Each and every week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publishes a plethora of data that reporters often overlook. Some of my greatest PR successes have been picking up on a piece of very newsworthy data deeply buried in an ABS spreadsheet, having a client comment on it, then issuing the commentary to reporters who have no idea the newsworthy data exists.
Having been a former business editor and journalist for the News Ltd, Fairfax, Dow Jones Newswires, including writing for the WSJ, has helped me to understand what is newsworthy, and a keen awareness that clients should only tell reporters something they don’t already know.
For example, with wealth management clients wanting to be quoted on investment trends, I prepare a diary of all relevant ABS, RBA and ATO releases concerning investment, the economy and markets. On the day of any given data release, I combine newsworthy data with clients’ commentary, giving it context and colour, I then issue a media alert with a catchy headline.
Media mentions often follow, whether in The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, or on a newswires such as Bloomberg or Reuters, which deliver important international media coverage.
The secret to PR success
As a PR expert well versed in numbers and backed with an economics degree and a very deep understanding of the yield curve, I source the official numbers myself by looking for newsworthy trends in ABS or RBA spreadsheets, seeking record highs or record lows etc. I encourage clients to add their views, then distribute the data on the same day as the report, and media coverage is guaranteed over time.
Similarly, with property or bank clients, I’ve had them comment on monthly RBA interest-rate announcements, banking or loan statistics from APRA, housing finance or property price data from the ABS, or monthly credit numbers from the RBA etc.
A win-win situation for reporters and clients
Reporters appreciate the commentary which they need for the stories they are writing that day, and which makes their lives a little easier as I send them newsworthy information on behalf of clients.
Benefits for clients:
- Clients appreciate regular media mentions, commenting on the numbers that matter. Not necessarily their own numbers or products, but numbers that are more important to the nation. This helps to establish my clients as thought leaders and experts in their field.
- This keeps reporters coming back for more commentary because it’s not just spin they are after, but real news, which they come to expect from my clients.
- The strategy is proactive for clients; they can set the media agenda while still getting their messaging out, after they get reporters’ attention, with my help.
Do you want to benefit from this low cost PR strategy and attract more media mentions?
Email nicki@spotoncpr.com