment." If you can't discuss something, explain why. If you don't know the answer, reply that you will gather the information and supply it as soon as possible.
• Don't attempt to place blame. First address the problem at hand and express concern for everyone involved. When the facts are available on the cause of a crisis, then release them.
• Don't speculate or give personal observation on anything; release only confirmed facts.
• Don't make "off the record" comments. During a crisis, there is no such thing. Tell reporters that, as a matter of policy, you don't respond to questions regarding rumors or speculation.
• Don't repeat negative or inflammatory words. It might end up as part of your quote or be attributed to you.
• Don't use business jargon that is understood only by people within your industry and no one else.
• Don't cherry-pick reporters. Return all phone calls.
• Don't release information about people injured in a crisis. This information, if released at all, should come from the police or medical authorities.

Conclusion

Developing relationships with journalists takes a little patience, persistence and practice. Don't get discouraged. Never expect your first release or media kit to result in an immediate story. If it does - congratulations! If it doesn't, stick with it. Cultivating relationships with writers is essential.

Journalists and media outlets are inundated with competing story ideas. Knowing a writer well can help your story pitch break through the competition.

The effort is well worth it. Remember: the value of a third-party story reaching so many readers, viewers or listeners is that it adds a dimension of credibility to your information, second only to word-of-mouth recommendations. And it reaches far more people.

Recommended Reading

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

Bivins, Thomas, Handbook for Public Relations Writing.

Harris, Thomas L., The Marketer's Guide to Public Relations.

Lesly, Philip, Editor, Lesly's Handbook of Public Relations and Communications.

Additional Periodicals Available by Subscription

Advertising Age, 800/678-9595

American Demographics, 607/73-6343

Journal of American Research/Marketing News, 800/AMA-1150

Marketing Tools, 607/273-6343

Promo, 800/643-4054

Starch Readership Reports, 212/455-4977

Target Marketing, 215/238-5300

Back to top

Sample News Release

MEDIA CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sharon Boeldt , 1-800-236-PLAY/7529;

Fax: 414/270-7170; E-mail: tourism@laughlin.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Folklife Festivals Showcase Wisconsin Heritage,

Traditions for Sesquicentennial

MADISON, Wis. (July 29, 1997) -- Wisconsin will be taking its Sesquicentennial celebration to the streets with the help of the Smithsonian Institution in both Madison and Washington, D.C., in 1998 with two remarkable festivals that will showcase Wisconsin's cultural heritage.

Carving a duck decoy, brewing a pilsner, weaving a willow fish trap -- these traditions and many more that have been part of the fabric of life in Wisconsin over the past 150 years will be presented at the Smithsonian Institution's annual Festival of American Folklife, held on the National Mall, June 24-28 and July 1-5, 1998. The event will be expanded and restaged in Madison, Aug. 20-23, as the Wisconsin Folklife Festival.

Wisconsin will be the only state featured at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife, which each year attracts between 1 million and 1.5 million visitors to its presentation of the traditions of specific cultures, states or regions. In addition to Wisconsin, the Baltic states and the Philippines will be part of the 1998 festival.

"The Folklife Festivals anchor the Sesquicentennial celebration's program of cultural activities because they bring together all the richly varied aspects of how people in the state live, work and play," said Dean Amhaus, executive director of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission, created by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson to coordinate the 150th anniversary commemoration. "Both festivals are wonderful opportunities to learn something about Wisconsin in a setting that reflects the essential festivity of our celebration."

More than 100 folk artists, performers and skilled artisans are expected to participate in the Festival of American Folklife in Washington, a living cultural exhibit that replaces glass display cases with demonstrations and participatory presentations. Crafting handmade birch bark canoes, stitching a story cloth, fishing for sturgeon, farm work demonstrations, storytelling and musical performances will be part of the festival.

The Wisconsin Arts Board, a member of the Cultural Coalition, is working with the Smithsonian to develop the D.C. event and an expanded program for Madison, where the festival will be held on stages and in tents set up on Capitol Square, as well as on adjoining streets and parks. Folklife artists from Wisconsin's sister states, including Chiba, Japan, and Hessen, Germany, will be part of the festival when it is restaged in Wisconsin. Other additions include a working Native American wild rice camp and a reproduction of that classic Wisconsin institution, the tavern, where visitors can stop in for a game of sheepshead, a serving of fish stories or catch a concertina solo.

