I started working in PR and media relations on the agency side in 1992. In 1998, I got my first media spokesperson gig when Nestle hired me for its WONKA family of brands multi-city summer literacy tour. For the past 15 years, I simultaneously have been behind-the-scenes pitching the stories and on-camera delivering key messages and insights.
So when I am asked to coach executives and celebrities and prepare them for interviewing in today’s media environment, I do so from every angle of my own experiences using the “Guide to Successful Media Interviews…” They will be absolutely as prepared as possible because they’re hearing first-hand what the reality of being a media spokesperson is – not the theory – while they also are being educated on what it takes to even get someone to listen.
Some PR professionals are quick to let me know that they don’t need a Guide to coach their clients or their internal execs because “they’ve been doing this for a long time.” But those who are open to always honing their own skills realize that this Guide not only allows PR pros to be more tuned-in to what it’s like for a spokesperson, but it also supports a lot of what they try to get across to their internal or external clients: nothing’s guaranteed, no one is ever going to get it totally right in today’s environment, importance of spokesperson presence and dialogue in social media, sometimes two or three “smaller” hits are way more beneficial than the NY Times front page, etc. I also give anecdotes about reporters using insights I gave them and claiming them as their own, using quotes out of context when I thought the reporter really understood the story, etc. Safety in numbers when trying to set expectations, don’t you agree?
The bottom line is this: Everyone who has ever read the Guide to Successful Media Interviews in a Relentless Social/Tech/Tradigital World -- whether a PR or spokesperson veteran or rookie – says they feel more informed, more prepared and more confidant, and that they have a far better understanding of the reality of today’s media environment. Everyone gains insights. Everyone.
I update the guide every year and it sells for $99-$149, depending on inserts. So right now, the 2012 edition is available for $49 (and non-profits can get it for $39) through the end of the year at
Happy Holidays,
RON
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