MARKETING MONDAY – CANDIDATE MEDIA KIT: You’ve filed your paperwork. You’re officially on the ballot. Now what? Well, if you have been following along, you should have the following items completed: CHECKLIST [] Custom email address (JohnSmith@gmail) [] Custom personal facebook profile (facebook/JohnSmith) [] Custom political facebook page (facebook/ElectJohnSmith) [] Custom blog/website (JohnSmith domain redirecting to blogger/JohnSmith ) [] Toll-free number from Kall8 [] Custom accounts at Twitter (twitter/JohnSmith), YouTube (youtube/JohnSmith), etc. (Optional) [] Custom online donation portal set up (gofundme/JohnSmith or piryx/JohnSmith) If you don’t have the above done, then you should really be asking yourself how serious are you about running for office. If you have all the above done, then its time to create a Candidate media kit. Most people think that media kits, also known as press kits, are only for large campaigns or really high profile candidates. That simply isn’t true. All candidates should have a press kit mailed or hand-delivered to the local media. For example, Fort Wayne candidates will want to target Fort Wayne Newspapers, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne News~Sentinel, Frost, and Fort Wayne Reader. Don’t forget the TV stations! ;-) Some of you are probably wondering what exactly is a media kit? A media kit is simply an information packet about you and your candidacy. A press kit is like a resume for your campaign. In it is a collection of information and articles put together to address questions from the media and potential voters. The goal of the press kit is the same as all other marketing that a campaign does. It should grab the readers attention, make a lasting impression and create enough interest that they will contact you for more information. Let me repeat that last bit…..MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION and CREATE ENOUGH INTEREST that they (the media) will contact you for more information. I emphasize this last part because almost all candidates fail in trying to create a lasting impression and/or creating enough interest. Novice candidates often don’t know what they are doing and have no idea what makes them unique, different and interesting from other candidates. Seasoned political veterans often make the assumption that the media already knows everything there is about them. (And hey, if that’s true….then how boring was that candidate to begin with??) So what exactly should be in your candidate media kit? There are many items that can go into a media kit, depending on the situation, the audience or the use. A media kit for a print news reporter is much different than a kit for a features TV reporter. Although a press kit should be comprehensive, every promotional item or piece of marketing collateral ever produced by a campaign should not be included. Only put information that is current and most relevant to your target reader. When targeting media editors, be respective of their time. As a starter media kit, here is what each candidate should include: 1. LETTER OF INTRODUCTION: Sometimes referred to as the “pitch letter,” this first impression item is where you will grab or lose the readers interest. Tell them upfront why they should care about what youre telling them. Provide a brief description of the items enclosed in the actual press kit. Let them know you are available for follow-up interviews and questions. Also make sure to include your contact information in this letter. 2. INFORMATION ON YOU—THE CANDIDATE: This includes a biography, a resume, and a high resolution photograph. Not sure of the difference between a biography and a resume? A biography is complementary to a résumé. It is a prose summary or overview of your accomplishments in a brief one-page story format, written in the third person. 3. INFORMATION ON YOUR CAMPAIGN: This can include a number of things, like your political platform (the list of issues that you are running on/reasons why you are running), members of your campaign team and brief bios, a data sheet listing all the ways you can be contacted and how you can be contacted (phone, voicemail, email, website, social media, etc), where your campaign office is located (even if its just in your home) . 4. RECENT PRESS PUBLICATION AND ARTICLES: Copies of recent press coverage is very appropriate for a press kit. After all, what other media have done will be of interest to current media targets. This can include article reprints and printouts of online press that a company might have received. 5. PRESS RELEASES: Many times, these are what instigated and caused the printing of the articles described above. 6. AUDIO AND VIDEO FILES OF RADIO OR TV INTERVIEWS, SPEECHES, PERFORMANCES AND ANY OTHER MEDIA-EVENT: Hard copies will suffice if the actual media is not available. Today, some campaigns are now putting online audio clips on their Web pages and in online media kits. 7. A SAMPLE NEWS STORY: This is your chance to guide the media or your reader. Some editors will even print it verbatim, as they view ready-to-print articles as an easy way to fill up space with little effort on their part. They do, of course, usually edit these stories, so be prepared. This is the place where you can really differentiate yourself from your opponents by calling attention your uniqueness. What makes you more than just an “average Joe” or are you just an “average Joe”—and why is that important? Example: Allen County Councilman Bob Armstrong ran on the Republican ticket. Another Republican Bob Armstrong was a retired and beloved Mayor of Fort Wayne. Bob Armstrong (County Council) totally hijacked Mayor Bob Armstrong’s “brand identity” and toyed with the media by encouraging them to write stories about how he was “this” Bob Armstrong and not “that” Bob Armstrong. This marketing ploy was so successful that he didn’t need to do much, if any, campaigning because people thought they were voting for the former Mayor. 8. APPEAL TO DONORS: Sometimes media kits are put together for campaign contributors and, as such, should share news related to why your campaign will be successful. Example: Even though you have no union background, you believed that the termination of collective bargaining was wrong, actively spoke out against it, and already have unions endorsing you and giving you financial and labor support. 9. OTHER ITEMS TO INCLUDE: •Nonprofit and community-service involvement •Recent awards •Photos (if appropriate) •Factual background material and/or white papers •Specific information and schedules of upcoming promotions and events •Significant statistics specific to your city council district, demographics and target audiences •Featured letter to the editor someone wrote about you or an issue you are passionate about. Busy news editors sort through piles of press kits each day. Getting your press kit noticed is the key to publication and action! Remember, getting attention is important not only with audiences, but also with editors. Package your materials in a unique way and make sure the materials are presented professionally. Its also crucial to follow up to make sure your intended recipient received your press kit. Plus, follow-up calls provide the perfect opportunity for editors to ask questions or schedule an interview. Use this opportunity to build relationships with editors--in fact, doing so will improve your chances of publication or acceptance by your intended audience. But because the distribution of media kits can get a little expensive, youve got to make relationship-building a part of your marketing strategy. The best thing to do right now is to start assembling part of your press kit, based on available materials. Then, add to it as you see fit and develop new materials. You dont want to create a press kit at the last minute for an editor or reporter who requests one. Typically, the media kit doesnt have to be as fancy as people think. Those requesting media kits just want information--not necessarily glitz. See what items you already have and then work on the rest.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 12:59:01 +0000
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