Why Investing in Big Opportunities has Big Results

It was during a Monday night watch party for “The Bachelor” amongst a small group of 20-something women when I was able to witness it happening first hand. Wine glass in one hand and iPhone in the other, we all suddenly found ourselves searching for flights – just “to see” what costs look like – if we too could explore Portugal and experience the food, culture and thrills we just saw on screen.

There’s no denying big broadcast opportunities require a big paycheck to facilitate them (note: in many cases large productions are not being paid, but tourism boards and hotels are working to cover the expenses for airfare, hotel nights, meals/transportation for cast and crew, etc.) but in a world where people are constantly scrolling, swiping and flipping the page – uninterrupted TV programming may just be your best bet.

There’s no denying traveling can be complicated and involve a number of moving parts. According to Expedia, consumers, on average, visit 38 websites before booking a trip. And while seeing a destination play out as a backdrop for a romantic date, cooking segment or as the temporary set of your favorite talk show may not eliminate any of those steps for a consumer, it can certainly paint a stronger picture of how to truly “experience” a destination.

“The Bachelor Effect”

With an average of 7 million viewers per week, The Bachelor delivers a one-of-a-kind romantic journey set amongst the world’s most beautiful destinations. From Thailand and the Maldives to Bermuda and the Bahamas, The Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises travel to some of the most exotic locales and take viewers along for the ride. The captive audience sees a destination in a way that anyone would want to enjoy it: great food, amazing romance, local culture and a sense of wonder and excitement that inspires the viewer to want to be there. The stakes are even higher for destinations that showcase the finale, which typically ends in a proposal. In a recent article on Skift, Peter Scalettar, the show’s co-executive producer estimated the media value of a finale appearance between $20 million and $100 million.

No longer is the coverage limited to just an episode of the program. Outlets like People.com, Time, Betches and many others have dedicated staffers for The Bachelor beat and provide secondary coverage to the show’s travel locations. Host destinations/hotels are also able to leverage their experience on the show in creative markets, from the development of hotel packages that recreate dates seen on the show, to consumer-centric watch parties hosted by former show contestants.

Keeping Reality TV “real”

Beyond the over-the-top antics of “The Bachelor/The Bachelorette,” reality TV continues to be a dominant force of programming that incorporates travel. From the number of “Real Housewives” series on Bravo to cooking shows like “Top Chef,” the amount of broadcast exposure can come in a number of ways. Many “bravolebrities” – a term for the cast of characters that have their lives filmed and aired on the cable channel Bravo – have also established large social media followings and partner with brands on sponsored posts. Taking it one step further, these social media posts are  also turning in to content on major news sites. Take this photo for example:https://people.com/home/rhobh-cast-bikini-bodies-bahamas/

 

Scripted Programming Integrations

Away from reality TV, there are still opportunities for travel brands to reach consumers through broadcast programming. Savvy brands are working with productions to incorporate vacations into the scripts of popular shows. Rather than fast forwarding through a commercial and completely missing an ad, when the family of your favorite sitcom suddenly arrives at one of the world’s best vacation spots, the seed is planted that maybe you should take your family there as well. While this approach has been previously more popular with consumer products (ever notice how conveniently the Coca-Cola label was showing when your favorite characters took a swig?), its an area for growth for travel brands.

Taking the Morning Show on the Road

Shows like The Today Show, Good Morning America and Live with Kelly and Ryan can also provide a big impact when filming in a destination. In this scenario, the show also brings many celebrities to the destination for interviews. In 2018 Atlantis, Paradise Island welcomed Live with Kelly and Ryan to broadcast from their resort in the Bahamas. In addition to the celebrity power of Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest (which generated incredible reach on social media and amongst celebrity outlets), guests of the show also included Heather Graham, Whitney Cummings,  Taylor Kitsch and more .

 

Mid-Sized Programming

While large-scale productions like “The Bachelor” can often include a large crew, there are  several travel-centric shows on channels like PBS that can be more manageable for destinations unable to offer 100+ room nights for a production. Known from her time on the Travel Channel, Samantha Brown’s “Places to Love” on PBS travels to a new destination each episode. Over the course of half-an-hour, Samantha meets passionate locals who help showcase the special destination through their eyes. Along the way viewers are introduced to chefs, artists, and a range of local artisans. By comparison, Samantha and her crew are less than 10 people and as a result the costs are significantly less to feed, house and transport 10 instead of 100.

 

In a time when consumers can’t get enough content, broadcast continues to be one of the leading ways to reach consumers. Despite all the ways that consumers can interact with something online or take a virtual tour of a hotel room, there’s nothing that is quite the same as seeing it play out in real-life. And it certainly doesn’t hurt if your favorite celebrity…or “bravolebrity”…was recently there.

from Lou Hammond Group https://louhammond.com/2019/03/29/why-investing-in-big-opportunities-has-big-results/
via https://louhammond.com

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: The Case for Working with Freelance Journalists

We’ve heard it again and again; the media landscape is changing. While in recent years that statement has been widely repeated when discussing public relations, it can be tricky to identify what this actually means when it comes to PR.  One of the more tangible ways this shift has manifested itself is in the rise of the freelancer. With publications increasingly keeping their staffs small, more and more editors have begun to rely on freelance writers for content. This opens up a world of opportunity for brands, as relationships with freelancers continue to be an excellent way to generate authentic, valuable and meaningful coverage. For public relations professionals, working with freelancers can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Here are some of the reasons why:

The Power of Flexibility

Though many companies and brands were once wary of the “freelance” moniker, these relationships are becoming just as valuable to cultivate as on-staff writers. While the power and prestige of the masthead isn’t going anywhere, the strength of working with freelancers can best be described in one word: flexibility. Especially in the world of travel, flexibility is key.

