KEF Media is thrilled to announce the launch of KEF Entertainment, a new division dedicated to serving the entertainment industry. Building upon our extensive experience in film, television, and music, this division aims to make PR services more accessible to independent artists and creators.

For over 35 years, KEF Media has been the "go-to" firm for results-driven campaigns, delivering high-quality outcomes for some of the world's most renowned brands. Our innovative tactics and commitment to exceptional client service have propelled us from our beginnings in Chicago to becoming a global organization.

Yvonne Hanak, CEO of KEF Media, explains, "While KEF has a deep history of working with entertainment clients, we felt it was a natural move to form a dedicated division to service filmmakers, movie and recording studios, and independent creators. With the astonishing rate the media landscape has shifted in recent years, the demand for quality content and thoughtful publicity plans continues to increase."

Leading this new division are agency veterans Kyle Smith and Jurena G. Cantrell. Cantrell, VP of Entertainment, notes, "A major shift is happening in the entertainment industry, and with KEF’s expertise, films, events, music properties, and creative projects now have access to connect with wider audiences and with media on a global scale. This is the game changer that will redefine how media works creatively."

Football's biggest day is more than just a sporting event; it's a cultural phenomenon. As the most-watched telecast in history, with over 123 million viewers last year, the big game provides an unmatched platform for brands to make a significant impact.

At KEF Media, we specialize in integrated media relations, crafting compelling narratives and executing high-impact satellite media tours that secure coveted television and radio appearances, as well as placements on popular streaming platforms and digital news outlets.

Here are 3 key tips for a successful media tour:

1. Craft a Compelling Narrative: Your story must be newsworthy and relevant to the excitement surrounding football's biggest day. Tie your brand message to the spirit of competition, community, or celebration.

2. Leverage the Power of Visuals: In today's digital age, compelling visuals are essential. Prepare high-quality photos and videos that showcase your brand and its connection to this momentous occasion.

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You’ve done your research, and you’ve decided that a media tour with KEF Media is just what your business or organization needs to reach that next stage of growth. But there’s one more thing you need to consider before we begin to book talent and set up interviews — would an In-Person Media Tour or a Virtual Media Tour be the best fit?

Both are great options, and KEF Media has worked hard to achieve amazing results for our clients whether that’s face-to-face or through a computer screen. Let’s break down what makes each of these an excellent tool to get more exposure for your brand.

In-Person Media Tours

KEF Media executes In-Person Media Tours in a couple of ways. When we talk about on-location media tours, we take the show on the road. We can produce media tours from anywhere in the world — and with nearly four decades of experience, we can guarantee that we have done just that. From resorts, to farms, to stadiums, even Yellowstone National Park and atop a hotel in Beijing — as long as it is relevant to your brand, your story, and your audience, we can set up shop there.

Or, you could choose to be in a more controlled setting. For in-studio media tours, KEF Media will customize the set to help tell your story and captivate an audience. We’ve made blank spaces feel like warm, cozy, lived-in homes for the holidays or brought the outdoors inside for the perfect tailgate. In-studio options provide comfort and modern day convenience for our clients and talent.

It doesn’t matter the time of year, whether it's a celebration or just another Tuesday, whether it's been a good day or a bad one, food plays a huge role in our lives. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. consumers, businesses, and government entities spent $2.39 trillion on food and drinks in 2022. To meet that demand, food production is a massive industry, and it can be a challenge for companies to stand out in the deep pool of competitors.

KEF Media is here to help. Our team is honored to work with powerhouse clients in the food industry, like Honey Baked Ham, Ragu, Sunkist, Pre-Meat, and Edwards. One of the best ways to showcase their tasty products is with a Satellite Media Tour, a series of interviews scheduled in 5-10 minute windows with media outlets across the country. A Satellite Media Tour typically lasts for hours, leaving plenty of time for the food to wilt or melt. Here’s what KEF Media does to combat the clock and produce a successful Satellite Media Tour for our food industry clients.

The holiday season is filled with celebrations, time with loved ones, and spending–lots and lots of spending. The National Retail Federation reports that holiday retail sales hit more than $936 billion in 2022, and some experts say those numbers could soar even higher for the 2023 season. Experts with Deloitte predict holiday sales could reach up to $1.56 trillion — yes, we said trillion — from November to January.

At KEF Media, we know that your clients have big expectations for the holiday season. But, big expectations don’t always come with big budgets, even at such a critical time of the year. That is why KEF Media has developed a way to help you still get amazing results at a fraction of the cost. We can do that through Integrated Taped Tours.

An Integrated Taped Tour differs from a Satellite Media Tour in that it isn’t live. We don’t have the constraints of hitting precisely timed interviews back-to-back with multiple media outlets. Instead, we record interviews, combine those soundbites with video footage of products, and then send the completed segment to media outlets for them to use. The turn around can be fast too. We can create an Integrated Taped Tour in as little as a week’s notice.

Time to take a deep breath–the hustle of dozens of back-to-back interviews is over, your spokesperson nailed each of the talking points they needed to hit, and your brand was showcased in a way that should make a lasting impression on your target audience. While you can relax–KEF Media just executed an exceptional media tour for your business or organization after all–our team is just getting to work.

A media tour is a huge investment. The planning and labor that goes into the pre-production is monumental. Production day is a beast by itself. KEF Media’s goal is to ensure our clients see a return from such an undertaking. The good news is that these results shouldn’t come as a shock to you. Our team will prepare you on what to expect from the first stages of brainstorming for your media tour. We will go in depth with you about your brand story, what your goals are for the media tour, and what specific audience you want to target. All those details will shape exactly how we approach the media tour. It will determine the location, spokesperson, the pitch, and the media outlets we book for interviews.

Even if the results report won’t be full of surprises, we know how satisfying it is to see just how much impact your media tour had. For that reason, KEF Media will supply a detailed post-production report including:

You’ve hired a celebrity, retired athlete, or well-known newsmaker to help give your brand a major boost. Now, you need to maximize that investment. This was one of the reasons why KEF Media developed the Customized Media Day. It’s a tactic that takes full advantage of time, resources, and talent to produce the highest level of results for your organization or company.

A Customized Media Day is a condensed time frame filled with a variety of media tactics. The name says it all–your timeline will be customized to fit the marketing and exposure goals we outline during strategic planning. KEF Media has found that a Customized Media Day works best for clients with five to eight hours of celebrity time. To help you better understand this powerful tool, we’ve created a sample schedule of what your CMD to look like. In this example, we have planned for eight media hours with our celebrity spokesperson.

6:00 am – Grab your coffee and get ready for an exciting, busy day. Production crews will be on set to make sure that everything is prepared to tell your brand story. We will tailor and execute a set design to ensure the environment is dynamic and engaging.

7:30 am – Spokesperson arrives. The hair and makeup process begins. We have found that it is key to schedule this necessary part of the day separately from the allotted time your spokesperson will be on set. Furthermore, it is vital that the spokesperson’s team understands in advance that hair, makeup, and wardrobe time is not included in the media hours scheduled.

