Working with the Media

Getting coverage in the media is a great way to raise the profile of your business. Winning the attention of international media is not an easy feat, but if you think carefully about your story angle, and how and when you approach the media, there is no reason why your region and your business can't get valuable international coverage.

Say it loud, say it clear

No matter whether your tourism business is small or large, quirky or conventional, you can get international media coverage. Consumers are more likely to trust what they read in the media compared with traditional advertising, so a good story in the right media outlet can be a cost effective way to generate interest and inspire your target market to purchase your product.

But you need to know how the media works and have something interesting and relevant to say. Getting positive media coverage is part of good public relations (PR). It's about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say, and what others say about you.

Create your own buzz

With the rise of online media, the way people get their news is changing rapidly. Despite these changes in the ever-evolving media environment, there are some key basics to good PR that don't change:

• Know who your target media are. These should be the media outlets your target customers watch, read or listen to
• Build good, close relationships with your target media and keep up to date with who is writing for which outlets and where they are based
• Be relevant. Be sure you know exactly what type of information the media are interested in and then deliver it to them - within their deadlines
• Be first with the news. Deliver time-sensitive stories as soon as possible. Either alert media to something about to happen (a quick phone call to a few of your media contacts) or as soon as it has happened

Remember that media today includes radio, television and print (newspapers and magazines), as well as news websites, blogs and other online outlets.

Get your story straight

Sit down and think about what makes your product or your people stand out from other products in New Zealand or in the world. What is unique about your business? The best media results are often generated by operators who inject their personality into their products.

Remember 'news' is only 'news' if it is new, interesting and relevant to the people reading it. Your media releases should have at least one of the elements in the list below if you want them to be picked up as news:

• Well-known people
• Timeliness - new or relating to other events or current news stories
• A local angle - particularly if you are targeting local or regional media outlets
• Public interest - something that's useful for the public to know about
• Novelty - it's quirky, cute, unusual or 'a first'
• Achievement - by an individual or organisation
• Emotion - humour, tragedy, conflict or romance

Writing a media release will help clarify your thoughts and can be sent to target media, your regional tourism organisation (RTO) (find their contact details here) and Tourism New Zealand's international media team, to alert them to news.

Put the most interesting point at the top of the release and make sure it is relevant to the market you are approaching. For international media you need to put enough information into the release that media can write a story without coming to you for more information.

Direct media to your website if you have one and make sure you put contact details at the bottom of the media release.

A few tips for writing media releases:

• Make it clear in the first paragraph what your story's about
• Include 'what, when, where, why and who' near the top of the release
• Is there enough detail for a story?
• Will the story appeal to the market you are targeting?
• Include quotes that sound natural and build on the story
• If the release is about a new product, include prices and details of how to book
• Invest in good quality images and send these out with your release
• Include contact details for more information

Working with Tourism New Zealand

Tourism New Zealand's international PR team works with the media offshore to generate positive media coverage for New Zealand. The team is always looking for good story ideas, so make sure you send your stories to news@tnz.govt.nz. They are happy to receive anything from a few bullet points with contact details to a full press release.

As well as making story ideas available to the media through our international media website, Tourism New Zealand hosts a number of high quality media outlets in New Zealand every year, with the assistance of RTOs, tourism operators and the wider tourism industry.

The best way for you to get involved is to keep in touch with your RTO. Tourism New Zealand works closely with RTOs to coordinate the itineraries of visiting media within each region. If you have a good relationship with your RTO you are more likely to be included in the itineraries they recommend to our team.

You can also include your tourism product in the Explore New Zealand programme. Tourism New Zealand is not able to fully support all international media that visit New Zealand, so this discount scheme is designed to help them experience what New Zealand has to offer without our financial support. You can offer discounted or free-of-charge products and services, which the accredited person can use while in New Zealand.

Make it happen

You will find helpful PR advice online, in bookstores and in your local library. Talking to your RTO is also a good idea to learn more about working with the media. But remember, one of the best ways to be successful in PR is to make sure you know what the media want to hear. Read, listen and watch, and be aware of good story opportunities.

Think newsroom!

• Plan ahead
• Keep an eye on what's in the news
• Photography is king - pictures, pictures, pictures!
• Video footage is becoming more important if you are working with broadcast or online media
• Be timely!

And be relevant…

• If you want international media attention, your product has to appeal to international visitors
• Make sure the angle is of interest to the market you are targeting
• Emphasise unique New Zealand experiences that are worth travelling for
• Domestic and international media require very different approaches

Check out our media website: www.newzealand.com/travel/media