Making the most of its full potential requires a well-planned strategy that spells success for the brand.
One of the most effective and indispensable tools for announcing something important is the press conference.
The press conference is not the only way to communicate news to journalists, so it should not be overused and should be reserved for high-impact announcements.
This format presents a matter of public importance, whether intellectual, political, business, technological, sports-related or of any other kind. It allows doubts to be cleared up and yields a more thorough and interpretive explanation from the spokesperson.
To achieve a successful event, you need to keep in mind a list of basic steps.
- Press kit. Prepare an information package with the event’s press release, company information, a fact sheet on the product or service to be announced, statistics, images and contact details. It is advisable to hand it out in print so the journalist can review it on arrival at the event; and also to provide a digital copy to make it easier to write the story and handle supporting photographs.
- Set a program. In order to keep track of how the event unfolds, it is extremely important to have a program or schedule. Include, in order of hierarchy, the appearance, full names, job titles and talk title of each spokesperson; the question-and-answer session; and also any recognition, if there is one.
- Audiovisual record. Make sure to bring a photo camera, a video camera and an audio recorder to the press conference, so you will have an audiovisual record of the entire event in case an outlet asks you for a photo, video or audio of your spokesperson’s participation.
- Registration form. It is important to have a form that includes the full details of the journalists who confirmed their attendance. For those who did not confirm, it is always necessary to have a blank form so that, before entering the conference room, they can write down their contact details and the outlet they belong to. This will give you better attendance control and a much more complete media database for the next event.
- Be punctual. Punctuality is synonymous with respect. There is nothing more pleasant than starting on time and keeping to the scheduled time for the presentation, for both the spokesperson and the journalists. Remember that journalists have a schedule of assignments governed by timetables, and just as we like punctual attendance, it is also ideal to show that we run a well-structured program.
- Questions from the press. It is recommended that at the end of the press conference interested journalists be given a maximum of three to five minutes to ask their question, so as to keep the questions orderly.
- Sending information. Once the press conference is over, don’t forget to send to the media who did not attend, and to attendees who request it, the press release and the multimedia material with all the documentation needed regarding what the spokesperson presented.
- Promotional material. A gift always goes over well, and it also becomes the best way to thank the journalist for covering your event. Consider giving away, at the end of your event, a useful item that makes your guest’s work easier; it can carry a mention of the brand in a subtle way.
There are different moments in a press conference that must be handled with great care for good communication of the topic. Keeping order for the work of the spokesperson and the press is essential to achieve success.
