Category: Blog

Americans love keeping score.

We pay attention to all kinds of rankings:  richest people, top colleges, best restaurants, highest weekend box office sales…the list goes on and on.

One that struck me recently was a headline for the History Channel’s super-popular miniseries on the Bible.  It proclaimed:  “The Bible tops American Idol in Nielsen ratings.”

That really stands out.   Idol has been one of the most popular shows in television history.  To hear that The Bible surpassed it really catches your attention.  And it’s a good reminder of what you can do to improve your chances of “getting noticed” by the media.

Like fingerprints and snowflakes, your message is unique.  No matter what you are trying to convey, it’s really important to tap into that uniqueness and show why what you have to say stands out.  A great way to do that is to find a way to “rank” your message against others.

For example, Sprint is competing with bigger wireless companies by claiming it has the nation’s “fastest 4G network”…Ford brags its F-150 is the “best-selling pickup”…CBS promotes itself as the “most-watched television network.”  Notice the use of superlatives.   In all those cases, the companies found something that makes their product stand out in the rankings.  And you can, too.

So think about how your message can claim a top ranking…and promote it that way.  Then you will have a very good shot at “spreading the word” successfully in the media.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site: http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

It’s March Madness time.  And even people who don’t have a clue about sports know that means the NCAA basketball tournament is getting underway.  It should also be a reminder of how you can do better at “getting noticed” in the media.

March Madness is one of the most popular sporting events in the country.  That didn’t happen by accident.  One of the big reasons for its success is that the schools and breathless sports reporters created a whole series of catchy, memorable phrases to describe the tournament.  Along with March Madness, the lexicon includes the Big Dance, Selection Sunday, Bracketology, Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, and more.  All point to something about the games and create a kind of special lingo players, coaches, fans and the media all use and understand.

The lesson here is that like the NCAA, a great way for you to score points in the media is by having your own catchy phrase that will help people remember your message.  It can’t be forced or corny, but something simple and seemingly unrehearsed (of course it will be rehearsed) that captures what you are trying to say.   Think about the great corporate slogans–  “Just do it,” “We bring good things to life,” “The king of beers”– they are both memorable and say something about the company and/or its products that paints the firm in a positive light.  That’s exactly what you are looking to do for yourself.

So, what word or phrase helps explain what you want to convey?  If you don’t already know, take some time to consider what it is that makes your message stand out from the crowd.  Then create a quick and simple way of expressing it.

By having a strong “slogan” of your own, you will really help yourself excel in another “Big Dance”–  the competition for good media coverage.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site: http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

I have to give the folks at the Vatican credit…they really know how to use the media!

When I first heard that white smoke was pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, I immediately flipped on the broadcast of the breaking news from Rome (I actually checked out TV, radio and online coverage).  Along with billions of others around the globe, I anxiously waited for the announcement of which cardinal had been chosen pope.  And waited.  And waited.   And as all of us waited (and news people struggled to fill the time), we were treated to chanting crowds, beautiful music and exquisite pageantry.  Throughout the more than one-hour wait, the excitement built to a fever pitch.  The Wall Street Journal quoted someone in the square who compared the atmosphere to a U2 concert.  It was a fantastically-positive display for the Roman Catholic Church, orchestrated perfectly by the Vatican.

Now obviously, the choosing of a pope has the weight of a huge historic event and major news story behind it, but still the Vatican got every ounce of good media coverage out of it.   That’s because the curiae understands the value of that coverage and had clearly prepared meticulously for this event.

I have often discussed in these blogs the importance of preparation in order to take advantage of your media opportunities.   That’s especially true when, unlike the Vatican, you don’t know when those opportunities will present themselves.   It’s very easy to miss a great chance at “getting noticed” if you aren’t ready for it.  And as we’ve seen from the Vatican, the more you understand about the message you hope to send, the more effective your messaging will be.

Pope Francis seems to be solidly tuned in to the Vatican’s messaging effort.  His greeting of the crowd and early comments have gotten a very positive response…and positive media coverage.  He has used his big media opportunity to make a solid first impression.   I suspect that was just the beginning of what we will see in the future.