In conjunction with the Wisconsin Folklife Festival, Wisconsin's six Native American tribes as well as two tribes that once resided in the state will be holding a New Dawn of Tradition Pow-Wow in Madison. The exact location and other details of the powwow are still being determined.

Gov. Tommy G. Thompson created the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission to coordinate the 150th anniversary celebration. The Commission is co-chaired by

Gov. Thompson and former Govs. Lee Sherman Dreyfus and Patrick J. Lucey.

For more information, call 1-800-432-TRIP/8747 and visit the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Web site (http://www.150years.state.wi.us) or the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's Web site (http://tourism.state.wi.us).

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Sample Feature Story

MEDIA CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jenifer Shillinglaw, 1-800-236-PLAY/7529;

Fax: 414/270-7170; E-mail: tourism@laughlin.com

FEATURE STORY -- FALL 1997

WISCONSIN SERVES A SMORGASBORD OF FALL FOOD FESTIVALS

People attend Wisconsin fall festivals for plenty of reasons, but what many truly relish is the incredible food. Wisconsin's fall food festivals feature everything from cranberry fudge and frosted apple cuts to syrup smoked trout and venison stew.

"Wisconsin hosts more festivals in fall than any other time of the year, and food festivals are among the favorites," said Moose Speros, Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary. "Going to the festivals is also a great way to travel around the state and take in the beautiful fall color."

Celebrating the Fruits of Autumn

The 36th annual Bayfield Applefest, Oct. 3-5, attracts 40,000-60,000 people annually. Gourmet apple pies, strudels and frosted apple cuts, sundaes, cider, cheese pie and fresh apples are available up and down the streets. Every Bayfield-area orchard sets up a stand to sell apple products, with over 11 varieties of apples used in all sorts of delectables.

The festival also offers a heritage and talent show, an apple peeling contest (one year, a 311-inch peel from a single apple stole the show), a pet parade, Big Top Chautauqua performances, and arts and crafts. Additionally, fair-goers can attend events, such as the apple pie and apple cider contests, carnival rides, kids' contests and country dancing.

(715/779-3335)

Other Wisconsin apple events include the Gays Mills Apple Festival on Sept. 27-28. This small community draws more than 20,000 people during its apple celebration

(608/735-4341). The Apple Affair in Galesville, Oct. 4, boasts a 10-foot apple pie

(608/582-2369).

The cranberry, native to Wisconsin, is the state's No. 1 fruit crop, grown in only five states. The Cranberry Festival in Warrens celebrates this fruit Sept. 26-28. Along with cranberry delights, such as muffins, fudge, fritters, sundaes and cream puffs -- plus fresh, dried, jellied, juiced, candied and cocktailed cranberries -- some of the activities include the Biggest Cranberry Contest, a cranberry recipe contest, cranberry bog tours, a farmers market with 100 vendors, an arts and crafts show with some 550 exhibitors, and an antique/flea market with 300 booths. (608/378-4200)

Eagle River paints the town red with its own Cranberry Fest, Oct. 4-5, boasting the "World's Largest Cranberry Cheesecake." More than 15,000 cranberry lovers flock to this festival yearly, where cranberry bog and winery tours, along with other cranberry products and exhibits, are showcased. (1-800-359-6315)

Delighting in Novel Festivals

The food specialties featured at Wollersheim Winery's Annual Grape Stomp Festival in Prairie du Sac, Oct. 4-5, are truly "spirited." Dishes have included red wine marinated-and-grilled chicken breasts, bratwursts soaked overnight in the company's Ruby Nouveau, cheddar-stuffed red wine burgers, and wine mustard to accompany the meals -- plus cookies in the shape of a grape-stomp foot. Red, white and blush wine jellies are available to take home. Activities include wine-tasting, grape-spitting and grape-stomping contests, plus a cork toss. (1-800-VIP-WINE, 608/643-6515)

For the U.S. Watermelon Seed-Spitting & Speed-Eating Championship in Pardeeville, Sept. 13-14, participants will need plenty of napkins and a big appetite. The event also features melon sculptures, a parade, entertainment and an evening band performance on Saturday. On Sunday, there are speed-eating and seed-spitting championships, free watermelon, a pancake breakfast and a water-ski show. (608/429-2873)

For the Gourmet Palate

At the Wild Game and Natural Foods Cook-Off in Presque Isle, Sept. 28,

nothing -- especially the food -- is run of the mill. This judged cook-off features dishes created from ingredients caught, netted, trapped, bagged or hunted by area residents. Most of the food, served around noon, is from Wisconsin -- and in the past has included local mushrooms, berries, fish, venison, possum, raccoon, rabbit, beaver and pheasant.

