Know Your Media!

They key to any successful PR campaign is knowing your media and their various social segments.

1. The Head Honchos:

These are the owners/publishers and their extended families and friends who basically feel like they own everything they touch as they are the people with the contacts! They are the glitterati of the media, usually spotted in the Sunday editions of magazines as part of every social event of the week.

How to handle:


They are easy enough to approach at a social gathering if you are dressed right and have a host of renowned clients to flaunt. Name dropping is an easy tactic to attract their attention.

 

2. The Serious Journalist:

You can spot this type of journalist by their appearance. They tend to be scruffy, always carry a notepad, wearing the press card like a badge of honour (usually stained and battered as though it was created in 1900) and dressed in clothes that were never in style. This breed almost always works in print—important to remember because the bad business situation of that medium really angers this folk and they are determined not to accept that newspapers will ever go out of style. References to it should be avoided at all costs! They HATE the PR people, firstly because they earn a lot less and always believe the latter to be lying to serve a client’s agenda.

How to handle:

Handle this group with care, and prepare for brusque behavior—and the distinct scent of stale cigarettes.

3. The Cub:

These are the fresh out of J-school lot who come with a vigor for the truth and nothing but the truth! They’ll be demanding, pushy, and generally unpleasant if they don’t get what they want. They have the power of knowledge and usually no respect for anyone other than themselves.

How to handle:

Don’t worry too much this breed; the Cub is not sent to cover stories of major consequence and is easily handled. However, they may go around sniffing for negative stories which may lead to a byline for them!

 

4. The I-am-the-media People:

They believe themselves to be the most IT-thing in media. Mostly the face of the show on the television or the local RJ who never intended to be journalists but are fulfilling their failed dreams of becoming a model/actor through the world of news. These are also the entertainment journalism folks who live under the delusion that their news sells more than actual news. They spend considerably more time on their looks than on learning the facts of a story.

How to handle:

Be careful – they may look impressive what with their designer clothes and almost always perfect hair but to get your message through REPEAT!

 

5. The Social Media Guru:

This mafia has come into force in the recent decade with the influx of social media. They call themselves Bloggers. These are the folks who perceive themselves to be the influencers of the masses today. They are usually the ones creating havoc on the internet and talking about controversial topics just to build a following.

How to handle:


This cult requires plenty of information and they want it now! The best way to handle them is proactively. Lobbying is a strategy applied best with this media.


Knowing the media will enable you to handle them such that your campaign gets an all rounded applause!