These days, we’ve seen that more publications are turning to freelancers who have the ability to travel more freely than staff writers to share firsthand accounts of their experiences. Freelancers are able to have a more flexible travel schedule because they aren’t tethered to one place, making travel much easier without the need to be putting in office hours or attending staff meetings. Freelancers are often also producing great #InstagramEnvy, sharing images from a sunny beach one day and an arctic tundra the next. Whereas staff writers may be limited with the days they can be out of the office and need to travel on a weekend, freelancers don’t have the same requirement. This flexibility can often lead to mid-week travel, making hotel availability easier and the great personalities within the destination to have a bit more time to interact with press.

New York Travel Writers Association President and freelance travel writer Kelsey Chauvin, who spends hundreds of days a year on the road, also acknowledges the power of flexibility. “Freelancing is fantastic for its flexibility, since as a travel writer I need to be able to take off weekdays, sometimes at the last minute. But every day that I’m traveling is a day not writing, and therefore not earning; so, it’s vital to be discerning about which trips to take. For financial sustainability, I aim to write at least three articles for every press trip I take; though sometimes it may take a year or more to get them all published.”  Despite the many conveniences of flexibility, it also means being able to adjust on the fly and being able to push yourself to work irregular hours. Travel and lifestyle writer Allison Tibaldi notes, “Being a freelance travel writer is a true privilege. Not only do I explore new destinations, I have fantastic access to the people and places of that destination. While it is a wonderful job, it is a job. I think the biggest misconception is that it’s all fun and games. It is a job I love, but we keep a full, tight schedule while on location, with early mornings, full days and often late nights.”

Travel by nature is incredibly experiential and publications still place value on storytellers who are able to paint a picture for readers based on their own personal understanding of a place. Publications are always looking for contributors with the latest off-the-radar experience, and PR pros are always looking to get their client in front of new eyes. Therefore, a symbiosis of sorts is formed – a relationship mutually beneficial to both parties involved. Since both freelance writers and PR professionals understand the value of the pitch, this type of relationship makes sense.

Getting Creative

Another component of freelancing is creativity. Freelancing lends itself to creativity and requires a little bit of out-of-the-box thinking. This can come from finding unusual workspaces (ever finished a story from the floor of a busy train station while trying to submit and not get stepped on at the same time?) to the creativity needed to find a compelling angle to a tried and true destination.

Just like the PR pros, freelancers are trying to catch an editor’s attention. When working together, we can double the efforts, angles and creative hooks to try and find a platform to tell our story. Since freelancers aren’t necessarily bound to one publication, numerous articles across outlets can result from a single trip, meeting or experience. If an experience captures a freelancer’s heart, odds are they’ll remember it as they continue to pitch. Investing in the right freelancers can be a creative way to stretch a client’s budget. Introduce a freelance writer to your brand or product, and odds are they might help you see things in a new light, too. Freelancers are not only seasoned storytellers, but they also know the importance of building and staying true to a brand, as so many are also experts at cultivating their own personal brand.

The Importance of Connections

Perhaps the most important thing of all that PR professionals and freelancers have in common is understanding the importance of building a strong network of personal connections. Freelancing is contingent on the relationships built with editors, agencies and brands. You need to be seen as a trusted source by all parties. In an industry where reputation is everything, building your network with strong, savvy colleagues is essential.  This is beneficial both when working together on the next big story and for building personal relationships. When speaking with Jillian Dara, a globe-trotting freelance journalist who contributes to numerous publications, she summed up her favorite part of the freelance experience as follows, “Having worked both in-house and now freelance, I love that as a freelancer my relationship with many publicists evolves from strictly professional communications to a personal friendship. When you’re in-house, I think there is a certain barrier that exists as a result of representing a company—but as a freelancer, you are the company! So, I’ve really enjoyed being able to grow these relationships which makes work feel even less like work.” In a business so focused on people-to-people relationships working with those who understand the worth of and seek out personal relationships is incredibly valuable and can lead to more authentic story telling.

While the value of working with publications and their staff will always be held in high regard, the modern freelancer is a valuable connection to have. Gone are the days when publications or brands looked at freelancing with a wary eye. Today, having an expanded network of freelance writers only increases the avenues down which stories can be told.

 

from Lou Hammond Group https://louhammond.com/2019/03/19/the-beginning-of-a-beautiful-friendship-the-case-for-working-with-freelance-journalists/
via https://louhammond.com