You’ve completed your media training, and now it's time to put your learnings to use! As a decision-maker, your job now is to align your new skills with your brand's messaging and the fast-changing media landscape. The hard work isn’t over yet—this is just the beginning.
Here’s how to refine what you’ve learned and keep your brand’s voice sharp and relevant in every interview:
1. Practice Makes Perfect
Set up practice sessions, either with your team or solo. Run through potential interview scenarios, especially ones that touch on common industry issues, like sustainability or ethical sourcing. Tough questions can strike out of nowhere, so your spokesperson should remain level headed and provide the appropriate response.
Try to shake things up if you're worried about practice feeling repetitive. Record yourself on video, or even better, do mock interviews over Zoom or FaceTime with a colleague.
2. Stay Updated on Media Trends
Put together a media team that updates you on current trends. Social media platforms, like LinkedIn or industry-specific blogs, can help you understand the latest in eco-conscious communication. Is there a hot topic surrounding climate action? Or maybe a new law affecting sustainable practices?
For example, many brands are taking a stand on climate policies and aligning their strategies with environmental goals outlined by organizations like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We live in a world where a wrong post or statement can break your company’s hard-built image.
3. Refine Your Key Message
It is important to fine-tune the core message that reflects your brand values. Media interviews are your chance to get these values out to a wider audience. Eco-conscious brands should focus on topics like sustainability, carbon neutrality, or ethical supply chains. These topics need to be woven into every public conversation you have.
Develop three or four key points that resonate with your brand's mission that’s consistent with your marketing efforts. Have your media team revisit and revise these periodically to reflect new developments or shifts in your industry. These are talking points that will make interviews less stressful and more rewarding.
4. Build Relationships With The Press
Your media training likely touched on the importance of relationships with journalists. These connections are invaluable. When you see a relevant news story or industry piece, reach out to the journalist who wrote it. A simple comment or share could open the door to future media opportunities.
Networking in eco-conscious spaces, such as local business summits, environmental summits, or green expos, could also lead to fruitful media partnerships. Stay within the visible eyes of these communities and any networking contacts you make, should be maintained. This is, again, something your media team must handle for you.
5. Do an interview as soon as possible
There’s no substitute for getting stuck in and we believe that if the opportunity arises you should look to do a real media interview as soon as possible. You may not hit the ground running right from the get go but as long as you feel confident in your skills, you will only keep getting better.
Put into practice what you have learnt and watch your confidence grow. And don’t forget to let us know how it went – we love hearing that companies we have trained have done a good job.
We also recommend revisiting media training from time-to-time. If you feel you or your team is in need for a refresher course, please reach out to us here.
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