Trade outs
The barter system is in vogue again, with more trading of products of similar value without an exchange of cash. A number of publications seem to be willing to trade ad space in return for lift and lodging packages, to be used by staff, other advertisers or for prizes in a sweepstakes. Or, it may be in the publication’s interest to sponsor or be visible at an event or promotion the ski area is hosting.
It never hurts to ask…
“Advertorial” sections
Every so often, the advertising department of a periodical comes up with a special section geared to skiing or winter travel or recreation options for a specific target group. They sell you an ad and they give you editorial support in the special edition. Although the scope of the editorial support is occasionally dependent upon the size of the ad you buy, a good publicity director will find out who’s writing the editorial side of the issue (not necessarily a staff person for the publication), and get in touch with the writer(s) to explore story ideas. If you’ve got a good story, it could turn into a mini-feature, thereby maintaining the editorial integrity of the publication and giving the p.r. person visibility above and beyond that justified by the size of the ad buy. (Remember, if you’ve got a good story.)
Conversely, if you’ve got nothing to say about the product this year and there’s big news elsewhere, don’t get upset if your editorial coverage does not match the size of your advertising buy. Rely on the ad for visibility.
“Umbrella Buys” and Inserts
Advertising dollars go farther when pooled. Good examples of this concept include past Ski the Rockies advertising. Under the umbrella of the regional entity, the participating resorts get a “deal” on their individual ad buys in the same medium. One of the best examples I’ve seen of stretching ad dollars was when Ski the Rockies produced an advertising insert for Skiing Magazine. They ordered an over-run from the publisher and used the material as their joint brochure at ski shows and other dissemination points. An insert that is going to be used as a brochure takes a lot of work to put together, but economies are realized in the printing and distribution processes.
Publicity tools
As noted earlier, there’s no such thing as “free ink.” Building a good publicity machine takes time, staff and money. Some things that are worth every penny: good black & white photography; good reproduction facilities (people should be able to read that priceless prose you’re sending them); first class postage (news never arrives by bulk mail and telecopier capability is even better); the salary for a good p.r. person with staff assistance as needed; computerized mailing lists, if available. Computer capability means you can break your mailing list down into infinite categories and, by selecting a code, mail a release only to the appropriate recipients. It costs some money to refine the list that much, and subsequently, keep it up to date, but the savings are realized in postage and paper, and in eliminating wasted mailings to press outlets that absolutely won’t be interested in the subject matter of a specific release.
The press release is issued when timely. It contains news, not fluff. It’s double-spaced, legible, terse, hopefully one-page and practically adjective-free. The lead contains the most important news, with subsequent paragraphs rated in terms of their importance to the story. (Self-serving quotes come at the bottom.) It includes a press contact and phone number, including home/evening numbers, as well.
The perfect fact sheet contains the answers to all those questions you perennially field about vertical drop, top elevation, mountain capacity, number of guest beds/pillows in the community, important phone numbers, transportation facilities, etc. Put it all on paper in terse outline form. Make sure it’s in your press kit, is distributed to all ski area information outlets, and keep a copy in your desk drawer so you can speedily answer those memorable questions when you get a phone call.
The press kit contains more than anyone would want to know—at one time—about your resort, including a good selection of black and white photos. It’s expensive to produce and I’d carefully cull the mailing list to determine the most likely recipients, since mailing it is also expensive. (One culling method: a direct mail questionnaire to all on the list). Ski media and writers are more inclined to file it for future reference; major syndicated writers and general interest travel writers may not—they’re cluttered up enough with information as it is. Other than selected mailings and personal press calls, I’d save the press kit for in-resort dissemination to visiting writers and travel industry partners who need the background information. Again, the releases in the press kit should include news and facts, not fluff.
A schedule of events is likely to be filed and saved for future reference and media assignments.
The telephone is one of the most effective tools for news dissemination. Spend money on those long-distance calls, it’s cheaper than traveling the country or hosting writers on-site and, it’s a means of establishing a personal relationship with writers. It’s a great tool for media queries—what do you think of this story angle?—updates on conditions, especially during adverse weather situations, news tips—”I knew you’d want to be the first to know in your region. . .”—follow-up on rumors, and just plain saying “hello.”
The last and most important tool is reliability. Return those phone calls as soon as possible. Get the news out immediately and respond immediately to follow-up queries. Respond to stated deadlines—don’t be bitter if you knew them and missed them. A good p.r. person is a conduit to the news source—if the press want to talk to the president of the company, make it happen.
Finally, know your media. If you’re about to mail your fall press kit to general consumer and ski magazines, hoping for exposure in their early fall issues, you’re too late.