It’s time to put on your team colors, get the tailgate ready, schedule the watch party and even partake in some friendly competitive banter with your rivals. Football season is here — the time of year that holds so much meaning for American culture and so many opportunities for brands to grow. Imagine reaching nearly 17 million people with your brand message in one night — that was the average television viewership for an NFL game in the 2022/2023 season. With all those eyes on the ball this season, KEF Media can help you capitalize so that viewers will walk away thinking about your brand and not just their team’s ranking.

KEF Media has been ahead of the game already this season. We produced a Satellite Media Tour for The Honey Baked Ham Company with ESPN host and reporter Laura Rutledge as spokesperson. Our team brought the outdoors inside the studio to show fans the essentials to host a stellar tailgate for all those hungry football enthusiasts.

Laura was booked to do short segments or interviews with more than 25 media outlets during a few hours. She had fun, shared tips and most importantly, gave our client the brand visibility they desired.

Your next media tour is scheduled, and you’ve signed a celebrity spokesperson who will deliver the brand’s message. Then you find out — there’s a conflict of interest. The spokesperson recently represented a competitor, and now they’ll be representing your brand, causing confusion for the audience. What now?

A celebrity spokesperson can be the right fit for Satellite Media Tours when the goal is to increase the visibility or reputation of a company, but there are several questions we recommend you ask the celebrity’s agent before signing the contract.

If you’re an Olympic Sponsor, it’s especially important to ask these questions as we head towards Paris 2024 and many companies are using athletes as the face of their brand.

Here are five questions we suggest asking the spokesperson’s agent, before signing any type of contract:

1. What other projects is the spokesperson working on? Unfortunately, this information is not always forthcoming, so it’s important to ask what other projects could potentially be before or after yours. After all, you’re paying a lot of money for the spokesperson’s appearance and you want to be able to get the proper audience engagement. Other projects could potentially cut down on the amount of time that your project is in the media spotlight.

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In today's fast-paced media landscape, businesses and organizations compete to capture the attention of journalists and influencers. Often, that’s why brands like to bring in a celebrity spokesperson — someone who will make media companies think, “I have to book that tour.” It’s a win-win since celebrities also tend to capture audience attention.

This can be a pretty expensive (although effective) strategy, since working with celebrities is never cheap. We started to notice a trend with our clients: celebrities would be booked for five hours, but tours would only last three hours, leaving a lot of time (and money!) on the table. To get the best results for our client, and make the best of the celebrity’s time, we developed Customized Media Days.

A Customized Media Day allows us to book multiple interviews across many different platforms. Start the morning with a Satellite Media Tour, then offer a sit-down to a major publication who wants to live stream the conversation, and wrap up the day with reporters onsite to interview the A-Lister.

This tactic offers numerous benefits, from enhancing brand visibility to fostering meaningful relationships with the media.

Media tours continue to play a pivotal role in connecting brands and organizations with their audiences. As we venture into the second half of 2023, media tours are set to bring even more excitement, innovation, and engagement.

Now is the time to create a strategy for the rest of the year. From here on out, there’s an opportunity every single month that brands can strategically use to increase visibility.

Just take a look at the calendar…

July: 4th of July

August: Back to School and Tailgating

September: Labor Day and Holiday Travel

October: Halloween

November: Thanksgiving

December: Christmas and Planning Spring Travel

There are several trends and expectations surrounding media tours for the rest of the year. Here are the top three that we’re noticing with our clients:

1. The Resurgence of In-Person Tours

After a long period of virtual events and remote interviews, the rest of 2023 is poised to witness the resurgence of in-person media tours. As the world recovers from the pandemic, organizations are eager to reestablish personal connections with their target audience. Face-to-face interactions provide a unique opportunity to create lasting impressions and build trust. From product launches to press conferences and exclusive media events, in-person media tours will be back with a bang, delivering immersive experiences and forging meaningful relationships.

On-demand. Audience-focused. Choice-driven. Podcasts have gained significant popularity in recent years because they have the power to reach niche audiences.

That’s why we developed podcast tours — an ideal set up for every client looking to create a halo effect around their spokesperson or brand. There are several benefits. Podcasts tend to have a longer shelf life than most media interviews. Plus, your spokesperson will likely have longer and more meaningful conversations with podcast hosts, which means more air time.

But what exactly is the ROI on podcast tours? Because they reach specific audiences, the impressions aren’t as large as what you’d typically see with a Satellite Media Tour or a Radio Media Tour. While databases are improving, we often set expectations with our clients ahead of time that numbers will not be as high as traditional television or radio numbers. However, high numbers are not always the biggest indicator of success. The audience you reach may be smaller, but it’s VERY qualified.

Here are four proven facts that display the effectiveness of podcasts:

1. Increased accessibility: Listeners can tune in to podcasts at their convenience. This accessibility allows podcasts to reach individuals who may not have the time or inclination to consume other forms of media.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France. With a rich culture and history — the excitement of holding the Olympics in a European City is already building. Plus, the world is ready to celebrate athletes in person after COVID-19 delayed the 2020 Games and limited access to the 2022 Games.

Summer is right around the corner and families are already planning their summer vacations! This year, it seems like everyone's itching for a vacation, and travel plans are starting to pick back up from the drop during the pandemic. 85% of Americans plan to travel, which means there is a large audience just waiting for your message!

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half of U.S. adults say they sometimes or often get their news from radio. That’s great news for anyone looking for a fast way to reach millions of listeners over the airwaves — and it’s why we recommend audio news releases, especially when our client is looking for a quick yet effective way to reach mass audiences across the country.

An audio news release (ANR) is a scripted voiceover radio package that can air across a wide footprint in target markets. Overall, they are an easy, efficient and economical way to pre-package your message or your client’s message. ANRs are used for a variety of purposes, like educating and informing audiences or raising awareness about specific topics.

How many media tours should you produce in a year? Are you worried that if you execute too many, your message will feel stale?

A lot of our partners choose to take advantage of multiple opportunities throughout the year to produce media tours. And we can tell you from experience, there are plenty of opportunities to freshen up your brand’s or client’s message so that it never feels like a rinse and repeat.

In fact, part of our goal is to make sure we are constantly working with our partners to deliver new content so that viewers don’t say, “Oh, I’ve seen this before,” and change channels or scroll to the next video. Even when tours are properly executed, too much of a good thing can have negative consequences.

So — if your budget allows you to produce multiple media tours in a year, we have several suggestions to keep your message fresh:

1. Switch up the spokesperson. A familiar face is always nice (and works well for many of our partners), but switching up the spokesperson can bring new and interesting perspectives to tours. For example, consider switching out a company executive with a social media influencer who can share personal stories about interacting with a product or service. Both spokespeople offer value, but the media tours will look and feel different.

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Satellite Media Tours, or SMTs, have been a key component in PR agencies’ toolboxes for thirty-plus years. For twenty of those years, SMTs were straightforward: your spokesperson is in front of the camera talking to local morning news anchors in dozens of back-to-back interviews. Effective and efficient. PR pros could get their message in front of millions as they got their morning news before heading out to work.

While the tactic is still incredibly popular (and our company’s bread and butter), the most successful tours embrace and cater to the radical shifts in the media landscape. This shift has allowed us to turn the tried-and-true SMT on its ear and actively engage an audience that will ‘opt-in’ and view the content on their TV, computer, phone, radio, etc. Current “SMTs” may not look exactly like they used to, but the modern, reimagined version will allow you to reach large yet targeted audiences far better than before.

