The unique circumstances of this year have required businesses to get creative, rethink strategies and adapt to a new normal. By now, we’re all familiar, probably too familiar, with video calls. While they may be tiresome, the new comfort around this form of interaction has sparked a great opportunity to support virtual media tours.
While conducting media tours and interviews via webcams is not a novel idea, it is more approachable with the increased use of video calls and the acceptance of taking these from home. A virtual media tour would have been referred to as a satellite tour several years ago; and with that, there would have likely been increased production, it likely would have been hosted in a studio, with a camera crew and the support of a full production person. However, with the variety of video conferencing platforms accessible and equipment available for online order (i.e. lighting and mics), virtual media tours are a very approachable and effective strategy.
So, when our long-time client Spaceflight was preparing for the announcement of its new Sherpa-NG program, a virtual media tour was a strategy we wanted to pursue. This program comprises of three different orbital transfer vehicles and is a groundbreaking development for Spaceflight and a growing trend in the industry.
With this new development, not only was there a strong verbal story, but there was a visual story as well with the creation of new hardware for this program. We decided to offer a select group of journalists a virtual tour of Spaceflight’s Sherpa-FX ring before it launched. This enabled an expert at Spaceflight to walk through all the important details of the Sherpa-NG program and the upcoming mission, while showcasing the physical hardware that would execute the mission.
Below are a handful of learnings from our experience conducting the virtual tours.
Know your Messages
This should come as no surprise. As with all media briefings, it’s important for every spokesperson to know and understand their messages. However, unlike a traditional media briefing, virtual tours require spokespeople to not only speak to their messages, but showcase a visual element, in this case, the orbital transfer vehicle. So, in addition to speaking to benefits and addressing questions, the spokesperson needs to frequently refer to an object throughout the tour.
In advance of the tour, outline the key messages and develop a high-level agenda. This agenda should present information in a way that makes sense to the tour audiences, however, be flexible enough to adapt to questions or redirections that occur during a tour. If a spokesperson is comfortable and confident in their messages, then they should be able to deliver an authentic and effective tour.
Be Thoughtful about Visual Elements
Visual elements can go a long way in hosting a virtual media tour. It offers something unique and engaging. Additionally, if it’s something the company is developing, for example, the hardware Spaceflight produced, it can go a long way in establishing credibility and demonstrating the company’s progress. As the spokesperson guides reporters through the main visual element, they should be prepared to tie in key benefits related to the features of the hardware and describe its differentiators.
If you can provide multiple visual elements, it can make the tour even more engaging and support key messages. In this case, Spaceflight had a unique piece of hardware and was able to highlight other equipment that would support the Sherpa ring in executing its mission once in space. However, to ensure journalists had a clear understanding of how the hardware would function and what it would look like once fully integrated with satellites and into the rocket, we had posters of renderings of the equipment in space. This allowed our spokesperson to describe the ring and its mission and then seamlessly showcase the renderings and demonstrate a final product.
Host a Dress Rehearsal
No one is above tech issues. We’re in our ninth month of working remote and I still find myself having the occasional technical issue. Hosting a dress rehearsal is a must. It will allow the spokesperson to run through their messaging and confirm it feels natural, and, during that time, it will allow other attendees to assess logistical elements, such as sound and video quality. Doing this in advance will ensure that the tours run smoothly, reduce “in-the-moment” stress, and make sure that the tours are a valuable use of everyone’s time.
Not every announcement or company development warrants a virtual media tour, but when there is a compelling visual element to showcase, it can create a very engaging experience. Additionally, sharing a product or platform and demonstrating its development and, quite frankly, existence, can help establish credibility. As you prepare for upcoming announcements, consider the visual elements. If you have something unique to offer, host a visual media tour to create a unique and captivating experience for journalists.