Getting noticed in a shrinking print media industry - Part I

7 May 2009

This is the first part in a three-part series on getting noticed in a shrinking print media industry.

The media landscape is changing rapidly and fundamentally, posing challenges for both journalists and media relations professionals. As advertising revenues decline so do the number of pages and the number of journalists to fill them.

A tougher economic environment provides real opportunities for companies to grow their market share through positive positioning. Studies of past recessions show that investing in public profiling and marketing during a downturn actually bolsters growth over the long term.

Buchan's success stories in recent months provide some insights into how best to get noticed in a rapidly shrinking media landscape.

1. Provide information, not marketing blurbs. While this should be the case all the time, it has become even more critical as journalists have to do more with less. As editors get by with fewer staff and freelancers, media relations practitioners can help by providing facts, figures and stories relating to real world examples. Do the hard work for them and do it fast to meet their deadlines.
2. Get journalists involved. Don't be afraid to create some theatre: we sent out Cadbury chocolate boxes which use Plantic's revolutionary biodegradable plastic trays, then invited the journalist to pour boiling water on the tray to watch it melt away to nothing. Combined with local facts for each journalist's region, perseverance and lots of follow up, we had exposure on Channel Ten news as well as a developing pipeline of articles due to appear in print media.
3. Look for ‘megatrends'. Buchan secured an article in The Australian newspaper by providing information about the critical need for sustainable irrigation practices, not only in Australia, but across the globe. Our client, Rubicon, has a passion for increasing awareness of sustainable irrigation and has irrigation technology that significantly reduces water use. This combined with the fact that good news water stories are hard to find at the moment was appealing to the water reporter at The Australian.

It often comes down to the timeliness and relevance of your story in the broader context. Where do you fit into the ‘here and now'? This was the premise for a recent client media briefing titled "HR Trends in Unprecedented Times", attended by eight senior journalists from publications including The Australian, Australian Financial Review and Business Spectator, which resulted in next-day coverage, as well as long-lead professional publications.

A briefing with just commentary and no news can be difficult, however, so our client linked the story to the initial findings of a larger research project. The speakers were then able to provide real life or anecdotal evidence to add colour and depth to the data.

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