Here are the top three things you should know about reimagined SMTs and how to customize the tactic to create your ideal media plan.

SHIFT 1: Beyond Morning TV

According to a Pew Research Survey, 86% of Americans say they get their news from online sources. Neilson reports slightly more people now get their television content from streaming over cable, and their data shows over 80.5 million (97% of the Gen X population) tune into AM/FM radio during an average month. Infinite Dial reports a 57% increase in podcast listenership.

Yvonne Hanak, a 22-year veteran of KEF Media, has been named CEO of KEF Media, the Atlanta-based video, audio, and digital production company serving public relations professionals across the U.S.

Kevin Foley, who founded the firm in Chicago 37 years ago, is stepping down from the role but will assist Hanak as she takes on her new responsibilities.

“Yvonne joined us as a freelance production assistant and has distinguished herself at every level of her professional development,” Foley said. “Her commitment to meeting and exceeding client expectations while guiding our team made this promotion an easy decision.”

Hanak most recently served as co-president as the company shifted to remote working due to COVID.

“Along with our Atlanta-area team, we have professionals in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Montana,” noted Foley. “Yvonne has masterfully led this far-flung group through the transition without losing a step.”

Foley said he is moving from Kennesaw, Georgia near Atlanta to Athens, Georgia to be closer to his daughter, her husband, and his three rambunctious grandsons. “The comedian Will Farrell said having three growing sons is like running a small correctional facility, so my wife Susie and I are hoping we can lend a hand.”

You’ve probably heard this line many times before: “The media landscape is changing.” With the constant evolution of digital and social media, there is no doubt that the media landscape is much different than it was nearly 40 years ago when KEF Media was first founded.

That’s why we have worked diligently to stay ahead of the demands. After all, we don’t just produce Satellite Media Tours anymore. Our services are a reflection of the interests and needs of media companies.

One of the changes that we’ve noticed recently is the move towards secured media. While our focus has been and will continue to be earned media, secured media is becoming an essential part of successful tours to reach the right audience.

If you’re not familiar with secured media, it includes paid spots to help ensure your message gets picked up and carried by the right outlets. Secured media is often an effective way to expand the reach of your brand or your client, when you have the right strategy.

Earned media is “earned” through word of mouth. Oftentimes, earned media is the result of our team pitching outlets and publications that we believe would be a good fit for the tour’s message.

Game time is here!

It’s almost impossible to predict who’s going to win the biggest football game of the year — will it be the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles?

Sometimes one team wins by a landslide. Other times the game is close. At the end of the game, the goal is always the same: to WIN. KEF Media is excited to be on site for the big game in 2023, helping our clients deliver a W for clients.

Perhaps you have a big client project coming up. Your own version of the “Big Game.” Do you have the right team in place to get the win? KEF Media has the experience you need to pull off a victory and exceed client expectations.

When we execute broadcast and digital projects for a public relations firm, we consider ourselves that agency’s direct partner. Our goal is the same today as it was when KEF Media launched more than 35 years ago: to build lasting relationships as we gain your confidence and trust.

The KEF team knows what it takes to produce a win for you! We deliver honest counsel and media results that matter to you and your client.

Our team consists of former broadcasters, producers, news magazine journalists, PR account executives and communications directors who specialize in customizing broadcast and digital publicity tactics.

Instead of paying costs for airfare, hotels, and studio space, Virtual Media Tours offer the convenience of going live from the comfort of your own home - and the results have proven to pay off.

VMTs use Skype or Zoom to connect a spokesperson to media around the globe. When the world changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a major shift in our broadcast public relations industry, and quickly learned that PR had a whole new meaning: Pivot Rapidly.

Following the shutdown in March 2020, many clients postponed and/or canceled long-planned Satellite Media Tours (SMT) and Customized Media Days (CMD). We quickly digested the information coming in and its impact on our company, and figured out a way to redirect our clients to a new path forward. Simultaneously, we had an equal number of media outlets reach out desperate for quality content. News producers and reporters were, many for the first time, working from home and needed stories with unique perspectives surrounding the pandemic and many needed to be able to conduct and record the segments from home. There was still a need, and we quickly developed a new tactic: Virtual Media Tours.

VMTs work much like SMTs with back-to-back interviews. We handle all the bookings, technical elements and follow-up/reporting. The key difference is interviews are conducted using a mixture of Skype, Zoom and satellite with a spokesperson at home. The spokesperson simply connects with our studio using Skype and we do the rest. Our clients watch everything via a virtual green room livestream so they can provide real-time feedback to the spokesperson.

The year is coming to an end, so it’s time to start looking at media tour trends for 2023.

Part of the beauty of the new year is having a fresh start and trying out new ideas to make your business or product stand-out against the competition. Here are some tours to keep in mind:

When a pitch email lands in a newsroom inbox, it needs to be eye-catching and the opportunity should be unique. A b-flat pitch and dull spokesperson is not going to cut it with modern media outlets.

No matter if it’s an on-location, remote, in-studio or virtual tour, getting creative with the set/background is what will set your project apart and make for engaging TV. Broadcast news, whether TV or Online, is still a critical part of your PR strategy, so you want to make sure you are checking all the boxes to best showcase your news. KEF Media recently worked with a client who showcased menu items utilizing a restaurant backdrop. What could be better than taking viewers to the spot and immersing them in the atmosphere?

When it comes to media tours, the last thing you want to do is blend in. Whether your next tour is at a remote location or in-studio, taking the set to the next level is critical to standing out — and it happens to be an area where KEF Media excels.

Below are a few examples of stand-out sets created for media tours that captured audience attention and took the tour far beyond standard.

Satellite Media Tours are effective for all types of messaging, but they especially offer extra value for retail stores.

When it comes to the retail industry, there is a lot of competition — but also a lot of opportunity. Global retail sales grew to $26 billion in 2021 and that number is expected to grow to $31.3 trillion by 2025. Separating your brand or your client is key to earning a place in the market and maintaining growth.

Every year, KEF Media has two unique opportunities to hit the red carpet at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival and the SCAD TVFest. While there is always a little glitz and glamor involved, we are there to highlight every celebrity who comes through the red carpet both as the house crew and as representatives for various entertainment outlets.

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival is presented by The Savannah College of Art and Design, typically in October. The eight-day festival celebrates creative productions from award-winning filmmakers and students who are just emerging in the field. More than 60,000 people attend to watch feature-length and short-form films, and to attend special screenings, workshops, and panels.

When you’re making an investment like a Satellite Media Tour (SMT), you want to make sure every detail is covered and goes off just as planned. Once you hire us, our job is to take the tour to the next level with solid bookings, the right crew in place, and expert coaching for the spokesperson.

