A Scoop Can Yield Results
When planning an earned media campaign for your organization, keep in mind the power of the exclusive. It can be used to forge a relationship with a reporter, or strengthen an existing one. And in our experience it might increase the odds of your news or story getting published or aired if the media outlet knows it is the only or first one who has the information.
At SPRYTE, we’ve cultivated many terrific relationships with healthcare writers both locally and in key trade publications and blogs. So when we have a strong story pitch or a timely news announcement for a client, one of the first things we ask ourselves is “Is there a key reporter we can offer this to as an exclusive?”
Usually, the answer will be obvious: that journalist whose outlet is most local or most relevant to the client. Other times, we’ll offer it to a friendly writer who previously covered the client. They might be one and the same, or they might be different.
A Laughing Matter: Nitrous Oxide
A recent example came when our client, a regional health system, became the first in the area to offer nitrous-oxide, aka laughing gas, to mothers laboring in the delivery room. Ni-Ox is a game-changer, as patients can personally control the flow of gas during active labor, and is completely safe for mother and child. It also hasn’t become widespread yet, so we knew there’d be interest.
We pitched a story including an in-person interview with the hospital’s director of women’s health, to the Bucks County Courier Times, a nearby daily with a readership that contributes a significant number of the hospital’s expectant mothers. The resulting story got prominent play in the paper’s health section, with multiple photos, and noted our client’s focus on giving patients more choices in their care.
But we were far from done. We then pitched the story to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the area’s most important business publication. As they don’t compete directly with the daily newspaper, we felt comfortable again offering it “exclusively.” That story ran three weeks after the other one.
And we are currently working with one of the local network affiliates on a story, which when it comes to fruition will be a local TV exclusive.
Because you’re putting all your marbles in one sack with this approach, it requires some patience, and it’s important to allow some time at the start of a campaign for this window of exclusivity, before going out with your news more broadly. Here are some other things to keep in mind when going this route:
Keep the needs of the media in mind. This might mean deferring to their timeline once you’ve made the offer (this is where the patience comes in).
Exclusive doesn’t mean “only.” Most journalists understand that it simply means they’re getting first crack, but others might follow. And they’re almost always fine with that.
Expand your view of “exclusive.” As we did with the Nitrous-Oxide news, we offered it as a daily newspaper exclusive, a business press exclusive, and a television exclusive. You can also offer an idea as:
- A trade media exclusive
- A radio exclusive
- An online/blog exclusive
- A local exclusive
- A national news exclusive
You can even offer these simultaneously, as long as none of the outlets directly competes with one of the others.
Use exclusives strategically. If you offer them to the same reporter over and over, they might lose their luster, and you’re missing an opportunity to build other relationships. Also, there might be times when an exclusive is not appropriate, like when your client has vital or timely information. Examples include tips for protecting yourself during an epidemic, or how the organization is responding to a data breach or cyber-attack.
Keep your word. Once you make an exclusive offer, you are obligated to stand by it and not approach a competing media outlet with the same idea. Violate this at the risk of harming the relationship.
Follow up, but be ready to move on. Contact the journalist once or twice after you offer the exclusive, to gauge interest. If they waffle, or don’t respond, send a final note saying something like “if it’s OK, I’d like to go ahead and offer this idea to another publication as I haven’t heard definitively from you.” Wait one more day, then do it.
The medical exclusive can be a valuable tool when embarking on a campaign. If you manage it properly, it can be a win-win for the reporter and your organization.
