One often overlooked activity in the PR professional’s arsenal is the satellite media tour. The satellite media tour (SMT) involves leveraging an expert spokesperson and making him or her available for live or taped interviews with television news teams.
For instance, Joan Lunden, an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, women’s health and wellness advocate, and mom of seven continues to be one of the most recognized and trusted personalities in America. She also is a spokesperson for A Place for Mom (APFM), the largest senior living referral service in the U.S. and Canada.
We had the pleasure of working with Joan Lunden and her team to set up and conduct a successful SMT on how to talk with aging loved ones over the holidays about planning for their future. Specifically, we collaborated with another firm to secure studio space and book the interviews. Joan then did two to five minute interviews with more than 17 television and radio stations.
In her interviews, Lunden explained that with 90 million people expected to travel over the holiday season, there is “a great opportunity for families to find out how their moms, dads, uncles, aunts and older siblings are doing physically, emotionally and mentally.” She then provided tips for how to prepare for these important and sometimes challenging conversations. Check out these clips to watch some of the coverage surrounding the SMT and learn more about Joan’s important work for A Place for Mom: KBTV Fox – Beaumont, Texas, WZVN ABC – Fort Myers, Florida, WAAY ABC – Huntsville, Alabama, WKOW ABC – Madison, Wisconsin, WGXA Fox – Macon, Georgia, KTIV NBC – Sioux City, Iowa
To pull off a successful SMT, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Be clear on your objectives. Is the goal to educate or entertain viewers? This will have a big impact on the selection of your expert spokesperson and the messages you are working to convey. It will also inform the creation of companion content such as b-roll and your set design.
- Have a compelling, credible expert who is adept at working with the broadcast media. Someone like Joan Lunden is ideal. As an award-winning journalist, and longest running host in early morning television with Good Morning America, we knew Joan Lunden would do a fantastic job, and more importantly, the producers with television stations around the country knew they could count on her to provide valuable information to their viewers.
- Develop talking points for your spokesperson. Identify three or four points the spokesperson will make during each interview. Use language that is accessible to a wide-range of viewers.
- Carefully select clothing and set design. Your expert spokesperson will want to dress in a manner that is complementary to the messages he or she is delivering. It is a good idea to think about the studio set and whether it makes sense to display a logo in the background.
- Rehearse. Practicing the delivery of the information is often critical to success and ensuring the messages stay top-of-mind during each interview.
- For each interview, consider the market. A good spokesperson might tailor the information for the station’s local audience.
- On the day of the interviews, make sure the spokesperson has his or her favorite snacks and beverage. It takes a significant amount of energy to do 15 to 20 back-to-back interviews, so make sure you have the right refreshments to help your expert maintain his or her energy levels.
We hope these tips are helpful as you consider leveraging the Satellite Media Tour for your clients.