Whether you’ve had a bad experience in the past, or you’re just dipping your feet into the world of SMTs for the first time, we’ve got a few tips for successful Satellite Media Tours:

1. Allow enough time to book. Yes, we can always work some magic if an urgent or last-minute SMT pops up. However, the more you’re able to plan ahead, the more time we have to book solid interviews. Breaking news can and will happen. Planning ahead also gives us more flexibility to adjust around major events that will likely take up a large amount of air time.
2. More planning time leads to better results. Planning ahead is not just about booking. When you plan ahead, you allow our team more time to put our creativity to work. How can we make this tour stand out? How can we build a set that’s different and interactive? Is this SMT better in-studio or is there an option for a remote tour? Remote tours perform well, offering new and engaging perspectives for the viewer, but they do require more time to plan. Allowing time for us to handle all of the details will lead to better overall results.
3. Keep local news sweeps in mind. Is the message timely? Does it need to go out RIGHT NOW? If not, keep in mind that there are several months in the year when local news stations have ratings periods. Often, the stations have spent months planning ahead on hard-hitting investigative stories that will be heavily promoted. Don’t try to compete with the work they’re producing. If there is no urgency to your client’s message, we will guide you towards the appropriate time to hold your Satellite Media Tour so there is no conflict with local stations.
4. Don’t waste your money. If you have money to spend by the end of the fiscal year, but you don’t have any good ideas for a Satellite Media Tour, don’t waste your money. We would never encourage you to spend money on a Satellite Media Tour that’s not going to perform well. Instead, we can pre-bill for the next year. It’s a win-win: you have a tour locked in place and you have the right timeline to start planning a stellar tour that will capture and hold audience attention.
5. KEF Media has more than 35 years of experience producing Satellite Media Tours and we know how to set you and your client up for success. When you’re ready to get started, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to hear how we can bring your ideas to life. Brainstorming sessions are always free.

Satellite Media Tours take all shapes and sizes and it’s no surprise. After all, there is no “one size fits all” solution for getting the right message to the right audience. Still, sometimes it’s helpful to see examples of successful Satellite Media Tours to have an understanding of the strategy behind each approach.

Example #1: Holiday Entertaining

When a global PR agency wanted to boost sales of Navel oranges, they partnered with KEF Media to showcase simple, flavorful recipes during a popular cooking time — the holiday season.

The campaign went a step further and promoted a Twitter watch party for the holiday classic “Elf.” Our goal was to push the message of adding “zest” and reducing stress during the holiday season. To do this, our objective was to secure 26-30 TV interviews, specifically in Columbus and California.

With this tour, the look and feel of the studio was key. We identified several options with our initial proposal so the client knew the backdrop would complement their brand image. We also found the right food stylist so no detail was left uncovered.

On the day of the tour, clients reviewed the tour remotely via our virtual green room and provided live feedback on the day of the tour for strong messaging results that helped make the project a win.

Shopping malls, overseas resorts, even private islands — KEF Media recently produced Satellite Media Tours (SMTs) from all of those locations. There is something special about an on-location Satellite Media Tour. You have the ability to transport viewers to another place. Producers tend to gravitate towards on-location interviews because they are so visual. And that’s exactly what the audience wants to see.

Producing live tours outside or in unique locations adds excitement, and it’s not just for the viewer. From our experience, we’ve also noticed that talent and spokespeople tend to feed off the energy of on-location tours. For some media tours, it’s worth breaking out of the four walls of the studios and expanding the audience’s vantage point.

KEF Media is here to help with your next on-location Satellite Media Tour from start to finish.

The first step to successful remote SMTs is to plan effectively and efficiently. There are several factors to consider, and we will often walk through the following questions: What’s the best location for the Satellite Media Tour? How does the location add value to the overall tour? Will the messaging still connect with the viewer? What will the cell service be like in that location? These questions help us prepare not only for the pitching process, but also for the planning process so we know the equipment needed for flawless execution and network quality live shots.

Satellite Media Tours (SMTs) may have taken a brief pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now they are back in full force. Many of our partners are returning to Satellite Media Tours to get their clients' message out, but like many other aspects of our lives, they look a little different than they did before.

SMTs are a tried and true broadcast PR tactic with high-quality results. They build excitement, cast a wide net of awareness over a brand’s product or service, while also embedding a spokesperson and message on television newscasts across the country.

There's good news — Satellite Media Tours are still providing clients with great results. The even better news — SMTs are even more flexible than before. Here are just a few changes we're noticing as we continue to produce Satellite Media Tours:

1. More live options. Does your client have two spokespeople on two different sides of the country? We've executed tours with one person live via satellite (in-studio or on-location) and another live via a digital platform like Zoom. The viewer doesn't notice a difference, and there is much less disruption for the spokespeople.

2. More flexible travel options. More live options lead to more flexible travel options. Because spokespeople can be in two different locations, there is less travel involved. We've also started integrating other convenient tools like virtual green rooms. A virtual green room allows the client to watch the Satellite Media Tour as it's happening. Clients can share feedback and talk with the spokesperson when appropriate. Virtual green rooms have been a great alternative to flying in to be on set. The communication is still there, and KEF Media producers are always on site to ensure every detail is executed.

Some of the largest target markets in the country — like New York and Los Angeles — also contain the largest Spanish-speaking populations in the United States. Around 13% of people in the U.S. speak Spanish at home.

Although Spanish-speaking content may seem to be an afterthought for most brands, there are signs of inclusivity. Governments are offering documents and other materials in both English and Spanish. Businesses are offering customer service in Spanish. Other organizations are creating content to specifically support the Spanish-speaking population.

However, not just any media company understands Spanish broadcast trends. KEF Media has developed tight-knit relationships with Spanish media as well as Spanish-media personalities and knows how to execute Spanish-speaking tours.

From our experience, we recommend the following tour options for bilingual tours:

• Guaranteed Market Tours - In most cases, Guaranteed Market Tours can be a great option for Spanish-speaking media tours. Guaranteed Market Tours (GMTs) allow your client to target very specific markets, especially the largest markets in the country. Plus, all GMTs come with an Audio News Release and Daily Buzz segment, if desired.

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How many emails do you get per day that start, “Can you spare 10 minutes for a conversation about (fill in the blank)?”

The topic may not even be relevant to you because the salesperson never bothered to learn what your company does or how what they’re pitching will help your business. These pitches are cookie cutter and impersonal, and often not successful.

As PR professionals, there is a lot to take away from this type of generic pitch. To be successful, it’s vital you know how to capture your media contacts’ interest. How can you help the editor, reporter, or producer make their job easier? They are often bombarded by hundreds of pitches from publicists (never mind the pesky emails from lazy sales representatives).

The good news is, the media always needs more news and information. The key is to research before you pitch. Try these five tips for successful media pitches:

1. Do your homework. Learn whatever you can about the contact, their interests and beat, and recent work that relates to your client.

2. Always start by addressing your media contact’s needs. Media contacts always need more readers, viewers, and/or more followers. Make it clear how what you’re pitching will help them meet their needs.

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Believe it or not — we are already in the middle of the holiday season. With Mother’s Day and Memorial Day under our belt in May, we can look ahead to one holiday after another for almost the remainder of the year.

Just take a look at the calendar…

June: Father’s Day

July: 4th of July

August: Back to School

September: Labor Day

October: Halloween

November: Thanksgiving

December: Christmas

Is anyone else exhausted yet? With one holiday on top of another, how is it possible to get ahead? We’ve helped companies of all sizes showcase their clients during every holiday. Here are our tips to getting ahead now, so the rest of the year is not in a tailspin:

1. Start planning early. We always recommend planning ahead, when possible. For Satellite Media Tours, we typically start planning about six weeks before the start of the tour so we can ensure all of the details are buttoned up prior to launch day. However, we know early timelines are not always possible. That’s why we’ve developed multiple tactics, so you can choose the best option for you and your client, no matter how much time you have to plan ahead.

