Sports PR

Five Tips to Fine-Tune Your Media Relations in Sports PR

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

#NPPRSA - The Edge (1)Good communication skills and strong media relationships are essential for any PR professional to be successful with those they work with, but with the different public relations industries becoming more and more niche these days, there are some keys things to keep in mind depending on which media outlets you are pitching and working with the most.

For those working in the action-packed and non-stop sports and entertainment industries (or looking to get into these areas), here are five tips to keep in mind to help you fine-tune your media pitches, break through with key media contacts and more to further develop your media relations:

Timeliness & Relevance

As the old saying goes, “timing is everything.” In the sports and entertainment industries, this is even more important to remember when it comes to PR and pitching specific media reporters whether they are with long or short lead outlets.

More often than not, unless something is breaking news, it is best to tie your media pitches into something timely occurring that the outlet and reporters are covering (or could cover) whether it a large sporting event (such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, US Open, etc.), the start of a new sporting season (like golf and tennis season swinging under way each summer or football season and college sports getting started again each Fall) or anything else that’s relevant so that there is a direct tie-in to the media reporter and their upcoming editorial calendar an outlet.

Keep the Competition in Mind

When working in the sports and entertainment industries and with the media coverage surrounding them, to say it is a highly competitive space for coverage would be an understatement. When pitching various media try to keep in mind everyone else they are being pitched by and those who work with leagues, teams, events, brands, athletes, etc. and try to determine what your best pitch angle is to make you stand out from the rest and break through to the media contact.

In addition to the timeliness and relevance of what you are pitching, think of creative ways to enhance your pitches by determining the best subject line (and one that isn’t over the top or misleading), including images with your text or bullet-pointing information so your pitch helps you get straight to the point.

Don’t Get Discouraged if You Don’t Hear Back

Sometimes I like to think that “PR” more accurately stands for “persistency = results.” Like when sending out a press release announcement to a large database of media contacts (or on a newswire), you don’t always receive a lot of immediate feedback from those you sent it to.

If you don’t hear back on your pitch within an appropriate amount of time (of which there is no magic rule of thumb for), make sure and send a follow-up email or give them a call to see if they received your information. As for cold call media pitching, it seems more media prefer to receive email pitches first before being cold-called with pitches but that once you have established communication or a relationship with them that they are more willing and likely to talk on the phone with you.

Making Sure You Manage Expectations

For those of us who work in sports along with a lot of us who work in public relations, the phrase “under promising and over delivering” is very important to remember.  This applies not only to those you work with/for, but also the media you’re building relationships with and collaborating on coverage opportunities.

When it comes down to things like determining how much time a media reporter can have in an interview or how much time they need to schedule photo shoots, it’s important to be aware of tight timelines and deadlines. It is in everyone’s best interest to be honest and forthcoming about what you (and who you work with/for) can and cannot do so that you are appropriately managing the media’s expectations.  By doing so, this will help you with building lasting media relationships for both the short term and long term.

Keep up with What the Media are Covering

With the integration of social media into our daily lives and almost every move we’ve made in the past five or six years, this has become both a blessing and a curse at times for those of us who work in PR. Social media demands our constant attention (not to mention that sports related coverage consumes about 90% of twitter and all tweets produced daily).

However, social media also provides us an opportunity to follow key media reporters, see what they are covering and determine better pitches to add a more personable touch to connect with them and develop our relationships. While it is impossible to follow every media contact you want to get through to and see what they are covering, for the ones you do follow it allows some extra insight on events they are planning to attend, products they like, things they are passionate about and any other tidbits of information you might not have known otherwise that can help you determine a good tie-in when getting in touch with them.

I would also keep in mind that social media channels are NOT the best or recommended way to pitch key media contacts, but that it can’t hurt to respond to their posts and engage in conversations that potentially could help make you stand out to them when they do receive pitches and emails from you at another time.

About the PRSA Entertainment & Sports Section

Practitioners working in the high-profile worlds of sports and entertainment face unique challenges. PRSA’s Entertainment and Sports Section offers great opportunities to connect with peers who understand your issues and are willing to share solutions. Through in-person and virtual networking events, newsletters and other resources, the Section helps practitioners develop public relations and management skills directly relevant to their entertainment and sports environments.

Natalie MikolichNatalie P. Mikolich, is the 2016 Chair-Elect of the PRSA Entertainment and Sports Section and the Founder of npm|pr (www.npmpr.com).  Natalie has worked with a variety of national businesses in different industries ranging from sports, fitness, health, beauty and luxury lifestyle to non-profit organizations and special events in addition to world class professional and Olympic athletes. Along with this, Natalie has provided public relations services for some of the leading global sports and entertainment agencies. Follow her on Twitter @npmikolich.

