PR Tips for Landing National Coverage

From a public relations perspective, getting a client national coverage can put their brand in front of a new audience and positions their team as thought leaders in the industry. Greater visibility is a plus in the eyes of any brand and the connections and contacts that are born from a national spot benefit public relations professionals in their quest to land further coverage on behalf of their client. Here are some tips to increase your chances of landing that coveted national spot.

Find the perfect hook

The story’s headline or the subject line of an email is what is going to draw a reporter in. Make it compelling, but not click bait. Taking the home market of any national media outlet into account to trigger any connection points as early and as often as possible increases the chance of recognition and ultimately, response.

No Limit Agency* VP of Media Relations Brian Jaeger secured a segment on Good Morning America for Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque in celebration of National Wing Day by leveraging the familiarity of the brand’s co-founder and pitmaster Hugh Mangum, who had previous national TV experience on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay.

“Because Mighty Quinn’s is based in New York, there was immediate brand recognition with the producer,” Jaeger said. “There wasn’t the common obstacle or barrier of unfamiliarity and we were able to use that as well as Hugh’s portfolio to our advantage in our pitch,” he added.

Pitch a story, not a brand

Brands matter much less than the human interest stories behind them, so it’s imperative to hunt for the compelling people attached to a client. Putting a face to the brand creates an emotional connection and resonates with an audience and a reporter or producer better than even the best brand description will.

No Limit Agency client Kallpod broke into the QSR space through a partnership with Chick-fil-A’s Houston locations after a multi-unit franchisee encountered the brand’s technology at a Hawaiian hotel. The device led to a substantial increase in sales for the locations, compelling Kallpod CEO Gabriel Weisz to recognize a huge opportunity for the brand.

Sydney Creagh, the No Limit Agency account manager who took the story out, said, “Kallpod had an amazing story to tell and we were able to use the incredible case study that came out of the Chick-fil-A partnership and put it in front of millions of people by sharing it with leading publications like Nation's Restaurant News, CNBC, and Today Show.”

Weisz agreed. “We delivered a really good story,” he said. “Chick-fil-A resonates across the U.S. and is a great brand to be aligned with. We didn’t do anything in the fast-casual quick-service space before, so it was great to enter a new vertical and get a lot of new interest very quickly and we were very happy with the outcome,” he said.

Find the right reporter

Just because someone covers business, doesn't mean they want to cover your business. Find someone who has covered a similar topic in the past and tailor the pitch to fit their expertise. Blindly emailing business reporters is going to lead to a bad reputation in the industry.

“When we were able to get Cheba Hut on Cheddar's Cannabiz show, it was an opportunity to put them in front of the perfect audience: business-minded individuals who had an understanding and passion for the marijuana industry,” said No Limit Agency account manager Colleen Quaid. “The brand was able to use the coverage as a talking point with potential franchisees and push it out in the digital space an introduce more potential franchisees to the brand through targeted outreach,” Quaid added.

Be prepared

As soon as a reported shows interest, have the release, accompanying photos, and interview contacts at the ready. This positions the brand as organized and prepared and makes you look like a media veteran, even when that may not be the case. Being prompt and thorough shows respect for the reporter or producer’s time and indicates a professionalism and reliability that will make them want to work with you again in the future.

Prompt coordination was the catalyst for the first Kallpod pickup to happen, creating a domino effect of national recognition. “It has been extremely easy to communicate with the No Limit Agency team,” Weisz said. “Everyone is always available and they’re quick to respond. We were very happy with the outcome, not just from the industry press but also from big, well-known news publications as well.”

Follow up!

Media is a change-by-the-minute industry and as a result, reporters and producers are extremely busy people. Following up puts your story at the top of their inbox, but it’s just as important to be mindful to not spam people. Be respectful, yet relentless.