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The beaches of Mexico. A celebrity’s backyard. On a farm. Media tours can be produced from nearly any spot in the world. (Take our word for it. We’ve produced media tours everywhere from stadiums to Yellowstone to the top of a Beijing hotel.)

From our 36 years of experience with media tours, we’ve found location can often be the difference between forgettable and unforgettable.

Here are some of the top reasons to choose an on-location media tour:

1. Television is a visual medium. These days, all digital platforms are as well. When you’re planning a tour, the last thing you want is your message to fall flat. On-location tours grab viewers attention and make them say, “Hey honey! Look at this!” instead of putting their hand on the remote to switch the station.

2. The media is more likely to be interested in coverage. When you have a compelling topic coupled with an attractive background, it’s hard for the media to turn it down. Viewers want an experience that ‘takes them there,’ and that’s much easier to achieve on-location than in a studio.

3. Cozy corners don’t always get the win. There is always a time and a place for hosting media tours in a studio. We are not trying to say that a remote tour is the only option. We are simply encouraging you to think outside the box when it comes to how your next tour is set up. We always encourage our clients to get more creative than just a table with a framed logo in the background. When you can’t be outside, consider creating your desired destination INSIDE.

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You know your client needs coverage with a media tour. Now, what’s the next step? Sorting through all of the different options can be overwhelming when you want to make sure you get stellar results.

When a client contacts us about a future tour, we listen carefully to their needs then guide them towards the option that best suits their needs. We are also constantly adjusting our tours to reflect current client needs. What worked 10 years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. Our industry has changed, and it’s our job to keep up with the changes.

Each tour has its own unique benefits depending on the client’s ultimate goal.

• Virtual Media Tour - Virtual Media Tours have become increasingly popular because they reduce the amount of travel for the spokesperson, the production staff, and the client. We can produce a full morning of 25 or more back-to-back interviews with the team spread out over five or more states. VMTs use technology like Skype and Zoom to send signals back to a control room before that signal is distributed to media outlets across the country.

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Despite what you hear about the rise of ‘nontraditional’ media and other digital media platforms — there is still a place for traditional media, specifically local TV news, in your PR strategy.

While it’s always important to have a good mix of media placements and not put all of your eggs in one basket, we’ve seen strong results when our clients include local news.

Consider these reasons why TV should remain part of your PR strategy, especially in 2022.

1. 2022 is an election year. Your brand may not have anything to do with politics, but the reason this is important is local TV viewership typically increases during election years. The Pew Research Institute found local news viewership increased in 2020, likely fueled by the election as well as the pandemic. Local news operations typically see a rise in ad revenue and viewers during election cycles.

2. Potential customers are still watching local news. Local TV news audiences increased in 2020, and local news typically still has more viewers than cable and network television. It’s likely that the audience your client wants to reach is engaged with local news in some capacity.

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Results are critical in the PR world, especially when companies spend money to drive awareness around their brand.

While media impressions and reach are important, sometimes more targeted efforts will get more effective results for your client or brand than a message that spans a wide audience. If you have a good understanding of your target audience, executing a campaign that hits the primary markets and audiences can be more successful than delivering a message that reaches a large number of people.

We developed Guaranteed Demo Tactics (GDT) because targeted PR results matter just as much as getting the most eyeballs on a message. Nothing else matters if you’re not reaching the right audience at the right time. With GDT, we drill down to find the desired viewers, listeners, and readers across multiple platforms.

What are Guaranteed Demo Tactics (GDT)?

Guaranteed Demo Tactics include four different media options.

1. Network Affiliate TV - 60-second segments air adjacent to local morning show newscasts on network affiliates in your selected markets.

2. Over-The-Top (OTT) viewing or streaming content - 30-second content reaches anyone that watches tv shows, sports, movies, etc. via streaming with devices such as smart TVs, Roku or Amazon Fire Sticks. OTT is only shown to targeted audiences in your selected categories. It airs prior to programs viewers’ select and is unskippable.

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If you’re familiar with media tours, then you’ve probably heard of a Co-op Media Tour. It’s traditionally a cost-effective solution to showcase a brand or client’s product or service on local and national TV, radio, digital platforms, and more.

Some would say the multi-brand segments are what make a Co-op Tour cost-effective. In most cases, Co-op Media Tours spotlight three or four brands within one segment. It can often be a gamble whether or not all brands in a Co-op Tour get equal attention within the three or four-minute-long interview.

At KEF Media, our goal is to always make sure our clients get the best bang for their buck. We came up with another solution: Integrated Taped Tours (ITT). An Integrated Taped Tour showcases only one client at a fraction of the cost of a traditional Satellite Media Tour. This tactic allows our team to produce segments for broadcast in a tight time frame.

Integrated Taped Tour vs. Co-op Tour

How does an Integrated Taped Tour compare with a Co-op Tour?

1. With an ITT, the client owns the tour. There is no chance of cancellation if another brand backs out. There is also no waiting on other brands and clients to secure a tour.

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Just before Wild Card Weekend, we partnered with our client to connect leading analysts from Yahoo Sports to media outlets around the country. Instead of paying costs for airfare, hotels, and studio space, both sports analysts went live from the comfort of their own home - and the results could not have been better.

When it’s time to get the message out about your product or service, there are more options than ever before. You can use a number of social media platforms, YouTube, a press release or press conference, or a webinar. Or you could choose a Satellite Media Tour. Satellite Media Tours build excitement, gain exposure, and cast a wide net of awareness over a brand’s product or service.

Satellite Media Tours are a great option to get the point across, get the right information out, and deliver a customized message to people across the country.

The days of mass emailing pitches and offering standard messaging are gone. The PR industry in 2022 is much different than it was in 2000, and if you want your client's message to resonate with the right audience, your approach may look a little different than even a couple of years ago.

Our job is to connect PR professionals with the right media contacts. Often, there can be a disconnect between these two groups. PR professionals may feel frustrated when their clients don’t get the coverage they desire.

We’ve discovered a few tweaks that can turn a message headed for the trash into compelling content, delivered to the right, targeted audience.

In 2022, try these five tips to optimize your messaging.

1. Don’t focus on the product. Pitches that feel like commercials will never make it to the right decision makers. Often, if you’re only focusing on the product or service itself, you’re missing the purpose of the pitch. How does your client’s product improve lives? What makes it unique? Can the message be tied into current events?

2. Personalize your pitch. In 2022, there are more media outlets than ever before. Not all of them are going to cover your client's message the same. Optimizing the message requires personalizing the pitch so that outlets understand how it impacts their audience. Also along these lines, newsrooms are increasingly stretched for resources. Give your contacts everything they need up front. If they have to spend too much time piecing elements together, you are less likely to get the coverage you want.

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The digital world we live in today is oversaturated with content. YouTube users upload over 400 hours of video every minute. More than a million videos are viewed on TikTok every single day. The global digital content creation market is expected to grow from $11 billion in 2019 to $38.2 billion in 2030.

With such a high level of saturation, it’s become even more important for the PR industry to step up the game and go the extra mile to make sure their clients’ content gets traction.

