INTERVIEW TIPS

Tips for getting great results

Thank you for considering The Media Game for your latest release.

www.mediagame.com.au gives you a tremendous gateway to showcase your story to a national media audience. But there are a few key tips to follow to maximize the success of your release.

Understanding how a Radio News Release works and what the radio stations are looking for can greatly improve your chances of coverage. So we've put together this short overview for you to achieve the best possible outcome for your release.

Please feel free to share with your spokesperson so they too understand what works and what doesn't.

Of course, we are available any time to discuss and help you formulate your release to make sure your key messages are delivered in a form that the radio stations will love.

To listen to examples of well presented radio grabs click here

What Is A Radio News Release?

A Radio News Release is a way of guaranteeing every radio station in Australia and New Zealand has access to your spokesperson and your message.

For most people, ringing every radio station in the country for an interview is impossible. A Radio News Release enables your message and your spokesperson to be delivered to every radio station with just one interview, usually conducted over the phone.

Think Press Release with audio. By recording a series of sound grabs (short audio interviews / responses) with your spokesperson, and then distributing to radio stations throughout Australia and New Zealand, you are greatly improving your chances of media coverage.

A Radio News Release is tailored to deliver your spokesperson to as many radio stations as possible in the shortest amount of time with just one interview.

With most radio networks under enormous budgetary restraints, a Radio News Release provides them with outstanding news content without stretching their resources. The recorded interview grabs and supporting information is delivered directly into their news systems, making it simple for them to include in their news bulletins.

For PR agencies and corporations, the Radio News Release gives them the perfect opportunity to deliver their message without having to spend hours calling radio stations direct. It also gives them greater control on the message being delivered. The interview is conducted in a relaxed, informal situation without the pressure of live radio, putting the interviewee at total ease, guaranteeing that the audio grabs are “on-message”.

Radio News is still a highly powerful medium. And being able to have your spokesperson telling the audience about your product / service / initiative / consumer survey, adds tremendous credibility to your media release. And when it can be done with just one short interview over the phone, the value and power of a Radio News Release is obvious.

How Does A Radio News Release Work?

Media and PR is a tricky beast. What makes it to air is determined by what is the strongest news on the day which is obviously impossible to predict.

But being in the Radio News Release business since 1999, has given us a fair insight into what works and what doesn’t.
The main criteria for success in a Radio News Release is a strong newsworthy story that appeals to a mass market. Stories that affect a wide slice of the population.

For example:

• Consumer. Angles that affect the way we live
• Health stories. Research and development
• Surveys and polls. Perfect for radio as they concisely paint a picture for the audience
• Finance and banking. Everyone is interested in what is happening to their money
• Charity and Community. Causes that affect the community
• Crisis Management. Delivering immediate comment to media

If you can deliver to the media access to a story or spokesperson that they normally would not have access to, you are a great chance of generating substantial exposure.

The other main criterion to a successful Radio News Release is talent. Having someone who is confident and strong in front of the media, no matter what the medium, is worth millions to a company. They are what makes great radio talent.

On radio, if your talent cannot deliver your message concisely and clearly, your chances of coverage are greatly reduced. Your spokesperson is the credibility link to your story or announcement. They are the ones who will win over your audience and consumers. Their strength and what they bring to a Radio News Release cannot be underestimated.
Great radio and news talent is someone who can deliver a message in 15secs that is clear and directed at their consumer. It is delivered in a way that gets across the company’s line, but also captures the imagination of the audience.
Being able to voice your opinion on radio or TV is a privilege that should not be underestimated. Your spokesperson is being given the chance to speak to your buyers, your consumers. They are looking for them to be confident, credible and transparent. No bullshit.

The key is to be able to tell your story, but at the same time relate to your audience. For example, doctors need to be able to speak at the level of their patients, not their colleagues, when conveying information.

And, unless the story is highly sensitive and needs to be delivered as a prepared statement, it is always best to deliver in a natural, conversational manner. Spokespeople who simply read a script are not embraced by radio newsrooms.

Remember, this is not an ad. It is news and your Radio News Release needs to be not only newsworthy but also entertaining for the radio audience.

What doesn’t work in a Radio News Release is a blatant ad. If you want an ad, buy some airtime. Radio Newsrooms cannot tolerate companies that are purely looking for a plug for their company or product. What you deliver has to be newsworthy, and delivered as a news item.

This is news, so treat it as such. Therefore, there is no need to treat this as a blatant plug. The newsroom needs to credit where the information has come from, and that should be your credit or brand acknowledgement. In other words you are being associated with a news story that is of interest to the audience. This is very CREDIBLE PR.

For example, a newsreader may intro your story with: “this latest survey into spending by eBay”. The same goes for most stories. If they use your spokesperson they have to credit where that spokesperson is from. That is your plug. It is a subtle acknowledgement of your company, and that is all you should be looking for from a Radio News Release. There is no need to flood the audio grabs with blatant mentions of the company or product. Radio News Releases are designed for associating your company or product with something that is newsworthy. The more you stick to what is newsworthy, the better the chance of coverage. It’s as simple as that.

To listen to examples of well presented radio grabs click here

Tips For Success     

 www.mediagame.com.au gives you a tremendous gateway to showcase your story to a national media audience. But there are a few key tips to follow to maximize the success of your release.

