Media 101

How to Successfully Showcase Your Let’s Can Hunger Challenge Efforts

Assuming you haven’t spent a lot of time working with local reporters, here’s a quick guide to help you get great publicity for your Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge efforts through local television outlets, newspapers, radio stations and Web sites/blogs. Remember, teams are required to give appropriate recognition to Campbell Soup Company as the sponsor of the Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge in all activities, including media outreach.

You can also utilize SIFE USA’s “Media Best Practice Guide” for more information.

Before You Start
  • Find your voice.  Designate a “media spokesperson” to help manage your local media efforts
  • Your spokesperson will conduct all media interviews, and can serve as an “expert resource” for reporters as you begin building relationships with the media
  • Ideally, this person is a team member working on the Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge and is very familiar with all of your specific local initiatives and the overall challenge
  • Make sure your spokesperson’s contact information appears on all media materials so reporters can get in contact with you

Create a media list.  Research which reporters/producers/editors cover the news that’s relevant to your story.

  • The Let’s Can Hunger Challenge information is a great fit for food editors, business editors, community news reporters and calendar editors
  • Collect their phone number, e-mail address, fax number and street address–as you get to know them, find out how they prefer to be contacted with story ideas
  • Contact information often can be found on the internet or by calling the media outlets directly
  • Consider all local media outlets: newspapers, radio and TV stations, magazines, websites, blogs

Develop press materials.  Download and customize media materials from the Let’s Can Hunger Challenge website

  • Tailor the release, media alert and key messages with information about your local team
  • Be sure to include specific details, such as food or fund drives you have planned for your local market in the press release
  • Publicize your goals and share how community members can get involved
“Pitching” Your Story to the Media – A General Overview

Pitch your story. Distribute press materials to your local media list, then follow up with a phone call or email to see if they are interested in your story.

  • Educate your media contacts about the Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge by explaining what it is, how you are involved and how the community can get involved and benefit (why the media should cover this) – a great resource that sums up the drive is the “Fact Sheet” and/or “Talking Points”
  • Determine their level of interest, and if they’re open to you following up with additional information.  If they are not interested, ask if there is someone else on staff that is interested in such stories or what would make the story more compelling to them?

There are different types of stories that you can secure with this information – see below for descriptions and specific examples and tips:

Print/Online Outreach

Calendar Placement. Usually on a weekly basis, newspapers run a calendar of upcoming events. If you’re planning a food or fund drive as part of your program, that type of initiative is a perfect fit for this section as the information can easily be summed up in a short paragraph. Newspapers usually have specific calendar editor contacts.

Feature Story. A localized story about your specific team’s efforts around the Challenge; these stories usually includes photos and quotes from someone involved with the Challenge.

On-site coverage.  If you are planning an event as part of your efforts, you can encourage local media to cover your efforts.

TV Outreach Local In-Studio Interviews. Contact morning or noon show producers with information about your Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge efforts; this type of story usually involves conducting an interview during the morning or noon news to discuss your work.

Radio Outreach Radio Interviews/Mentions. Provide local radio stations – news directors, on-air personalities – with press materials so they have the information to spread the word to their listeners. Also work to set up interviews about your efforts.

Wrapping Up Your Outreach and other tips
  • Follow up.  If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again!
  • As you can imagine, reporters are bombarded with story ideas so you may need to contact them multiple times before connecting live
  • A few days after sending media materials, call to see if they have any questions
  • If they were interested in putting together a story on your program, ask about the timing of the coverage so you know when to look for it
  • Collect the media placements to keep track of all the great coverage you’ve received
  • Send media contacts a thank you note to continue to build the relationship for future stories
Additional Tips
  • Be considerate of the journalist’s time
  • Victory in numbers – make the calls!
  • Make the gate-keeper your friend
  • Remember, some journalists don’t want to be contacted by phone – respect that and move on
  • Have all pitching materials near the phone, highlighted and ready to be referenced
  • Practice your pitch on a friend who doesn’t know the client
  • Think of pitching as gift giving rather than selling
  • Put your most important pitching points at the top of your list
  • Believe in what you’re pitching
  • Saying “I don’t know” is a GOOD thing!
  • As a rule, the best times to call are from 9-11 AM and 2-4 PM (keep time zone in mind)
  • Your feelings and emotions come across loud and clear over the phone
  • Don’t get bogged down with irrelevant messages – stick to key points
  • Take good notes of the conversations you have – you’ll use this info time and again…
  • If your pitch isn’t working, try a different one!