While creating the perfect pitch and fine-tuning messaging is important, giving the media the type of content their audience craves is the first step in getting coverage.

KEF Media has more than 35 years of experience and we work every day to stay on top of developing industry trends. From our experience, we’ve learned what media outlets really want to see, and it usually involves these five things:

• Unique, timely content. A newsroom receives dozens of emails about post-pandemic travel and how it’s picking back up. We worked with our client on a Satellite Media Tour with Hilton on the same topic, but we separated our content in two ways. First, we pegged the timing on a new survey about post-pandemic travel trends. Second, the expert, a travel psychologist, evaluated how people have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic and how that impacts travel. The topic was unique and the timing was relevant. That difference resulted in more coverage than if we had only focused on travel trends, without any kind of hook.

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There are more options than ever before to get your client’s message in front of an audience. After you decide which tactic is best - whether it’s a Satellite Media Tour, a Virtual Media Tour, or another tactic - the next most important aspect to consider is location.

“Vision” is part of the word television, and it’s also just as important on digital landscapes. We often see others just switching out logos on a screen behind talent. While sometimes that is effective and enough, it’s definitely not the key to standing out and creating a memorable message. TV and digital producers want visual stories, not just two people talking.

So what’s best? Using a studio or going on-location for a media tour? We’re taking a look at the pros and cons of each scenario.

Using a studio for media tours

Using studios for media tours has a lot of advantages but also some limitations. With some media partners, studios have the tendency to get a little boring. They typically include product on a table in front of a spokesperson. Sometimes, that’s all that is needed. Other times, there are ways to elevate the set to the next level.

These days, it seems like everyone (and everything) has a podcast. There are scripted fictional podcasts, narrative nonfiction podcasts, celebrity podcasts, podcasts featuring conversations about every topic under the sun – whether it’s business and finance, health and wellness, marketing and PR, politics, sports, tech and true crime or fashion, food and pharma. There are even podcasts about dental hacks, pro wrestling and gnomes! Yes, gnomes.

We’re listening to them in the car, on the train, in the gym, in the yard, in the kitchen and bedroom. They’re everywhere.

But if you’re thinking, “Wait, haven’t podcasts been around awhile? What’s the big deal?”, you’re right. Sort of.

Podcasts have been around since the 1980s, then gained traction in the early aughts. However, the public’s appetite didn’t really become insatiable until now.

“In 2021, the number of monthly U.S. podcast listeners will increase by 10.1% year-over-year (YoY) to 117.8 million” (Insider Intelligence – July 29, 2021). The number of shows has grown from 550,000 in 2018 to more than two million today (Podcast Insights – August 25, 2021). And those numbers aren’t slowing down anytime soon.

If you aren’t adding podcasts to your media tour mix, what are you waiting for?

A Satellite Media Tour (SMT) is a cost-effective way to connect brands with consumers across the country. The goal is to get your spokesperson in front of your target audience. The tour typically includes four hours packed with back-to-back media interviews.

When it comes to cost, rates for a Satellite Media Tour can vary. At KEF Media, we work to tailor tactics to your budget. There are several factors that determine how much you can expect to spend on an SMT to get your message out.

Read more: What is a Satellite Media Tour?

Instead of focusing on a dollar amount, we recommend focusing on the best strategy for your message. With more than 35 years of experience, our team knows what’s going to be the most effective strategy for your client or your brand.

Here are four cost factors to consider if you’re planning an SMT:

1. Target markets - Do you want to identify target markets? If so, which ones? The largest markets can be the hardest to reach, and every media outlet has its own expectations.

2. Spokesperson - A spokesperson can make or break your SMT. You want someone with experience who can successfully deliver your desired message. Rates for the spokesperson vary and may involve a talent contract outside of the Satellite Media Tour agreement. For example, a celebrity spokesperson could have another agreement with the brand that covers a full day.

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There is no doubt we live in a digital world that has changed the public relations industry and ad spend is following that trend. MAGNA forecasts U.S. ad spend to reach $300 billion for the first time in 2022. Breaking down that spend, the research arm of media buying firm IPG Mediabrands says two-thirds will account for digital ad sales.

That’s not to say TV ad sales are dead. In fact, TV ad sales are expected to bump up slightly in 2022, likely thanks to midterm elections and an improved economic outlook post-pandemic.

What this data tells us is that brand managers believe television still has a vital role to play in the marketing mix. If they didn’t think TV was still relevant, they wouldn’t still be spending money on TV advertising.

PR agency professionals should also view television as an important way to reach target audiences. The programs PR pros develop and execute for their clients should include TV as well as digital opportunities.

There are many ways to include television in PR campaigns, including:

• In-studio interviews

• B-roll distributions

• Satellite Media Tours

• Virtual Media Tours

Your spokesperson delivered a strong message. Your backdrop looked great. The tour reached 25 or more stations and markets. Now, how do you know if the Satellite Media Tour (SMT) was a success? An SMT is an investment and you should get the most out of your budget.

First, let’s take a step back. When you work with an experienced team, there should be no surprises when you see your SMT results. You should know what to expect from the very first planning stages. A successful Satellite Media Tour begins well before the day of production.

Here is what should be covered before the launch of a successful Satellite Media Tour:

• Target markets. Target markets across the U.S. or world should be identified during the planning stage.

• Media pitch. You need a hand-crafted pitch to secure your message. Pitching media requires the correct timing, good relationships, and securing well-known talent. You also want to pitch media that’s right for your message.

• Spokesperson. The spokesperson carries a lot of weight for Satellite Media Tours. A-list celebrities are great, but also expensive. Consider a subject matter expert who is able to comfortably talk about your message. Also work with a media partner who knows how to maximize a spokesperson’s time. You’re paying for it and it should be used wisely.

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TV stations need content for morning programs, online outlets are hungry for compelling video, radio and newspapers are building up their online presence with solid video interviews. Satellite Media Tours (SMTs) could be the right tactic to provide relevant content to media and get your client’s message across multiple platforms.

Before you make a sizable spend on a PR tactic, below are 10 tips (and lots of questions) to help you shape an outstanding media tour.

1. Make sure a SMT is the right tactic. Satellite Media Tours are effective but can be costly. Before you jump right in, make sure an SMT can get you the results you want.

Questions to consider:

• How strong is your story?

• What visuals do you have?

• Are you open to all markets or do you have specific markets that will make this a win?

If you have a strong story, interesting visuals, and you’re open to all markets, a Satellite Media Tour is right for you.

2. Select the right spokesperson. A spokesperson can make or break your Satellite Media Tour.

Questions to consider:

• Does the story weigh heavier than the spokesperson or will the spokesperson make the newsability?

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Virtual Media Tours (VMTs) are here to stay. KEF Media perfected VMTs when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Satellite Media Tours (SMTs) and other media coverage options will always have a place and benefit for clients, but VMTs deliver the same great results that clients expect with a few additional perks: no travel, low cost, and remote locations.

We have a nickname for Virtual Media Tours: “SMT in a box.” A smaller footprint allows for more customization, more flexibility, and more options for our clients, but delivers the same great broadcast and digital results. Plus, we can actually ship a VMT “tool box” to a spokesperson’s location to prepare them for the tour (more on that later).