So for some excellent examples of how to build your media strategy, keep an eye on Rome.  Like the faithful who walked out of St. Peter’s Square uplifted, you, too, may come away with your own special gift from the Holy See.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site: http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

When the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to an all-time high this week, news reporters–as they are want to do when a market milestone is set–spent a lot of time trying to put the record in perspective.  One of my favorites was from an old colleague of mine, Joe Connolly, a Wall Street Journal reporter who works for CBS Radio.  Joe noted the last time the Dow was at record levels (October, 2007), the RAZR was the hot cellphone, the iPhone was just coming out and Bernie Madoff was running an investment firm in Manhattan.    It was a funny line that really caught my attention because it put the story in a simple frame of reference that a lot of people understood.  Joe is a great broadcaster in part because he often uses these kinds of audience-grabbing comparisons in his reports.

Joe’s technique is a valuable one that you should remember in your efforts to get noticed in the media.   In education circles, it’s a teaching method called “compare and contrast.”  Explaining how your message compares and contrasts to something the audience already knows makes it easier to understand…and be remembered.   And nothing is better for media success than being clear and memorable.

Of course, all this takes preparation.  You need to know exactly what message you want to deliver…then determine what well-known examples are out there to which you can compare and contrast that message.

So start today to think about how you might “compare and contrast” your own message.  Then, when a media opportunity does come around, you will be ready to deliver a unique line that will make you stand out from everyone else.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site: http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

It was one of the most memorable pictures of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

That face!

American gymnast McKayla Maroney, after stumbling during her vault routine and only taking a silver medal, produced the now-famous “unimpressed” look on the medal stand.

The picture was splashed all over the media, so much so that during the team’s celebratory visit to the White House, even President Obama took note, joining Maroney in reproducing the look for an official photo of the event.

Wisely, Maroney has recognized the value of what was actually an unhappy reaction to her lack of success.  Instead of seeing it as a negative, Maroney has been using the picture to her advantage, helping her secure business opportunities and stay in the spotlight.

Media opportunities can come in all different forms…and at different times.  I’m pretty sure at that moment on the stand in London Maroney didn’t plan to make a face she could parlay into real gold.  However, once she saw how it took off, she made sure not only to embrace it but to also make it her signature mark…a brilliant media strategy.

You, too, may find yourself in a surprise or unlikely situation that suddenly provides you with a chance to make a big media splash.  If you do, it’s important to take advantage of the opportunity.  And the only way you can do that successfully is to be prepared–  by understanding what your message is and how you want to present it.

So take a tip from McKayla Maroney, who stumbled on a big opportunity and then took advantage of it.  She may have only won silver at the Olympics, but she owns a media strategy of gold.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site: http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

One of the most important aspects of a successful media strategy is for you to control how you are portrayed…not the media.

A great example of someone really trying hard to do that is race car driver Danica Patrick.

Patrick of course gets tremendous media coverage because she is a woman succeeding in a male-dominated sport.   All the headlines going into this year’s Daytona 500 was how she was the first female to ever win the pole position to start the race.

Patrick ended up finishing eighth, and every post-race news story was the same— the first mention was that Jimmy Johnson won, then it was how Patrick made history with the highest finish ever for a woman.

She didn’t like that.  In her post-race comments, Patrick made it clear that WINNING was what mattered and that being happy with a top-10 finish would be setting herself up for failure.

Patrick doesn’t want to be known as the best FEMALE race car driver…she wants to be the best race car driver, period.   And in every media opportunity, she tries to hammer home that point.  It’s a tough battle, because obviously her gender is a big part of the story and will likely be so for a long time to come.  But we should give her kudos for trying to change the discussion from male/female to just  NASCAR racing.

The way you present yourself to the media will go a long way to determining how you are portrayed.  If you have a clear understanding of your message and keep that message always front and center, there’s a good chance you will be seen in the way you want.  Bad preparation and loss of focus allows others to step in and paint you in a whatever light they choose…and it’s likely you won’t like the result.