1.    Think of this website as a promotional tool, not just a news service.

The difference is that you have control on what is distributed to the media, therefore, you can be more flexible.
Try to offer more than just the normal clichéd interview grab. Because you are in control, you can, in a way, take bigger risks with your releases without the fear of being misrepresented.

Think up challenging angles which takes your story to another level. A little bit of controversy, or just a well thought out audio grab, will make a huge difference to the success of the release.

The key is to think of your Radio News Release as an opportunity for media coverage, not as advertising. If you want advertising, buy an ad.

Creative angles and ways of associating your client’s brand with a topical story is how our service works best for the media.

If you continually deliver quality interviews, the media will keep looking for your Radio News Releases. We can provide the gateway, but your input is still crucial to its success.

2.    Think ahead.

Don’t wait for a major announcement to happen, let us know in advance so we can plan an effective Radio News Release. For example, if you have a press conference scheduled for noon, we can pre-do grabs with your key personnel and have it on the site at noon, ready to air. Remember, we can conduct interviews in advance and place an embargo on them on the site. They will not appear until that time.

We welcome the opportunity to work with you in formulating your audio message. We can offer honest advice on angles and message that we think will resonate with the media. Receiving your information and message 10min prior to an interview gives us no chance of offering advice or guidance. We really want to work with you, so give us the opportunity. 

It is in everyone's interest to have great newsworthy content available for the media.

3.    Think outside the square.

You’re in control, so make it work for you. This service reduces the media-demand on your personnel, so if they only need to do one interview, you should be able to gain greater access to them.

For example, a busy company CEO doesn’t have the time to do countless media interviews but putting aside 15 minutes for The Media Game should allow him/her time to get across the best message in the most controlled manner to suit the needs of the company and the media.

This is just an example. The challenge is to break new ground in your organisation.

4.    This is not designed to do the job of the media.

This is all about supplementing what the media produces while at the same time having greater control. If you can add value to what the media receives, it can only improve your media relations.

Continue to service your media and target major media organisations, while gaining broad coverage on other networks through www.mediagame.com.au with our Radio News Release service.

For example, if at all possible, make your spokesperson available for interviews. Use our service to make sure every radio station has access to your message and spokesperson, as it is impossible to reach every one. Plus, our service is used by many stations as a research tool - to listen to your spokesperson in advance to check the message and the talent.

5.    Perfect for crisis situations.

In the heat of battle and conflict, there is no greater media tool available to you than a Radio News Release. It’s fast, effective and the reach is massive. Make sure The Media Game is one of your first calls if a crisis arises. Talk to us early in a crisis to make sure our service gives you maximum benefit.

For example, a major negative story breaks in the morning papers; why not issue a controlled statement from your CEO to stifle the rumours and innuendo while planning for an afternoon press conference. It’s about controlling a situation and this is the perfect tool.

We can have interview grabs and a Radio News Release available on our site within 30 minutes of completing an interview.

6.    Make your story newsworthy

If it’s not newsworthy, it’s not going to get picked up. Simple as that. There is always an underlying PR message in what you deliver but the key is delivering it in a way that is still strongly weighted towards news. 

Delivering a straight plug for your client’s company may excite the client but it won’t excite the media.
Sometimes it will be appropriate to include the client’s brand name. If at all possible we try and achieve this. But in some cases it is better to have a brand association with an issue. For example, instead of peppering your Radio News Release with the company’s name, leave it to the announcer to credit who is making the statement. “That’s John Smith from Your Company”. 

And look to run off major issues in the news or topical issues and surveys. They always add credibility and newsworthiness to your message.

7.    Target morning radio.

This is where the key media staff usually work. By having a Radio News Release on the site at 4am for the breakfast shift, you are giving yourself a great chance of maximum exposure and audience. We can do the interview the day before and place it under an embargo for 4am, together with an e-mail alert. 

Another option which works extremely well is to make the Radio News Release available on our site from 3pm the day prior to the official release date with a written embargo for the next day. This allows newsroom staff to download the interview to be ready for the breakfast shift. This method has worked extremely well for many of our clients.

8.    Rarely in the afternoon

Unless extremely urgent and topical, a Radio News Release late in the afternoon will struggle for exposure. The reason being that most of the planning has already been finalised and audio grabs already put in place. The next day it also appears dated and old to the media because it carries yesterday’s date.

9.    Prepare your talent.

Clichés are barred from our website so make sure your talent is prepared for the interview. Go through with them what you want to target. Follow an angle or add a bit of spice and controversy. Remember, you have control, so make it work for you. You are selling a product, a service etc, with your Radio News Release so you have to make it attractive to your audience and the media.

We will certainly help steer you in the right direction but ultimately it is up to you to have your talent prepared. Also, brief us on what you want to achieve and we will make sure your spokesperson delivers to meet your needs.

10.    Plan ahead.

Like all promotional campaigns, planning your Radio News Release is crucial to its success. Know where you are going and what you want to achieve from our service. Pinpoint your key personnel to sell your organisation and prepare them. It will save last minute rushes and maximise your reach and effectiveness.

This is just a basic guide to getting the most out of www.mediagame.com.au These points are the basis for which this site was created and from research and feedback we have received from newsrooms throughout the country.

To listen to examples of well presented radio grabs click here

Feel free to contact us any time if you have any further questions. 

1300 725 033

Warren Sim - 0418 117 587 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Peter Mullen - 0439 440 507 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it