Like other media tours, VMTs involve planning, coordination, and logistics. Here’s a look behind the scenes of a Virtual Media Tour.

To the audience, a virtual media tour looks like this:

Like most businesses, KEF Media faced a challenge when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Almost every media tour was cancelled within three days.

We quickly discovered a problem that we needed to solve. The media still needed relevant and engaging content, and our clients were ready to deliver their message.

Within a week, the KEF team developed a new offering - the Virtual Media Tour (VMT). We combined our 35 years of experience with new technology and discovered a method that could serve both our clients and the media, even during periods of isolation.

Every single person on the team worked to make these VMTs a success. We learned there is so much we can do virtually and still deliver our clients great results. Now that we’ve produced hundreds of VMTs, we have a few tips on how to launch a successful Virtual Media Tour.

What is a Virtual Media Tour?

A Virtual Media Tour typically involves one to two spokespeople who deliver a message on behalf of a client/brand. We work with media partners to connect with the spokesperson from a remote location via Skype or Zoom. People in multiple states can be involved in a single VMT.

A virtual media tour is much more than calling into Zoom and being ready for television. It is our mission to deliver a high-quality production to share our clients’ desired messaging.

Simply put, a Satellite Media Tour (SMT) is a great way to amplify your client’s message. From television and radio to digital platforms - a series of back-to-back interviews in a single day will help quickly share your content with audiences across the country. It can happen from a studio or remote location over the course of a few hours.

A question we hear often: Do SMTs still work? Though there is a caveat, the answer is still YES.

Yes, SMTs are a great option for big businesses with multiple advertising streams, small businesses with a big story, or nonprofits looking to share their story. It is important to understand that they are also a direct result of what you put in them. SMTs are not a commercial for a business or product. The key to a successful Satellite Media Tour is to add value for the media. To get coverage, offer a story or access the media can’t get anywhere else.

Tips for a successful Satellite Media Tour

A successful Satellite Media Tour delivers results with top talent, relevant topics, and perfect timing. Follow these tips to make sure a Satellite Media Tour delivers the results you want.

1. Find the right talent. A-list talent would be great, though, a good SMT partner can help you pull off a successful tour with an author, doctor, blogger, or an industry expert. The spokesperson can make or break a Satellite Media Tour, so choose wisely and be sure they have command of your desired messaging.

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You might think you have the perfect product or service to pitch to the media, but end up with no media coverage. No matter how great your business is, there can often be a disconnect between PR professionals and the media.

PR professionals are looking for publicity. The media is often looking for a ‘hook,’ or a compelling story. The media wants to present content that will capture viewers attention, whether it’s on television, radio, print, or digital platforms.

To overcome the disconnect between PR professionals and the media, you need to create compelling messages built around stories. Here are four tips to perfect your pitch and get the attention you want:

1. Don’t try to sell a commercial. Making your entire pitch about the product or service you want covered will likely result in no coverage at all. This may seem counterintuitive at first. Your product will always be at the center of your message, but think about ways to build around your message. Does your business solve a common problem? Does it help families? Is it timely to any current events? There should always be a news peg to your pitch. The media will not cover a product or service without one.

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KEF Media is always looking for ways to deliver the best results for our clients while providing relevant and useful content to the media. Now, there is a new tactic that’s a great option for tight budgets and deadlines called the Integrated Taped Tour (ITT).

Integrated Taped Tours are an alternative to Co-Op Media Tours. Co-Op Media Tours were a great option for some of our clients, but the quality has declined in recent years. Segments often felt very “commercial” with multiple products, there was a fight for very little airtime, and it was difficult to share the brief three to four minute spotlight with others.

When we started to develop ITTs, we wanted to keep some of the benefits of Co-Op Tours, like cost-savings, but also come up with solutions for some of the problems. With an ITT, only one client is front and center of broadcast segments, the cost is only a fraction of the cost of Satellite Media Tours, and there is a lot of flexibility to spotlight your message.

Considering a Satellite Media Tour to get your message to broadcast outlets? The good news is SMTs are working very well, they just look a bit different than they did two years ago. Here are some key learnings and tips for a successful Virtual Media Tour.

The Super Bowl LIV will kick off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami February 2, 2020. It’s undoubtedly one of the highest-profile platforms available to public relations pros, whether they represent sponsor or non-sponsor brands.

The news media will descend on Miami right after the two Super Bowl teams are decided in conference championship games, providing a two-week window during which brands have the opportunity to attract attention and generate earned media coverage for their events and spokespeople.

Advertising that appears during the game is a publicity event unto itself. There’s a fascination behind how the ads are made and the celebrities appearing in them. Over the years, we’ve distributed miles of videotape shot behind-the-scenes when the Super Bowl commercials are made and it never fails to air on networks, in major market affiliates and a wide variety of digital platforms.

For events in Miami, just like on the field, there are some rules to be aware of. Most importantly, the National Football League carefully orchestrates credentialed media covering the game, scheduling special events and player and coach availabilities during the run-up to kick-off.

Some years ago, an agency for a non-sponsor client made the mistake of scheduling an event at the same time the NFL was staging a player availability. We had a Hall of Fame spokesman and a great story but, other than our camera crew, no media showed up.

In two short years, The Daily Buzz digital platforms have proven to be an audience magnet.

“Every week we’re seeing more views and interactions. It’s been incredible to see how our show has taken off so quickly in such a short period of time digitally” said Marnie Williams, senior digital editor.

After a highly successful launch in June 2017, The Daily Buzz averages over 500,000 video views and reaches 5 million fans on Facebook monthly. “We are averaging about 7,000 to 9,000 new fans per month,” Williams said. “Our YouTube Channel has seen the most growth with over 3 million total minutes viewed.”

With a total of 40 million website hits in two years, The Daily Buzz is making solid strides on their digital landscape. “Clearly, there is a demand for such programming and we’re seeing the dramatic audience growth because of it.”

The Daily Buzz broadcasts on POP Television every Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

Back in the olden days – the 1990s anyway – we produced video news releases or VNRs for many leading public relations agencies and corporate clients. These were the equivalent of what we call content today.

We would look for an intriguing, newsworthy way to present a brand’s story in a 90-second package that was often narrated and then present the VNRs we produced at no cost to television producers who might or might not air some or all of what we offered. All of it was earned. The categories ran the gamut; health and beauty, food and beverage, travel, finance, sports, entertainment and many others.

At the time, TV was the preeminent medium. If done correctly, VNRs would air in large, medium and small markets, reaching millions of viewers. Sometimes what we distributed would make network air. All the coverage was earned.

One problem we ran into from time to time was that, while PR agencies understood the importance of making VNRs editorially appealing, brand managers sometimes didn’t. They conflated what we were doing with what they knew best, which was television advertising. When agencies didn’t push back, some VNRs pleased the brand manager but fell flat in front of TV news producers.

Think about your client, that person with whom you have regular contact, the one who critiques the work of your account team and signs off on your agency’s invoices.

He or she sits in a tough spot. Over here is your agency entrusted to deliver on the PR programming you successfully sold to the client. Over there is “the boss,” the person your client contact reports to, reviewing and evaluating how well or even if the public relations function is doing its job.

Now ask yourself, what does your client contact want from you and your agency?