 

Intro to Sports PR: Professional Sports Not the Only Game in Town

Diahnn Henderson 1 Comment

When you think of the Sports PR industry, do you think of professional sports teams, red carpet events, and flashing bulbs from cameras? Maybe you think of representing high profile athletes.  While this may represent one segment of Sports PR, there are other opportunities within the industry that are equally as valuable. Our New Pros Section Chair, Sarah Siewert, interviewed her KemperLesnik colleague Alex Prosperi on life in the sports PR industry. KemperLesnik is a full service sports marketing, event planning and PR agency in Chicago.

Sarah: Describe a typical week in this industry.

Alex:  A normal day at KemperLesnik always involves a lot of work, brainstorming of new ideas and reaching out to clients. The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, which KemperLesnik has managed since 1990, is the premier early-season college basketball tournament in the country that is annually played during Thanksgiving week, and it is my primary account. When the tournament is in full swing, my typical week includes monitoring stories about the Tournament, pitching college basketball writers, building the media list, updating the Tournament website and managing our social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr). The other challenge is preparing for our on-site needs, like outlining where media will sit on press row, figuring out our needs for the media room and of course, how many Hawaiian shirts to bring for the trip

Sarah: What is the work environment like?

Alex:  The work environment depends on the day. When we have a big announcement (i.e., announcing the bracket, the future fields or a new sponsorship) it can get pretty chaotic. There is a lot of work that goes into drafting, editing and sending out press releases as well as contacting key media to pitch our story. During a typical work week, I always try to keep the environment lively by throwing around new ideas and talking about current events.

Sarah: Who are your clients?

Alex:  KemperLesnik has a wide variety of clients, but I personally work on the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. I’m also working on the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games, but I am more involved in the operations side for that event.

Sarah:  Are there specific PR activities you do not typically do in this industry?

Alex:  Not really. For the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, I’m pitching, monitoring, managing social media, promoting the tournament at schools through our Surfboard Delivery Program, and then managing the media on-site.

Sarah:  Are there specific PR activities you do often in this industry?

Alex:  Out of all my roles, my biggest responsibility comes down to managing the media on-site and helping to produce great coverage of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. To me, the bottom line is that I’m working to help promote the Tournament and make sure everyone knows that it’s the premier early-season college basketball tournament in the country.

Sarah: What other activities are important in this industry?

Alex:  In any industry, I think the main thing to remember is that everything comes down to personal relationships. So whether it’s through email, phone calls or face-to-face, I’m always working to develop close personal relationships. Once you have those, it’s much easier to work, especially in PR.

Sarah: What are industry-specific challenges?

Alex:  One of the biggest challenges in PR is getting that initial first step in the door. You may have a great pitch but sometimes it’s challenging to get past that first stage. This idea reinforces the importance of first impressions and to not get discouraged when something doesn’t go your way.

Sarah: What might surprise you about this industry? 

Alex:  It’s a lot more work than you would think. Growing up with a Dad that did PR, I had no idea the legwork involved with doing something as simple as getting a placement in a local magazine. It truly opens your mind to the hard work that goes into any industry, whether it be PR, marketing operations, you name it.

Sarah: What kind of non-PR courses are beneficial?

Alex:  With any field, but especially in PR, it’s critical that you see the entire picture. You can’t be short-sighted or not understand multiple perspectives. My favorite class in college was Sports Law because it taught me to think things through all the way and really examine situations in detail. In PR, it’s crucial to think like your audiences thinks. Will the pitch letter you write resonate well with a certain writer? Just because you’re pitching 10 writers on one topic doesn’t mean you send all 10 the same pitch letter. Think like your audience.

Sarah: What kind of non-PR skills/interests are important?

Alex:  It’s important to educate yourself in the field you’re working. I love basketball so knowing information about the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational comes naturally. But if you are a sports nut who finds a job in PR for a technology firm, you have to learn about your field. It sounds simple enough, but I can say with confidence that part of the reason I enjoy my job and can do it well is that I know my field.

Sarah: What specific tips can help new pros find a job in this niche field?

Alex:  Right off the bat I’d say to read and surround yourself with social media! Learn as much as you can about it. Although it’s mainstream, lots of firms are still in the infant stages of using it. If you can demonstrate a sound knowledge and ability to run a social media outlet for your company, you become a key asset.

Alex Prosperi graduated in 2010 with a degree in Sports Management from the University of Michigan.  Through his internships with KemperLesnik and ESPN he gained valuable experiences that led him to his current full-time role with KemperLesnik where he supports the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational.