Best Practices for Media FAM Trips

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By Rebecca Chappell, Account Executive

Facilitating a FAM trip – a free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to familiarize them with what a destination has to offer – is a great opportunity to build relationships with media as well as provide an experience that they can recreate for their audience.

In the case of our client Wuksachi Lodge, a full-service hotel nestled in the heart of Sequoia National Park and operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, our FAMs have focused on what sets the hotel and surrounding area apart from other destinations. By customizing itineraries that showcase unique seasonal and year-round elements (versus one-off news items that have a quick shelf life), we are able to host media from short and long-lead outlets simultaneously. This is important, as long-lead magazines and television shows typically plan two months to a year in advance.

Executing a successful FAM trip requires a great deal of organization and there are a number of items to consider from start to finish. Here are just a few preliminary steps that will help ensure smooth sailing once guests are onsite:

Consider Timing and Resources

You need to first decide on dates for the trip, length of stay and the appropriate number of guests. Media generally prefer midweek to weekends and at least a two-night stay. Avoid holidays if possible. When contemplating how many guests to accommodate be sure to think about sightseeing opportunities. Will your guests walk or do you have a passenger van and trusted driver? And don’t overlook potential weather issues! If it rains on your outdoor activity or a heavy snow shuts down a thoroughfare, what’s the contingency plan?

Design an Invitation

Your invitation serves as pitch to entice media. In addition to the five W’s – who, what, why, when and where – it should convey the answer to the question: What’s in it for me? With all the invitations travel media receive to explore various destinations throughout the world, what makes yours worth saying “Yes!” to?

Find Qualified Participants

A great way to attract media to your FAM is to send your invitation through a professional database that specializes in the travel journalism. But just because someone accepts your invitation doesn’t mean you have to book them as part of the FAM. As part of the qualifying process you’ll want to request credentials, writing samples, links to published articles, etc. You can also pick up qualified leads from trade publications, sales and trade show activity and referrals.

Create an Itinerary

A well-thought out itinerary is imperative. Sightseeing destinations in Sequoia National Park, for example, are a great distance apart. Many require a vehicle as well as walking time. This is the sort of thing that needs to be accounted for when trying to get a media group to a tour on time. Also imperative is providing plenty of down time between activities. Sure, you want to showcase the place, but don’t pack the daily schedule so tight that media have no time to rest or explore at their own pace.

Supply Travel Tips

Before media depart for your destination you'll want to send them a list of travel tips, from driving and/or flight directions to important phone numbers to all the localized things in between. Since there are no gas stations within Sequoia National Park, we provide a list of the last gas stations you can fill up at before ascending the mountain. Because Sequoia is home to black bear, we provide bear safety information. And, as weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, we always offer suggestions for what to wear and what to pack.

These tips merely scratch the surface of what it takes to pull off a successful FAM trip. They do require a lot of organization in advance, but the results can be very beneficial for a client when all goes well!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Internship

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By Leah Reyes, SDSU Public Relations Senior

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began my internship at (W)right On Communications. This is my first time taking what I've learned in the classroom and applying it to a real public relations setting. I've been here for about one month and I've already learned so much. Here is what I’ve learned so far:

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Internship supervisors understand that you don't know everything, especially if it's your first internship. In the beginning, I was nervous to ask questions because I didn't want anyone to regret choosing me as an intern. I learned fast that if I didn't ask questions, however, I would end up sitting there staring at my desktop. Therefore, I ask questions whenever I have the chance, whether it's to clarify a task I was given, or to learn something new.

Every opportunity is a learning opportunity.

No matter what you're doing, there is always something to learn. Observe how your supervisors talk on the phone, how they discuss client work with each other, or even how they conduct their individual work. Learn from them and apply it to your own work. If you are working on a task and you’re curious about something, ask. For example, I was browsing pictures for a brochure, and I realized that I had always wondered how organizations selected pictures for brochures and other marketing collateral. I asked Account Executive Rebecca Chappell, and she explained how images are selected. There have been several times when someone has given me advice or extra information just to expand my knowledge about the profession.

Don't be easily discouraged.

Supervisors are here to teach and correct if needed. I've made a few mistakes and I've been told what I can do better next time. I was scared that I would be scolded for mistakes, but the (W)right On team really makes sure that this is a learning experience for me. They don't make me feel bad for mistakes, but guide me instead.

Ask for feedback.

I am enrolled in an internship course, which requires me to have a "midterm meeting" with my internship supervisor. The purpose of the meeting is to evaluate my internship and discuss what I can improve. If this isn’t required for your internship course, I encourage you to seek feedback from your internship supervisor.

Show that you care.

When I don't have a task, which is rare, I always ask if anyone needs help. It's courteous to offer assistance, and it shows that you care to be part of the organization. Also always use your manners. I say "thank you" every time I am given a task. I also apologize if I make a mistake. We should be polite by default, but sometimes we forget how important it is. You want to establish a close rapport with your team, so don't forget your manners.

Social media is powerful.

Prior to joining the (W)right On team, I was aware of the power of social media, but I didn't understand how much power it has. As media technology develops, old media traditions begin to slow down. Almost every piece of client work I have had includes social media. There is something new to learn about social media every day. Visit mashable.com and you'll see what I mean. It's not enough to know what Facebook, Twitter, etc. is and how to post. The mechanics behind what to post are very detailed. I've learned that it's really important to have one "voice" when posting, especially for an organization. I've also learned that although it's free of cost, it's not free of your time. A lot of thought goes into the posts we draft and I've learned how to make personal, but professional posts. I've also learned how to use the different tools of social media, like Hootsuite. As long as media technology is changing, which is every day, you should be willing to learn it if you're going to be in the journalism/communications business.

An internship is an opportunity to learn about the profession you are pursuing. It’s important to get the most out of your internship so you can learn and grow. In order to get the best experience from it, you need to put yourself out there. I still need to work on not being so shy, but I am definitely taking everything in as I go, which will help me build my future career. 

5 Interview Tips for Those Searching for Their First Internship

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By Leah Reyes, SDSU Public Relations Senior

As a student who has never had an internship, you tend to convince yourself that there’s no way you’ll get an internship because you have “no experience,” right? Wrong!

With the help of my mentors at school and spending hours on my resume and cover letter, I was able to land a summer internship with (W)right On Communications. And guess what? It’s my first internship. It is possible, ladies and gentlemen! Here are a few tips on how to survive – and hopefully conquer – your interviews when searching for your first internship:

1. Educate yourself about the organizations you apply for.

Before you start perfecting your resume and cover letter, make sure you know what the organization is about, what they’re looking for and what they value. Check out their website, blog and social media accounts. This is really important because you might learn that although you’ve heard awesome things about an organization, it’s not exactly for you.

It will also make you stand out from everyone else when you get to the interview and you reference what you already know about the organization. When Elyse Charlesworth, (W)right On’s account coordinator,  interviewed me, she was happy to know that I took the time to look at the agency’s website and blog.

2. Cater your resume and cover letter to a specific organization.

No generic cover letters or resumes! This is one of the most important things I have learned. You should have multiple applications for multiple organizations. After I researched (W)right On Communications, I learned their values and made sure to incorporate them in my cover letter and resume.

Be sure to study the internship description so that your cover letter and resume reflects what the organization is looking for. Employers don’t like generic cover letters because it doesn’t show that you want to work with them, specifically. It looks like you’ll take any internship just to have an internship, which is not good.

Also, don’t forget that when you email employers with your attached application, the actual email message has a lot of power! Employers might not open your attachment if your email message doesn’t impress them. Cater the email to them, too!

3. Writing samples set your application apart from the rest.

When Elyse contacted me to schedule an interview, she said that my writing samples impressed her. I used my writing samples from school and attached it to my resume and cover letter. Before I attached my samples, I had multiple people look them over, and I made sure the samples were appropriate for (W)right On Communications. I’ve never had an internship, but my samples from school were enough to get me an interview. If you don’t have anything from school you’d want to share, you can write something yourself, like a blog or a mock news release.

4. Practice interviewing with friends and family.

Whether you have someone pretend to interview you or you practice alone, it really helps to talk out loud! I had a list of interview questions that I practiced with my friends. This helped me master how to answer questions. The first time you answer a question isn’t always perfect, which is why you should practice to make your answers sound awesome. The way you answer a question is more powerful than what your answer is. By practicing, you will become more confident and less nervous.

I had a couple interviews prior to my interview at (W)right On. Both times, I was asked about my strengths and weaknesses. This is an important question to prepare for. It is probably one of the most asked questions in any interview because it wraps up who you are in a few sentences. Practice, and before you know it, doing interviews will be one of your strengths!

Don’t forget to tell the interviewer what you can contribute to the organization’s success. The purpose of an interview is to prove that if you get the position, you can contribute your creativity and talents. Highlight your strengths and don’t be generic!

5. Ask questions at the end of the interview.

I have heard from many professionals that their biggest “turn-off” is when they finish an interview and ask the applicant, “Do you have any questions for me?” and the applicant says, “no.”

Ask questions that show your interest in the organization and in the person who is interviewing you. I made a list of questions to ask Elyse when she asked that final question. Here are a few questions I asked:

• What is a typical day at (W)right On Communications?
• What is your favorite part about working at (W)right On Communications?
• What is your least favorite part about working at (W)right On Communications?
• How did you end up at (W)right On Communications?
• What got you interested in public relations?

These tips won’t guarantee that you will get an internship, but I can guarantee that they will make you a stronger applicant. I can also guarantee that by following these five tips, you will become more confident in applying to organizations and doing interviews. Interviewing for your first internship is definitely intimidating, but if you do everything you can to highlight your skills, you will land that first internship before you know it! Trust me, it’s not as bad as you think! 

Five Free PR Resources to Make You More Productive

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By Julie Wright, President

Some of the worst things in life are free: free advice (no thanks), free love (ugh) and free sofas on the side of the road (also known as trash). It’s important to choose free tools that really make a positive difference in your day.

Also keep in mind that with any ‘free’ resource, the time you spend figuring it out is a cost. When a client recently asked me for recommendations on free website hosting and design templates, that thought sprang to mind. What is the true cost of messing around with a rigid template or cryptic user instructions?

So, what free resources would I recommend to help your PR program?


1. Interns

OK, that’s a joke. Interns are not free. They are a big investment. We have been fortunate to work with many diligent, creative and detail-oriented individuals—primarily from San Diego State University’s PR, media and journalism programs—over the years. And we sincerely hope that during their experience with (W)right On Communications, they grow in ways they never imagined and bond with a set of professional colleagues that they can call on for the rest of their lives for guidance and support. (And, in that spirit, please join me in welcoming Leah Reyes to our team this summer!)


2. Google

Best practices, case studies, how to articles, media contacts, editorial calendars—search the Internet for inspiration as you develop your plans or to help you kick start your brainstorming. If you’re at a loss for ideas or need to be re-inspired, Google can get you there in 30 minutes or less. If you are not actively and continuously seeking out current best practices in PR, you may have an initiative deficiency and should get that seen by a professional.


3. Social media

Nothing may be more time-consuming than establishing a productive Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook community for yourself or a brand. But once you’ve built a critical mass of relationships with your stakeholders via social networks, you can call on them for ideas, amplifying your messages or coming to your defense if your brand is under attack. (And I’m not referring to Twitter DM’s that say “Hey, this dude is saying some really bad stuff about you.” That’s a hack and never click on those links.)


4. HARO

I admit that I find it difficult to comb through the more than 200 Help A Reporter Out (HARO) queries every day. (To address this issue, please refer back to the first item on this list.) But someone in your office should be reviewing these thrice-daily emails that list queries from more than 29,000 journalists and bloggers to look for opportunities for your organization or clients. There are paid subscription levels that will filter results for you as well. Also check out pitchrate.com, which is similar in concept to HARO, or watch @ProfNet’s Twitter feeds for urgent media queries.


5. PitchEngine

This is a platform for press releases that are optimized for social media sharing. However, social media releases expire. To permanently post your material, you will need to pay monthly or annual subscription. Given that you can link YouTube videos, post images, craft Tweetable links and track views and clicks, PitchEngine is a valuable free resource when you’re trying to spread your news cost-effectively. I also think it’s worth the investment of actual dollars to memorialize your content in a permanent newsroom.

What free tools can you not work without?

6 Stories Your Organization Should Be Telling

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By Rebecca Chappell, Account Executive

“Even if you have reams of evidence on your side, remember: numbers numb, jargon jars, and nobody ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart. If you want to connect with your audience, tell a story.” – Andy Goodman

As professional communicators, one of the biggest challenges we have when collaborating with both nonprofit and for-profit clients is getting them to see that what they think is news may not be what the general population views as news. While smaller media outlets are typically supportive of community-based events and announcements, if you’re seeking attention from the likes of the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal or holy grails such as the “Today” show, you’d better be able to answer the question: so what?   

The “so what?” is where the heart of the story resides.

Whether your company is a small business or large corporation, think about all those facts, figures and acronyms listed in your annual report. Impressive? Sure. But why should anyone outside of your company care? It’s simply not enough to say your company exceeded profit margins or goals for the year. What were the challenges the company faced and how did it overcome them? Is your company’s successful performance the result of a group of employees that went above and beyond expectations? What does this year’s success mean in terms of the company’s future? How does your company’s success benefit the community at large?

If you’re a nonprofit, it’s even more important to resist the urge to weigh people down with a laundry list of programs, statistics and financials. Yes, those things are necessary to be transparent, but if you want media to pay attention and potential donors to contribute their hard-earned dollars or time to your organization, you have to also be personal.

In her book “Corporate Legends and Lore: The Power of Storytelling as a Management Tool,” Peg Neuhauser draws a parallel between nomadic Indian tribes of the American Plains and today’s modern organizations. As tribes moved from place to place, Neuhauser writes, they each carried a bundle containing significant artifacts from the tribe’s past. At campfires and rituals, this “sacred bundle” would be opened and the tribal elders would recount the stories behind each artifact.

Every organization has its own sacred bundle. In PR we often help clients to identify the artifacts for their bundle – the newsworthy stories that set their organization apart. We then package these stories as press materials, marketing collateral, website content, personalized annual reports and more.

Perhaps now you’re thinking to yourself that your organization doesn’t have any good stories for a sacred bundle. To help you out of this predicament, Neuhauser recommends identifying basic narratives such as:

How We Started

This is the story of how your organization was founded – who started it, and why. This often captures the need for your work to exist as well as the approach your group has taken to address this need.

Emblematic Victories

These demonstrate your group’s effectiveness. Instead of just saying “we made a difference!” this is your chance to demonstrate how that difference was made.

What We Learned in Defeat

Everyone falls off the proverbial horse from time to time. The trick is to get back up and ride again. Lessons learned in the course of defeat should be embraced for what they can teach you, and others.

Nature of Our Challenge

Stories about the fundamental nature of the issues your organization is tackling remind staff and community the reason their time, attention and energy are needed. They also serve to connect to the media and public with individuals and/or families in need versus numbers and statistics.

Performance Stories

Employee performance stories show the exemplary levels of professionalism, creativity and commitment your people bring to the organization or challenge at hand.

Where We Are Going

Look ahead five, 10, even 20 years from now. What would the world look like if your company did its job, met its goals, adhered to its vision? Paint a big picture that evokes a feeling of the future that staff, media and the community at large can invest in emotionally.

Now that the creative juices are flowing, the only thing left to do is capture your thoughts and look for regular opportunities to share your sacred bundle with media and the community. Happy storytelling!

Copy is Key in Your Marketing Menagerie

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By Maureen Legg, Account Executive

Companies often think that their big fancy brochure is the cat’s meow, but it turns out to be a dog and they have to eat crow. It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back and the board wants to throw the marketing manager to the lions.

That guy’s goose is cooked so he decides to talk turkey. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, he says, and because the company had nothing meaningful to say the brochure ended up being an old dog that couldn’t do new tricks. You might think he’s jumping on his high horse, but really he’s taking the bull by the horns and should get the lion’s share of kudos for recognizing a white elephant when he sees one…

Before you go cuckoo managing your menagerie of marketing collateral, what can you do to avoid getting saddled with a white elephant? Well, for starters you can make sure you are writing good copy.

You might think I’m playing possum with the use of the term “good,” which is vague and subjective. So before your feathers get ruffled and you decide this blog post is for the birds, let me go whole hog and define “good copy” as “copy that gets your attention.”

Now, how do you get someone’s attention?

Well, you might amuse them with some word play (clearly, one of my favorite approaches). Much like this British headline did to herald the coming of our client’s film to the U.K.

Star Trek set to stun at SCI-FI-LONDON

Not taking your business too seriously can create staying power among your readers who appreciate a good pun and some pithy wit.

But more importantly, good copy does not subscribe to the “if we write it, they will come” theory. If you’ve got nothing to say, then all the copy in the world can’t make that interesting. But if you’ve got something say, then dare to be different about how you say it.

Good copy also answers the question, “Why should I care?” It’s not just about telling the reader what they don’t know — it’s giving them a reason to want to know more. That requires getting inside the mind of your intended reader and finding their hot button. What you think is interesting about your company is not necessarily what will resonate with your audience.

Copy also has the power to differentiate you from the crowd … if you let it. If you’re reluctant to make stand-out statements about your business, copy can only do so much to make an impression.

And there’s really no substitute for knowing what you’re talking about. Investing time to share information and knowledge with your public relations agency enables them to inventory your assets, create a branding strategy and develop powerful messaging to tell your story.

Of course, there’s also the important relationship between design and copy, but that’s a horse of a different color and fodder for a future post.

Did I get your attention … or did I just get your goat?

(W)right On’s Julie Wright to Discuss Social Media at Local Business Summit

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Julie Wright, president and founder of (W)right On Communications, will speak about social media at the Economic Development Corporation of Southwest California’s 4th Annual Business Summit on May 9 in Temecula.

Wright, who is one of three scheduled speakers, will discuss how entrepreneurs can best use social media platforms to promote their businesses.

“So many businesses are already using social media, so I will share tips that will help them take their program to the next level to truly engage their customers and stakeholders while seeing a return on the investment,” Wright said.

In addition to social media, business professionals will learn about trends in cloud computing and employee recruitment. The event will also give attendees an opportunity to talk to vendors and network with other professionals.

The 4th Annual Business Summit will be held from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 9 at Temecula Civic Center, located at 41000 Main St. Join us to hear Wright’s presentation, and be sure to stop by (W)right On’s table!

Registration is $20 and ends on May 8. To register, visit edcsummit4.eventbrite.com.