A few weeks ago I attended a conversation led by Sound Transit’s public information officer, Bruce Gray, who was responsible for the unveiling of the much-anticipated University of Washington and Capitol Hill Link Light Rail stations in March 2016. Hosted by the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, Gray discussed the importance of an integrated campaign that delivers messages consistently across all platforms when planning a large event. Reaching targeted audiences where they are is critical: more people can be reached and messages are able to be reinforced through different channels. Whether you’re planning a 30,000-attendee grand opening or a 50-person gala, it really does take a village (er, strategic PR planning) to maximize the impact of a special event.
Below are five strategies to consider when planning for your next PR event:
Traditional Media. This form of communication remains the most trusted, pervasive, yet targeted (think Baby Boomers) and influential, thus making a media relations so vital. Pre and post-event coverage will engage audiences in different ways, preparing them for what to expect and establish the tone for the day, and then recapping what happened to set the narrative moving forward. With this in mind, ahead of the opening, Sound Transit held a tried-and-true press conference, where they unveiled a countdown clock to opening day and featured high-profile spokespeople, such as the mayor. The pre-launch event helped to build anticipation by providing the public with more information about the grand opening and the rail stations themselves, garnering preliminary coverage. Five days prior to the main event, Sound Transit pitched tours to local print and broadcast media, giving them early access to avoid the crowds and to get b-roll and interviews before the big day in order to have stories ready to run the day of the opening. The hallmark win was an above-the-fold, front-page feature in The Seattle Times the Sunday following the opening that reached individuals all over the Puget Sound area.
Partner Outreach. Being a good community steward is important to any company, but making sure surrounding businesses and partners are part of the event planning process is essential to maintaining strong relationships. This is not only a preventative measure but used to identify third-party advocates and build community goodwill. In addition, partner outreach will also aid in successful event implementation as they can help spread the news for you and even make it appear less self-serving. In Sound Transit’s case, the team set up Q&A sessions for community members to ensure they were informed ahead of the event and worked with the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce to provide businesses websites with additional information and phone numbers to call to voice concerns should anything happen in front of their storefront the day of the event. Due to this proactive approach, there was no mishaps or complaints of lack of communication. Gray expressed that the day went on without a hitch, due in large part to the cooperation of partners.
Onsite Engagement. Useful giveaway items that people will want to display or share such as reusable bags, charging devices and notebooks help promote brand affinity and can create a lasting impression. Put simply, people like to receive gifts and are more receptive to that form of company promotion rather than traditional advertising, where they may only see an add once, versus being able to use an item such as a water bottle or pen repeatedly. In a 2016 article, Huffington Post noted that 89 percent of all people who have received a promotional item in the last 24 months can remember the name of the company associated with it and 85 percent of consumers are more likely to do business with that brand. In Sound Transit’s case they gave away paper trains, branded buttons, reusable tote bags and a limited edition, commemorative Orca card only available on the day of the grand opening in order to increase the incentives for attending the grand opening.
Social Media. Social media is your direct channel to your target audience, but in order to use social media effectively, it’s important to create content that is engaging, shareable and easily digestible to audiences – such as photos, infographics and videos – and also to include links to your website where people can find out more information about your brand, products and/or events. In addition, an increasing number of media outlets are assessing companies’ online presence before deciding to cover a story on them. Sound Transit increased their number of Twitter followers by 12 percent in just three months and their amount of Facebook “likes” by 10 percent in the same timeframe. Within the posts, Sound Transit strategically embedded links to direct people to various microsites set up specifically for the unveiling and they got reporters covering the event to post on their behalf, which then also drove traffic to their website. The event organizers also offered social media engagement opportunities onsite at the event, with photo booths where attendees could easily snap a picture, upload it to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use the dedicated hashtag #ULink2016 to show followers all the fun they were having, prompting many more people to join in the conversation.
Contingency Plan. Accidents happen, sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, and large crowds can get unruly. Having a crisis plan in place in case of the worst is always a good idea, particularly so when planning an event. In the midst of a crisis it’s unlikely you’ll have the luxury of time to start planning, so it’s important to get ahead of issues and prepare when time is on your side. There are several things you can do now to prepare, including updating (or perhaps drafting) a crisis plan, establishing a dedicated crisis team, making sure your staff knows there is a crisis plan and running through it, and securing approvals for important pre-drafted materials, such as basic messaging. Having everything in place ahead of a potential issue will help mitigate the situation and lessen the probable impact. In addition to preventative measures like hiring extra security, Sound Transit had pre-approved messaging and social media posts at the ready should they need to communicate quickly to people about an issue. Although you can prepare as much as possible, some things will be out of your control, such as negative press like this article that ran in The Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, criticizing Sound Transit for spending more than $850,000 of taxpayer money on the festivities surrounding the grand opening. However, Sound Transit had established respectable relationships with reporters at the outlet along with other local papers and were able to mitigate the situation and control the conversation around the positives of the weekend.
Are you fully prepared for your next PR event or activation? If not, please leave a comment or contact our office for further information.
Photo credit: Mike Kniec
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