So remember, be like Danca Patrick.  Know what your message is and deliver it every chance you can.  Do that and you’ll have a great chance finishing first in the race for good media attention.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site:  http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

“Luck is preparation and opportunity.” –Bobby Knight

If you’re like me, you probably never heard of the B612 Foundation before.

The group, founded by two former NASA astronauts, wants to save the world…from space rocks.   Its mission statement says, “Our goal is to hunt asteroids that could hit the Earth and potentially cause human devastation.”

Pretty obscure stuff.  Until last week.

That’s when the Earth had two close encounters of the outer space kind:  One when an asteroid passed very close (in relative terms) to the planet.  And then when a meteor exploded over Russia, putting on a spectacular display of sound and fury, injuring more than a 1000 people.

Suddenly, the B612 Foundation folks were right in the middle of big news.  And they smartly took advantage of it.

Members of the group became media stars, popping up on network newscasts and in major newspapers to comment on these headline-making events.  Their organization and mission became front-and-center in the public consciousness.  Now LOTS of people know about the B61 Foundation.

Luck?  You bet (see definition above).

I have no idea how the B612 Foundation team prepared for cosmic-related breaking news stories, but it’s pretty evident they did.  And just as important, they knew how to take advantage of it once the opportunity presented itself.

Sometimes breaking news and other situations occur where you would be the ideal choice for the media spotlight.  But if you aren’t ready to act when that happens, you could end up squandering an incredible chance at “getting noticed.”  That’s not bad luck, that’s bad preparation.

So be prepared.  That means more than just having your thoughts in order.  You must also stay alert for stories where you could be the “expert” and be available to the media immediately after they happen.

If you do, there’s a good chance you will have the kind of “luck” the B612 Foundation had.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site:  http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com 

Both my parents were born in the early part of the 20^th Century and used a lot of old-time phrases.  One of them was that when you were thirsty you needed to “wet your whistle.”

I wonder if Marco Rubio’s parents said that, too?!

The Senator from Florida created a major media buzz by reaching for a bottle of water and drinking right in the middle of his nationwide response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address.  Rubio explained afterwards that he made the awkward move because his throat became parched and he was having trouble speaking during his lengthy comments.

The drinking episode became almost as much of a headline as the President’s speech.  Replays of the now-famous sip showed up on newscasts and Internet sites.  But it was Rubio’s response that’s the real story for those looking to gain an edge in the media.

He laughed at himself.

Instead of going on the defensive or trying to ignore the incident, Rubio played into it.  Soon afterwards, he Tweeted a picture of the infamous bottle…and during an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” he intentionally pulled out a water bottle as he was being interviewed by anchor George Stephanopoulos, who chuckled and complimented Rubio for his ability to laugh at himself.

By responding the way he did, Rubio helped diffuse a potentially negative situation and may have actually given his image a positive boost.  That’s something you need to keep in mind as you gain media exposure.

When you are in the media spotlight a lot, inevitably “stuff happens.”  It could be a slip of the tongue, a “wardrobe malfunction,” an unusual water bottle grab or one of a hundred other “oops” moments.  The important thing for you to remember is if it does happen to you, don’t compound the incident by overreacting or underreacting.  Just deal with it in a manner that reflects positively on your personality.   Marco Rubio  chose to poke fun at himself.  For you, maybe it’s something else.   No matter what it is, if you do it the right way, you could actually end up getting some good media exposure from a mishap.

Successful media players understand how to take advantage of all their opportunities–  both good and bad.

I’m sure Marco Rubio would drink to that.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site:  http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com 

No, this is not a blog about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s weight.

It’s a blog about those who have wisely used the recent flap over Christie’s girth to get some valuable media coverage.

The governor created national headlines recently by joking with David Letterman about being “fat” and then giving a public lambasting to a former White House doctor who suggested on CNN that Christie’s weight caused her to be concerned he might die in office.

The media jumped on the story with the obvious follow up stories about the health risks of obesity, especially when it relates to a politician who may have ambitions of one day fitting his large tummy behind the desk in the Oval Office.

