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By Andy Marken – andy@markencom.com
“Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because, of course, you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.” Cutter, “The Prestige,” Touchstone Productions, 2006
With everyone trying to figure out what the M&E industry will look like in the years ahead, this year’s NAB should be the most exciting, most chaotic event in the show’s 100 years.
After our recent break, the show schedule is packed with industry game changing sessions, discussions and opportunities for exhibitors and their management to show they will play an important part in the everchanging content development, production/distribution and delivery industry.
It will be important, perhaps even crucial, because:
It will be an even more difficult event because:
Regardless of the chaos, NAB this year will be the place where reputations – company and individual – are made or broken, live or die.
As in the past, large companies will have big events, big parties.
Smaller firms usually can’t financially justify tightly choreographed events, so they often settle for crumbs.
However, no company has to “go big or go home.”
Instead, they will have to think differently, think more creatively and do it all exceptionally well.
The key is to leverage everything you do to maximize your Return on Investment (ROI) while minimizing wasted time, money–and most of all, opportunities.
Doing show media activities on-the-cheap only proves that as far as your organization is concerned, it’s an expense, not an investment.
It’s the road to no positive results!
NAB PR should be part of your total program, not a one-shot deal.
That means NAB communications should have its own set of goals, strategies, tactics and defined/measurable results.
It requires a professional plan … professional materials … professional approach … professional budget.
Anything less is a waste of time, effort, money, opportunity and worst of all, a disservice to management and the press.
Professionals will usually tell you that you should have made your biggest, best announcements a month or two before the show rather than compete with the major announcements and unforeseen “news” incidents.
That’s when industry new product, service and activity coverage is light. You’ll have a better chance of getting more positive and in-depth coverage.
In addition, you’ll have a better opportunity to attract decision-makers to your booth, rather than hoping they’ll stumble in during the show and say “OMG!”
Of course, it’s tough to convince your boss because:
Jeezz!!!
Products are only one of the details for effective NAB activities … not the plan itself.
The challenge for every company, every announcement is that you’re competing with everyone else at the show for mindshare.
Getting coverage before the show means people–customers, prospects, partners, the media–will be able to plan a visit to the booth at the show so the event and investment will be more profitable.
It’s a tough sell to management, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve your best recommendations.
So, get over it!
Focus on doing the best you can for the company, management, marketing, the products, the media, the audience.
One of those activities is a paperless press room. NAB management has long been an advocate of the paperless press room. But it has been something many publicists still find difficult to relinquish.
Publicists give lip service to the online world, but still put their press materials on USB flash drives for members of the media; or worse, have a bunch of press kits in the booth … just in case.
It’s estimated that 99 percent of that effort is wasted!
Editors/reporters usually say the USB drives or kits are accepted but never used because:
Every media person has a drawer full of drives in his/her desk that they erase and use for important things. Or they give the devices to friends or family to use.
Oh yeah, there’s another big problem with these physically stored releases … the newest, best announcements aren’t finalized until days or hours before the show.
You know it … we know it!
Eliminate the Stress, the Hassle
PR Newswire has worked closely with trade events for years and pioneered the online press room.
The online press room makes it fast and easy for media people at the show and around the globe to register and receive company announcements.
Some firms take a different approach, putting their press materials on their press website.
That’s O.K., but it’s also like having a self-standing store somewhere, rather than being in a large shopping mall.
If you’re looking for a new pair of shoes, it’s a lot easier to walk the mall – or better yet go online – rather than driving from store to store to store.
For the average publicist–and his/her boss–the PR Newswire NAB press room is sufficient:
More to Do
But for the person who wants to/needs to do a great NAB PR job, there’s more that can be done.
It just takes a little creative thinking to develop a special online package for your company/products.
Want to attract post-NAB coverage from the media? Include the link to the show news on a special business card as a gentle reminder of your news.
NAB coverage doesn’t begin with the mad rush onto the floor on the opening morning of the show.
Distribute special invites and news teasers/major announcements in advance of the show so you can interest them in visiting the stand.
You know, something more than – are you attending, are you interested in talking with, how about your stopping by?
It’s a good way to get the attention of attending media. And it is a great way to press the flesh, exchange cards, give them an idea what you’re highlighting this year and set up a firm in-stand meeting.
Of course, for most publicists, it’s probably the only time they’ll talk to the media during the year.
The rest of the time you don’t call … you don’t write … you don’t even send flowers.
We know … too busy with all your social media stuff.
But the show is where the boss expects you to deliver … in spades!
That’s when PR pros go beyond the standard online kit.
Develop your own package that meets your objectives:
These are the easy parts of the show effort … all they require are thinking and planning ahead.
The hard part is writing the news.
It’s called “news” for a reason.
It’s about new products, new services and new applications.
It’s about establishing the company’s position, focus and direction.
It is not about including copies of releases from the past three months.
It is not about stuffing the online kit with data sheets and brochures.
It is about quality news, not quantity.
Releases aren’t short stories or the great American novel. Releases should:
If the story is complex or needs amplification, include a good Power Point presentation or video in the kit. Or include a clear, concise and complete white paper or backgrounder.
Just remember, good information doesn’t sell itself.
There are 1,000 + companies from around the globe clamoring to get the most media coverage they can by the nearly 800+ outlets attending as well as many more that could not afford to send people.
They’re hungry for the news and information now!
Remember what Cutter said, “You’re a magician, not a wizard.”
Sure, you could be but then you’d have to talk with them, work with them, assist them year ‘round.
Andy Marken – andy@markencom.com – is an author of more than 800 articles on management, marketing, communications, industry trends in media & entertainment, consumer electronics, software and applications. An internationally recognized marketing/communications consultant with a broad range of technical and industry expertise especially in storage, storage management and film/video production fields; he has an extended range of relationships with business, industry trade press, online media and industry analysts/consultants.
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