Broadcast PR should be an integral part of a company’s communication strategy, and in today’s fast-paced, media-centric world, utilising broadcast media effectively can significantly amplify a brand’s message.
Broadcast media, encompassing television, radio, and more recently, online channels such as podcasts, offers dynamic ways to reach large and diverse audiences. In this blog, we’ll share a series of broadcast PR campaign examples and will explain how clients can leverage each broadcast media channel to their advantage. We’ll also look at what the future holds for broadcast PR in an ever changing landscape.
What is Broadcast Media?
Broadcast media refers to the distribution of audio and visual content to a broad audience through electronic mediums such as television, radio, and internet platforms. Unlike print media, which relies on physical or digital text, broadcast media delivers content in real-time or through pre-recorded formats, making it a powerful tool for reaching audiences on a large scale. Whether it’s a TV news segment, a radio interview or a podcast discussion, broadcast media plays a crucial role in shaping public perception; in particular, it drives brand awareness for clients and offers a wide reaching audience.
THREE ESSENTIAL BROADCAST PR CAMPAIGN CHANNELS
Of course, there are many different types of broadcast media – it’s a space that is constantly evolving and merging. However, for the purposes of this blog, we will focus on the following channels:
1.TELEVISION
In 2024, television remains one of the most powerful broadcast media channels available, offering a visual and auditory experience that can captivate a wide audience. Broadcast PR campaigns can leverage television in various ways:
- Interviews – Securing a spot on a news channel or talk show can provide a significant boost to a PR campaign. It allows a spokesperson to address the audience directly, conveying the brand’s message with clarity and authority. Here at Shout! Communications, we know exactly stories broadcasters want and what they don’t want. We can help you craft a story that will get you the attention from the networks and put you on-air.
- B-Roll – Television is all about images and if you have great footage to accompany your broadcast PR story, there is a greater likelihood of producers taking interest in covering what you have to say. This is where B-Roll comes in: video footage to help illustrate a PR generated story and bring it to life. Ready-made B-Roll has never been in such high demand, especially with dwindling resources at broadcast sites. We can help create this for you too! Read more about B-Roll here: https://shoutcommunications.co.uk/what-we-do/video-production/b-roll-footage/
- Packages Sometimes TV news networks want more than just an interview, they want to tell your story through a series of voices, images and video. They want the right spokespeople with the right credentials to give their opinions on what you have to say. They will also want case studies. These are real people who have experienced the issue or scenario described in your press release. If the story involves a specific location, they may also send a camera crew to film different scenes to really bring the story to life.
2. RADIO
Radio has and continues to be the most trusted broadcast medium. Its ability to intimately connect and reach vast audiences is unrivalled despite there now being more competition than ever before. Using radio as part of your wider PR strategy will usually involve securing an interview where the presenter asks a spokesperson questions based on the story pitched to them. This could be either a brand spokesperson or a third party, someone well known or someone who comes with credentials linked to the story.
As with television, case studies can also be really important, especially if the story is of human interest. BBC regional radio stations for instance love hearing from local people from their region who can discuss their experiences to the story. On a national level, more well-known third party names are more likely to cut through for consumer stories and people with senior positions who can talk from a point of authority for business stories. Ian King Live, Sky News’ business show will most likely want to speak to the CEO of a company than the Communications Director for instance.
3. PODCASTS
It is a channel that is being considered more and more in PR strategies, and for good reason. During the COVID 19 pandemic, there was a big drive in the creation of podcasts, so much so, there are now 464 million podcast listeners worldwide.
Very similar to radio, a podcast placement would likely be in the form of an interview, where a spokesperson is quizzed on the PR story pitched to them. The difference to radio is that podcasts are not instant, they are pre-recorded and edited to be released at a later date. Podcasts can be daily, weekly or monthly, meaning producers are working well ahead of time resulting in a longer pitching time compared to radio interviews.
Some podcasts are also heavily sponsored in order to pay for their production and ensure their survival; therefore, producers tend to be much more wary about the amount of brand mentions they will allow from a broadcast PR story versus their sponsor. We can coach your spokesperson to succinctly weave in your brand name and key messages in a natural way, ensuring happiness for client, producer and audience alike.
EXAMPLES OF BROADCAST PR CAMPAIGNS ACROSS ALL THREE BROADCAST CHANNELS
Television broadcast PR campaign examples
Here are two examples of television PR campaigns.
We really wanted this campaign to jump off the page with top tier television, so, within our consultation with the client we suggested trying to get Major Tim Peake to be the spokesperson – and we made it happen!
We knew just the right angle to get interest from broadcasters and were confident in Tim’s ability to draw attention. The result was a primetime interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, as well as 7 other pieces of quality national coverage. This broadcast PR campaign example highlights the importance of a good spokesperson.
