Dissecting EOP: Don’t forget media relations
I was impressed by a recent PRWeek piece by a prominent CEO I read on the importance of integrating traditional media relations and content marketing.
This sums it up well: “For a while everyone was focusing on driving peer recommendations, but we must not underestimate the importance of journalists’ expertise when it comes to making the purchase. People want specialist advice.”
Have you ever heard of the Rule of Seven? While different for every company, it touches on “effective frequency,” stating a customer must be exposed to a marketing message at least seven times before making a purchase decision. With reduced attention spans and a fractured media environment, I’d argue that number is much higher today.
That’s why Earned Owned Paid (EOP) is setting PR pros up for success. We have the opportunity to control and influence several touchpoints as consumers make buying decisions – and increase the frequency a consumer is exposed to key messages with quality content and earned media. Historically, a PR team may have had to rely on traditional media relations for campaign success. That’s a tough challenge. For sustained coverage that drives awareness, it’s important to bring Owned and Paid channels into the mix.
But, don’t get me wrong: Forgetting earned media relations in your marketing program is a critical misstep. Yes, newsrooms are shrinking and the news model is shifting, but readership and viewership are still significant.
Here are a few stats to keep in mind:
- People are still watching Lester, Scott and David. Combined average viewership for the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts increased 5 percent in 2014, to about 24 million.
- To no one’s surprise, digital traffic is booming. Check out ComScore’s August 2015 data here.
- Minority-specific news sites have some really impressive online traffic. For example, thirteen African American-oriented sites are reaching more than 1 million unique visitors per month.
How is your company or agency tackling EOP? Is media relations still a large component? Please share in the comments below.
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