A high volume of media inquiries is, for most PR agencies and their clients, a dream come true. But managing an onslaught of inquires can be tricky and requires a strategic approach to ensure consistency and overall success.
One of our clients, Veratect Corporation, a biosurveillance company that tracks disease outbreaks and civil unrest globally is receiving worldwide media interest in conjunction with the current swine influenza epidemic.
On Sunday April 26, Veratect announced data from its 24-hour tracking service, which first detected the current swine influenza outbreak, would be made public via Twitter. This generated a substantial amount of media interest from journalists in numerous countries. We want to share a few tips that have helped us respond to these inquiries smoothly and effectively:
1. Set up a response system – Designate one person or a team to handle the incoming request, and make it clear to everyone who is authorized to respond and what to do if the media contacts them.
2. Track your calls – Make sure you track all media inquiries on a spreadsheet with the date, outlet, inquiry, who handled the request and when it was responded to.
3. Develop talking points – Create talking points to help your company effectively and consistently respond quickly to multiple requests for the same information. This has been particularly helpful as we respond to media inquiries about Veratect.
4. Respond promptly – With a story as sensitive and rapidly-changing as the swine flu, timing is everything. Journalists are on tight deadlines and it’s important to respond to their questions and schedule interviews quickly to maximize the opportunity.
5. Focus your efforts – when you’re receiving a high volume of calls, it’s impossible to grant every reporter an interview with the CEO of your organization. Make sure to prioritize and offer a written interview if you can’t schedule a call or meeting.
By following these tips and approaching the situation strategically, Veratect has been included in more than 80 original articles in publications ranging from the Associated Press and Washington Post to USA Today and the BBC.
Below are a few more links to articles and broadcast coverage about Veratect’s tracking of the swine flu:
ABC National Radio
CBS News
Financial Times
KING 5 News
KOMO 4 News
MSNBC
The Associated Press
The Daily Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Guardian
The Houston Chronicle
The Independent
The News Tribune
The Wall Street Journal
Wired