Enter the “experts.”

Whenever media people are looking to answer a question, they seek out experts on the topic.  It’s a practice that was clearly in action with the Christie weight story.

For example, New Jersey’s largest paper, the Star-Ledger, ran a piece February 8^th entitled “Risky Business:  Christie claims good health but weight could prove heavy burden” (see link below).  In it, three nutrition specialists–  none of whom appear to have any connection to Christie–  got to weigh in (pardon the pun) on the topic.  How did they get chosen?  I’m betting all three have been making media contacts and/or getting their name out through previous media appearances, blogs, etc., so when the reporter was seeking comment, their names came up.   And guess what?  By getting quoted in the Star-Ledger article, they increased their exposure and made themselves even more likely other media decision-makers will go to them the next time a nutrition story comes up.  It’s a continuous, big circle that is part and parcel of the media business.  It’s like the old lottery advertisement:  You’ve got to be in it to win it.

You want to be the person reporters, producers and bookers think about when a story happens.  That means being on top of their contact list.  Do that by taking advantage of any and all opportunities to get your name out in the public (especially anything that will show up online, where everyone goes to first when searching for information).  And be ready!  Nothing annoys news people more than when a “source” is not available or prepared to respond.

So be as “big” as you can in the eyes of those looking for experts.  When it comes to getting more media attention, size does matter.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/christies_risky_business_healt.html#incart_flyout_politics

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site:  http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com

We lost a legend today.

Former New York City mayor Ed Koch, who died at age 88, was not only a great guy and pretty darn good mayor, he was the best I have ever seen at using the media.

I had the privilege of working with Mayor Koch on his weekly radio program for Bloomberg Radio in the mid-2000’s.  He was in his late 70’s/early 80’s then, and when he’d show up at the studios in the early evening, he’d seek me out and remind me of my most important duty–  making sure to wake him up right before the show.  Then he’d lay down on the big couch in the Bloomberg food court and doze off.  I vividly remember one day coming to get him and had a hard time waking him up.  He finally opened his eyes, looked at me and said, “Oh my.  I was wrapped deep in the arms of Morpheus.”  It was just another example of his amazing ability to react instantly to any situation with a pithy comment.  He immediately got off the couch and did a flawless show.

What struck me most about Mayor Koch then–  and later when he was a guest on my Fox Business TV shows– was how old and frail he looked most of the time.  He would walk slowly and hunched over, appearing half asleep.  But then suddenly, when the “On Air” light was illuminated, as if by magic he changed– alert , head high, eyes twinkling, full of vigor and excitement.  Mayor Koch KNEW when it was time to perform.   And he never failed to respond.

Anyone hoping to get more from the media would do well to study Mayor Ed Koch.  Here are some of the key lessons from his extraordinary life in the media:

1)      Availability.  Mayor Koch was ALWAYS available to talk to the media.  In fact, I don’t know any politician in history who was so accessible.  And he would talk about anything.  That was not an accident–  he was smart and made it a point to be well-informed on a wide range of topics.  If reporters needed a comment, the Mayor was there and prepared.

2)      Decisiveness.  You never were unsure of where Mayor Koch stood on anything.  He formed his opinions and never wavered, even when they were not always popular with the public or his political allies (such as endorsing Rudy Giuliani and George W. Bush).  Plus, because he thought out his positions carefully, he always made good arguments.  Mayor Koch knew his stuff.

3)      Affability.  It was very hard not to like Ed Koch.  He was self-effacing and while a serious man, never took things too seriously.  That allowed him to make jokes and come out with great quotes that were memorable.    Because he was so likeable, people paid attention to him even more.

Those were just a few of his strengths.   Take some time to check out a video of him in action…or a recording of one of his radio shows.  I guarantee you will learn something.  Suffice it to say you will do very well in your media dealings if you take your cues from Ed Koch.

God bless, Mayor.  You’ve answered your own question, “How’m I doin’?”  You did very, very well.  Thanks for sharing your life with us.

Leave a comment and see more at my official blog site:  http://www.mediamakersconsulting.wordpress.com