Getting journalists to show up at p.r events

As more companies have realized the value of using highly produced events to forge deeper connections with the press, busy editors have become deluged with invitations to bigger and better media events. Unfortunately, that means it can be harder to grab journalists’ attention. Savvy brands increasingly are stoking editors’ interest with the same types of on-strategy, high-concept events that once were reserved for consumer and b-to-b events.

Four things you should know about our kind—and how brands are tapping in for on-target media events:

1. Writers Dig the Games. Papio Wines earlier this year hosted an event in a converted private home in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, inviting editors to taste a new varietal, but also creating themed roomscapes tied to Papio’s brand attributes. A “swing” room gave editors the opportunity to dance and to play games like Uno and Twister; a “heart” vignette showed off info about the company’s pet philanthropy; and a “taste” environment featured demos and tastings of easy party foods.

2. Writers Are Skeptical. Letting journalists test the product in a real-life, slightly controlled environment can help win their respect in a way that presentations and corporate videos never can. Panasonic recently introduced New York City-based editors to its digital cameras’ optical image stabilization technology by putting them on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park and loaning them cameras they could use to snap photos during the ride. After the excursion, the editors gathered for dinner at Tavern On the Green, where their (very stable) photos were displayed on Panasonic plasma TVs.

3. Writers Have Their Own Pace. When L’Oreal USA launched its Men’s Expert skincare line last year, the brand brought editors to a museum-style product exhibit at Milk Studios in New York City. Editors were given headsets so they could hear about specific product features as they walked by each display. The setup let editors explore at their own pace, spending as much or as little time as they needed at each display.

4. Go Big. To illustrate this final point, we take you to Lamborghini’s launch of the Murciélago. Angling for cover stories rather than mere media mentions, the automaker invited editors from around the world to Mt. Etna in Sicily. In an unplanned twist, the volcano actually erupted a few weeks before the unveiling. It worked: The brand’s goal was to score cover stories from about 40 percent of the publications that attended; after the event, more than 80 percent ran cover stories.