Our goal was to land a sofa slot on BBC Breakfast, the biggest breakfast TV show in the UK. We knew we’d need someone a little bit different and quirky to stand out from the competition, so decided to team up with comedian Jay Foreman, one half of social media sensation Map Men. This, coupled with an Ordnance Survey spokesperson and on screen graphics, got us exactly where we wanted to be!
Radio broadcast PR campaign example
Slimming World
Our first radio broadcast PR campaign example highlights the incredible reach of UK radio broadcasting. Slimming World approached us to place a campaign based on the UK’s first study into the relationship between weight loss and mental toughness. Being a popular topic in radio newsrooms, we knew this could do well, but we needed the right ingredients to gain national as well as regional interest. Being a human interest story, we knew the story would land if we had enough real people who had experienced the issue to speak alongside an industry expert.
With this in mind, we worked with Slimming World to secure a selection of case studies and a selection of regional statistics. This led to widespread interest for radio interviews, including Sky News Radio and BBC regional stations. The total audience reach for the campaign stood at well over 36 million people.
Patients Know Best
Our knowledge of the kind of stories top level broadcast looks for also came in handy for a recent interview with our client Patients Know Best. The social enterprise and technology platform offers a single place for health information, and we wanted to place the CEO and Founder Mohammad Al-Ubaydli on a show that would give him room to really discuss the benefits.
We were aware that Talk Radio’s Trisha Goddard, a UK broadcasting veteran, recently had her own battles with health and has her own viewpoint on services such as the NHS app. We pitched the story, which received a warm response from producers and Trisha, and we landed a top slot on Trisha’s weekly national show. She was so engaged with what Mohammad had to say, the interview lasted almost 20 minutes! Talk Radio has a weekly audience of over half a million.
Podcast broadcast PR example
Entrust
Entrust, a global leader in delivering identity-centric solutions for governments, enterprises and financial institutions asked us to secure a podcast interview for the CEO of Airside, their subsidiary, that had unveiled the world’s first fully operational biometric border crossing program. In this broadcast PR campaign example, the client was keen to land on a high profile podcast in America to raise awareness. As American audiences differ to those in the UK, we tailored our pitch appropriately and set to work discussing the story with our team of high-profile podcast producers in the USA. The result was a 30 minute interview on the CBS CEO Spotlight Podcast which was also used on the CBS Radio Network.
Pros and cons of each type of broadcast media for a PR campaign
As we’ve already alluded, broadcast media is a highly important addition to your PR strategy. That said, when deciding which channel to use, it is vital to consider the following pros and cons:
Television:
- Pros: High reach, strong visual impact and credibility. Television is always seen as showbiz and superior!
- Cons: Takes much more time and work to get on air and broadcast PR interviews can be dropped at the last minute for other breaking news stories
Radio:
- Pros: The most intimate broadcast medium with ever growing audience numbers
- Cons: Inability to show what you are talking about with the use of pictures and video. There is a lot of responsibility on the spokesperson to explain the story in a way that will be easily understood
Podcasts:
- Pros: Growing audiences and a wider selection of niches compared to radio and TV
- Cons: Longer lead-in time, especially for monthly podcasts, and less opportunities to use branding
The Future of Broadcast Media channels for PR
The landscape of broadcast media is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer behaviours. Whilst not certain, here’s what we predict could happen in the future:
- Growth of Streaming Platforms:As traditional television viewership changes, streaming platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime are set to dominate. Broadcast PR strategies will need to focus on creating compelling content for these platforms too, whether through branded entertainment or product placement opportunities.
- Rise of Personalised Content:With the advent of AI and machine learning, content for broadcast PR might be more personalized than ever. Brands will need to tailor their broadcast media efforts to target specific demographics and individual preferences, making use of data-driven insights to create content that resonates on a personal level. Spotify for instance already play specific adverts between songs tailored to the personal location, wants and needs of the user!
- Integration of Social Media and Broadcast Media:The lines between social media and broadcast media will continue to blur, with platforms like Instagram and TikTok becoming central to broadcast PR campaigns. Real-time engagement and user-generated content will play a critical role in shaping brand narratives. An interview on Zoom as part of one of our remote radio days for instance can be clipped up and used as content on a radio or TV network’s social media account.
- Sustainability and Ethical Broadcasting:Consumers are increasingly concerned with sustainability and ethical practices. Brands that align their broadcast media efforts with these values, such as through green broadcasting or socially responsible content, will resonate more with future audiences. We can work with you to ensure your client or brand is in the best position to secure these hard won opportunities.
Conclusion
As we’ve hopefully shown with our broadcast PR campaign examples, broadcast media is a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can amplify your brand’s message and drive significant results. At Shout! Communications, we specialize in crafting and delivering broadcast PR strategies that leverage the full potential of television, radio, podcasts, and online streaming platforms. Whether you’re looking to launch a new product, boost your brand’s visibility, or offer comment on an existing story, our team of experts will tailor a solution that meets your needs.
If you are ready to take your PR campaign to the next level, contact Shout! Communications today and let us help you harness the power of broadcast media to achieve your goals.
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