Tips on running a media familiarisation tour from our PR expert
Tilma Group’s PR specialist, Anna Hayward, recently developed and managed two very successful media familiarisation trips (famils) to the rural South Burnett region which is inland from QLD’s Sunshine Coast, and to the rural town of Deniliquin near the NSW/VIC border, a few hours north of Melbourne.
We interviewed Anna:
Why were the famils to the South Burnett and Deniliquin so successful?
We were careful in our selection of the media we invited to attend. They were focused on the target markets and geographic areas the clients were trying to reach and attract.
We tailored the famil to the media and made the tour inclusions enticing for them and their audiences.
Tell us about the highlight results from each famil
For the South Burnett, having a six-page spread in RM Williams’ Outback Magazine was our big success, with a reach of 53,500. An article in RACQ had a reach of at least 1 million RACQ members.
The estimated AVE (ad rate x 4) for the short-lead articles published from the South Burnett famil was $1,125,850 with a reach of 869,400 readers. This did not include 20 radio interviews, online articles, event listings, or the long-lead articles.
For Deniliquin it was having NewsCorp coverage in major papers in VIC, NSW, NT and QLD. One full-page story was published in the Escape section of Sunday’s Herald Sun (Melbourne), the Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) and the Sunday Mail (Brisbane) giving Deni a reach of over 1 million readers.
Influencer Live Life and Roam’s social media posts and stories and blog post were not able to be quantified with an AVE figure.
The photos from the famils speak for themselves!
Top: From the South Burnett famil. Bottom: Photos from the Deni famil used on the visitdeni.com.au website.
Does the group famil format work better than individual famils?
It’s more cost- and time-efficient for the client, plus it gives journalists a chance to connect and network; they are not travelling on their own in a new environment, which is especially important when a lot of outdoor/nature-based activities are scheduled (e.g. for safety).
If there was anything you would do differently next time, what would it be?
Nothing really! We have a good 'tried and tested' system due to the number of famils we have organised.
Things never run perfectly to schedule so allow plenty of time between activities, and enough free time for media to explore things not on the itinerary, such as towns.
Don’t fill the famil with so much that it’s too busy, or too tiring for the journalists. Give them time to soak it all in.
Always ask visiting media for feedback to help improve future famils.
What would you suggest to other regional destinations that are considering a media famil as part of their marketing strategy?
Consider your target markets and make sure the media you invite are going to reach out to and resonate with those markets.
Have good Calls To Action to capitalise off the exposure and website visits while media stories are being rolled out.
Consider multiple channels - print, online, TV, etc - and their publication dates to get the most longevity from the famil.
Learn how Tilma Group can help your destination or event achieve similar amazing results with PR and media management
