Public Relations

In the world of advertising there are many forms of media that can be utilized to get an advertisers message to its intended audience. Newspapers, television, radio, Internet and billboards are effective tools in this effort but one form of advertising that is often overlooked is Cinema Advertising.

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Most people see cinema advertising as the little slide that is shown right before the movie starts,Brand Young and You Brand for Life; Why Cinema Advertising is an Effective Tools for Marketers Articles but it’s much more than that. Cinema advertising does offer slide advertising, but it also offers something that is called rolling stock that is similar to a television commercial. Some theatres offer dynamic digital advertising opportunities in place of slide advertising while others offer advertising opportunities on large LCD screens in the theatre lobbies.

They offer advertisers an opportunity to present their message to a captive and receptive audience in a family oriented environment. Hollywood spends billions of dollars each year promoting their movies and these massive marketing campaigns lure hundreds of millions of people to the movie theatres every year. It’s an audience of brand conscious teens, tweens and young adults with high disposable income and active lifestyles that makes this medium very attractive to a marketer.

Some toy manufacturers and beverage companies are aware of this and have taken full advantage of the opportunity. Other industries have followed suit, as they are starting to adhere to the title of this article, “Brand Young and You Brand for Life”.

Some may call cinema advertising intrusive but they cannot deny the fact that it is highly effective. The recall rate of cinema advertising is upwards of 70% while the recall rate of television sits at approximately 23%, the reason for this is that advertisers have a totally captive and receptive audience. They finally can advertise directly to the elusive teen and tween market in their own environment.

With the Tivo age growing this has forced marketers to become more innovative in their media planning efforts. They not only have included cinema in their media mix but they have also included other forms of advertising such as guerilla marketing, trash can advertising and even beach umbrella advertising.

This is all in an effort to reach the masses, but man does not live by advertising alone. An effective public relations plan should be in place to work hand in hand with any advertising campaign. The goal of the campaign is to get as much attention to your product as possible during the course of the campaign. So an effective public relations plan would only enhance the results, as it will allow the marketer to utilize the media to assist in getting their message out.

Executives who want exposure on television — but who have not had much experience in front of the camera — should first consider landing a radio interview or two as a way to hone their voices and practice answering questions effectively live on the air. Radio should be part of your public relations activities.

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One of the funniest routines by comedian Bob Newhart was his schtick about a guy being interviewed for the first time on TV.

Before the interview,Boost Your Public Relations with Radio Interviews Articles the female host assures him that he’ll get softball questions about how he helps people as a psychiatrist. They joke around and make small talk before the show. But once the cameras are on, the interviewer fires off one blistering question after another, leaving Newhart confused, defensive, blushing and, finally, speechless.

It’s hilarious when Newhart does it. Not so funny if it happens to you. Executives who want exposure on television — but who have not had much experience in front of the camera — should first consider landing a radio interview or two as a way to hone their voices and practice answering questions effectively live on the air. Radio should be part of your public relations activities.

There are two reasons. First, of course, radio is great exposure. Nothing has diminished the impact of radio as a means of delivering message. Particularly in drive time (radiospeak for “traffic jams), you have a captive audience.

Give them a reason to listen and they’ll stick with you. Also, radio is an intimate medium that allows you to speak directly to the listener — and paint a picture in their imagination about your issue, product or service — with little distraction from visual images.

Second, it is a great way to build your media chops doing live, on-air interviews without the distractions of the television studio. They include lights, makeup, the stare of the camera, your posture and clothing, floor-manager signals and the need to appear rested and physically engaged — even if it is 8 p.m. after a 12-hour workday.

Appearance counts for a lot on television. The way your clothing “reads” on camera, the size of the bags under your eyes, razor stubble, body language and the distractions of jewelry are a few pitfalls. And if you’re like me, with a great face for radio, you’ll especially welcome the opportunity to do an interview in shirtsleeves, late in the afternoon, and not worry that you look like Richard Nixon at the first televised presidential debate.

Remember a few basics before and during the interview:

Listen to the interviewer’s program a few times before it’s your day in the studio. Know the host’s style — and whether it is confrontational or supportive.

Call the interviewer to find out generally what kinds of questions you’ll get.

Nail down your messages. Be prepared with three “must-say” messages, the things you will convey during the interview under any circumstances. “Bridge” over to those messages.

Arrive a few minutes early so you are not running into the studio huffing and puffing. Before you go on, be sure to practice your key messages.

Relax. It will show in your voice at the interview.

Keep these guidelines in mind during the interview:

— Radio provides a number of natural advantages for the interviewee. One of the most important is the freedom to look at detailed notes while on the air, something that would be a no-no on TV. Nothing takes the place of preparation — knowing exactly what you want to say and having your key messages nailed down. But having notes in front of you — as long as you don’t read them verbatim — ensures that you will not forget any of your key points.

— Be interesting. Explain why what you have to say is of consequence to the listener. Use figures sparingly. Save the jargon and the reams of data for your next staff meeting.

— Remember that the silence belongs to the interviewer, who will do whatever it takes to avoid “dead air.” Listen carefully to the question, answer it succinctly and then shut up. Don’t get trapped embellishing your answer unnecessarily — or worse, boring the listeners by being windy — just because the interviewer is silent for a few beats. This is much harder to do on television. When the interviewer is not talking, the camera is on you and, unless you’re good at this stuff, you end up shifting around. Very awkward. Watch what anchors do before they go to commercial — they just look straight into the camera and wait! Do the same.

— If your schedule is tight, suggest a telephone interview. Wherever you are, you can do a phone interview — from home, your hotel or a meeting room. Forget using the cell phone. Most radio programs will not let you use them because of the invariable poor reception.