The answer is many things. First, the client wants competence; communications professionals who know what they’re doing. Second, they want your agency’s work product delivered in a comprehensive, understandable way so they can answer the boss’s questions intelligently and completely. Third, the client wants a collaborator, a sounding board and, often, a confidant and a friend.

Here’s the thing: all of the above is available from most any PR shop in town, which maybe explains why so much agency hopping takes place in our industry. Adequate is available everywhere. So, ask yourself again, what does your client really want?

If your client is ambitious, as most are, they want you to make them a rock star inside their organization. The client wants to show his or her boss the astonishing, not just the adequate.

You’re having a group of friends over for a party and you decide to invite a guy you recently met at a coffee shop. You don’t really know him, but he seems like the outgoing sort who comprises your circle of friends and acquaintances. He seems like a good fit.

The guy shows up tipsy and continues to drink and make a fool of himself, telling inappropriate dirty jokes in a voice nobody can miss. While showing off his juggling skills with three of your heirlooms, he drops the 100-year-old figurine your grandmother left you. When you tell him it’s time to go home, he gets belligerent and pours himself another drink, then plops down on your new couch, spilling booze all over it. Meanwhile, your friends, wearing embarrassed looks and tight smiles quickly head for the door.

You probably won’t have this fellow back to your home, even though he called you the next day to tell you what a wonderful time he had and he can’t wait for your next party.

This tale serves as an apt metaphor for those “vendors” you hire to help service your client’s business. Invite the wrong one and it could end up like that guy passed out on your couch, leaving your clients to wonder about your judgment.

You’ve shot some great brand video, cut it, and posted it online where you think it will do the most good for your client. Great, but why stop there?

Your video can and should be on television programs targeting your brand’s audience, especially if that brand is spending advertising dollars on TV. Put another way, if the brand manager thinks broadcast has an important place in the marketing mix, shouldn’t you too?

I get that you get social media….but television, maybe not so much. It’s a different beast, one we’ve been taming for more than 30 years. We have a thorough understanding of where your content best fits your brand’s demographic and we know how to get it placed in the right place at the right time and at the right cost.

Recently, a consumer agency client of ours called with a problem. The agency team was trying to reach millennial women with so-so video they’d shot and edited that wasn’t getting much love from web sites or bloggers. What could we do?

Glad you asked! We re-cut the video to make it more engaging for TV viewers and placed it on The Daily Buzz, our entertainment and lifestyle show airing on CBS-owned POP TV, one of the fastest growing cable and dish channels on television. We also placed the video on The Daily Buzz social media pages, which attract 3 million views every month. Oh yeah, we also amplified the video. Cost? A few grand.

Congratulations, you won that big account! Now, how long will the honeymoon last? When will that new client start wondering when your team will deliver those results you promised? My experience tells me, well, yesterday.

As an account manager many years ago at two major public relations agencies, I learned the clock started ticking the moment the client signed the contract. And the faster we delivered, the quicker we earned the client’s trust, and the more money the client was likely to spend with our agency.

Thus, it’s important for any outside vendor you bring to the party to understand the agency dynamic; why it is a client hired your firm and what you need to do to keep that client happy and grow the account.

It’s also helpful to know how hard it can be for your agency to win business and how easy it is to lose it, so those outside vendors need to take their responsibilities very seriously because they can make you look really good…or they can hurt or even destroy your client relationship.

I don’t like the word “vendor,” by the way. It sounds like the guy selling hot dogs at the ballpark. A better word to describe the kind of relationship that works now and in the future is, “partner,” because a partner has a vested interest in outcomes. A vendor is often here today and gone tomorrow, maybe never to return if the outcome falls short or is merely adequate.

When we execute a broadcast and/or digital projects for a public relations firm, KEF Media considers ourselves that agency’s direct partner. Our goal is the same today as it was in 1986 when KEF Media was launched, to build lasting relationships, as we gain your confidence and trust. We do that by delivering honest counsel and media results that matter to you and your client.

A satellite media tour remains an effective public relations tactic that can generate high-quality results that matter to your clients. Our wide variety of media options for your client tackle just about every possible subject you can think of. The KEF team of experienced TV, radio, internet and PR experts provide you, the client, on what it will take to produce a win for you!

Currently, television and digital are highly visual mediums. Pictures are critical when producing a compelling SMT segment. Compelling video helps tell your story and will get your story aired. With the expansion of digital, agencies go well beyond traditional publicity by engaging influencers with creative viral content and unforgettable experiential activations.

At KEF Media we consider ourselves an “agency’s agency.” We have a team of former broadcasters, producers, news magazine journalists, PR account executives and communications directors who specialize in the customizing broadcast and digital publicity tactics, looking for new and exciting ways to turbocharge our services to optimize results across a wide range of broadcast and digital platforms. For example, The Daily Buzz. KEF Media acquired The Daily Buzz® and brought back the fast-paced, half-hour program that features celebrity interviews and profiles, gossip, and news-you-can-use that integrates paid publicity content covering a wide variety of verticals. Since its re-launch, The Daily Buzz® Facebook page has over 110,000 fans, with a reach of over 150,000 monthly page views and 3.5 million total visits to the website.

Whether or not former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed by league owners is an open question. But I recall Kaepernick was benched by the San Francisco 49ers when he proved to be ineffective as the starter.

There is no question he took the NFL by storm in 2013, leading the 49ers to the NFC championship game. However, as a player, Kaepernick was something of a one trick pony, making the most of the relatively new read-option play. But NFL coaches are very astute at assessing such players and quickly adjust their defenses to take away those plays a QB is most comfortable with. Look at the Packers’ Aaron Rogers or the Falcons’ Matt Ryan by way of comparison. They have numerous weapons they can use to defeat opponents whereas Kaepernick essentially had just one.

Mindful of this, I believe there was little interest among coaches in signing him. Put another way, if a head coach thought Kaepernick could help win ball games, they wouldn’t care if he stood on his head during the national anthem.

All of that said, Kaepernick started a firestorm of controversy when he took a knee to protest police violence against people of color and particularly those who were unarmed and not resisting. Every week it seems, there’s another viral video of officers shooting, beating or harassing a black person who poses no real threat. Thus, Kaepernick was using his high-profile platform to draw attention to this problem and get a national dialogue going.

Attracting A-list celebrities to a public relations program can be a formidable challenge. Getting them to do anything for less than a six-figure fee is practically impossible. But if you have the right story and that story meshes with the celebrity’s own interests, you might be surprised at how things turn out.

Mouth and Foot Painting Artists is an international association of disabled painters who paint with their mouths or feet and sell their work in the form of greeting cards and other merchandise. It is for profit and not a charity. The goal is to help these talented artists become self-sufficient.

We produce a satellite media tour every year for MFPA in September, when the organization kicks off its holiday marketing campaign. To help amplify the message, we proposed engaging an A-list celebrity who would be willing to meet with our national spokeswoman, Mariam Pare, and allow us to videotape the meeting, which we would then turn into a video news release.

Mariam was the victim of random gun violence that left her paraplegic when she was just 20. An art student at the time, Mariam believed her dream would never be fulfilled until she began experimenting by painting with a brush held in her mouth. Today, she is one of MFPA’s most accomplished artists.