Visitors can sample each tasty creation; on average, 20 dishes are available. The delicacies are offered in many forms: roast, sausage, stew, goulash, chili, sauce, meatball, casserole, fish fry, soup -- and are served with home-baked yeast breads, cornbread, coffee and hot cocoa. (715/686-2910)

Madison's Fall Harvest Tasting, Sept. 21, combines the expertise of area chefs and farmers market vendors with Wisconsin-grown products to create one-of-a-kind dishes that celebrate the fall harvest. This indoor, sophisticated potluck-by-professionals offers some 20 selections served from polished chafing dishes and white linen tables.

In the past, specialties have included maple syrup smoked trout, grilled eggplant salad, pesto-rubbed baby lamb riblets, sesame vegetable tofu salad, herb crusted goat cheese with ancho chili vinaigrette, roast pork with apple cider cream sauce and fresh fruit with creme a l'anglaise. (608/241-1574)

For those who prefer to create their own delicacies from Wisconsin-grown products, Madison's Farmers Market on the Capitol Square, one of the largest farmers markets in the Midwest, is the site of a Saturday morning food extravaganza from April through November.

Bushels of farm products are available to make incredible meals, snacks or desserts. Fresh green peppers, squash, pumpkins, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, leaf lettuce, spinach, sweet corn, peas, onions, eggplant, radishes and carrots are available in the quaint square. Fruit and fruit products, such as apples, apple cider, tomatoes, cantaloupes, cranberries, cherries, grapes and rhubarb, are sweet favorites.

Other specialties, such as herbs, cheese, maple syrup, jams and jellies, cut flowers and bedding plants, complete a visit to the market. (608/25-LAKES)

For more information about Wisconsin fall food festivals and other ways to experience a taste of the season, call 1-800-432-TRIP/8747 for free travel-planning guides, including the Wisconsin Fall Sampler, and for updates on areas of peak fall color.

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Sample Media Advisory

Wisconsin

Sesquicentennial

1998

TO: FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chris Grant, 414/272-2400

MEDIA ADVISORY: GOVERNOR Thompson to unveil Wisconsin

Sesquicentennial License Plate Design

WHAT: In honor of Wisconsin's 150th anniversary approaching in 1998, Gov. Tommy Thompson will unveil the special Sesquicentennial license plate design. In addition, information about ordering plates will be announced.

WHO: Gov. Tommy G. Thompson will officiate the unveiling along with Dean Amhaus, executive director of the Sesquicentennial Commission. Richard Yazzie, the artist who designed the plate, will also be available for comments. Charles H. Thompson, secretary of the Department of Transportation, and Richard "Moose" Speros, secretary of the Department of Tourism, will also be in attendance.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 9, 1996

9:15 a.m.

WHERE: Communiversity Park, Green Bay

Directions: Exit the I-43 beltline at Hwys. 54/57. Exit Hwys. 54/57 at Nicolet Drive. (Follow signs to the UW-Green Bay campus.) Travel one mile north on Nicolet Drive. Communiversity Park is located on the bay shore of Green Bay on the UW-Green Bay campus. The park entrance is directly across from the University's Shorewood Golf Course.

SIGNIFICANCE: Proceeds from the limited edition plate will be used to support the Sesquicentennial Commission, which is organizing a yearlong statewide celebration of Wisconsin's 150th anniversary in 1998. The Sesquicentennial celebration will include educational, cultural and historical programs.

PHOTO Location on Green Bay shoreline and unusual presentation of license

OPPORTUNITIES: plate.

RAIN LOCATION: Across the street from the park at the Shorewood Golf Course clubhouse.

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