The PR sector, like others, is currently facing many challenges. Here at 4media group we believe in helping out in tough times and, as part of that promise, we’ve been hosting a weekly live stream Q&A session with a leading media figure every Friday for the last month. The aim has been to give PRs a little oomph in their conversations with clients around what stories are working, what outlets are looking for and general tips for pitching stories.
This week we spoke with Lucy Gornall, Health & Fitness Editor at TI Media.
We started by asking Lucy how Coronavirus is affecting her job. Although Coronavirus is still dominating the agenda of print and online news, the same can’t be said of long-lead magazines. Lucy said she is currently working on some mid-summer issues and is having to plan carefully the topics she is writing about. They are constantly drafting and re-drafting stories, trying to decide if they should include a link to Coronavirus or not.
Lucy went on to explain that the other titles she writes and edits for are very much on the lookout for non-Coronavirus related stories, especially around health and wellness; to this point, she added that, quite possibly, people are becoming ‘healthier and fitter than ever before’ due to lockdown and the need to exercise.
Lucy’s pages are full of stories about home workouts, how to keep fit both physically and mentally. She said these are proving to be very much in demand and that there has never been a better time to get fit with so many free virtual workouts. The fitness stories that she might consider can be about anything from new loungewear to train in, foods and their health benefits or new product launches.
Product news and reviews are still very much of interest to Lucy and her team. While people might not be going out shopping, it doesn’t mean they have stopped buying online. However, although it might seem obvious, Lucy explained that they still need the physical product if they are to do a product review, so keep sending them in.
The magazines Lucy works on like to feature case studies, but in these tough times, Lucy explained, she ideally wants to write about something that has a happy ending, or which exudes a feel-good factor. And, Lucy explained, when she is considering a story, she wants something that is backed up with strong stats, and, if the stats are embedded in the subject of the email, she is more likely to take it seriously. And knowing the subject matter journalists like to write about and feeding this is a good way in for PRs.
Lucy’s top tip for PRs is to be quick and timely. Although she is working on long-lead magazines, she still has deadlines, so if you promise a quote at a certain time, then try to stick to the deadline. She also recommended that PRs provide everything a journalist might need in one go (high resolution images, research data, interview availability etc.) or be on hand to respond speedily to any requests.
Wrapping up the Q&A session, Lucy explained that while many subjects are currently off the agenda – travel for example – these will make a comeback at some point. And when they do, post-lockdown or as lockdown is coming to an end, the angle might well be about value for money and being budget friendly. Travel-wise, people are unlikely to be holidaying in the Maldives, but might well be up for staycations, or revisiting their favourite holiday memories and going on the best cheap and cheerful vacations.
4media believes in helping our clients and friends in the PR industry throughout these challenging times and we believe together we are stronger. If you would like to watch this Q&A in full click here.
Our next live stream Q&A session will be at 10.30am on Friday 17th April. In the meantime, if there is anything we can do to help, please feel free to reach out.