Strategy + Communications Column:
Media Preparation: The Briefing Book

BY RANDY SAVICKY

In the previous column, �Meet the Media: Your Key Messages in the Real World,� we explored how your company�s key messages are actually put into use during a media interview by the company �spokes-team.�

As you may remember, we set up a fictitious (but based on our own true-to-life experiences) interview with a business writer from an important daily newspaper in your company�s local market, which could be Portland, Maine; Portland, Oregon or any city in between. During the interview, every member of the company spokes-team was able to respond to each question posed by the interviewer with a clear, concise answer that was based on one of the company�s key messages. In our example, the key message was the �technology innovation� plank. In addition, each executive was able to �hand off� part of the answer to another executive, who picked up on the initial thought and then delivered his or her own support points to simultaneously underscore and amplify the original answer.

Does this sound too good to be true? Unfortunately, in many cases, it is, but I have been privileged to have been involved in many situations in which this scenario was nearly true-to-life. You may now be asking yourself another follow-up question: how is that possible? It�s through another �trick of the trade� ― the briefing book.

Just as with media training, which was discussed in an earlier column as an underused and underappreciated element of any truly sound public relations program, a briefing book for media interviews oftentimes spells the difference between success and failure.  Both media training and the briefing book are often neglected because their preparation requires a concerted effort and time commitment to do them properly. However, unlike media training, which is seen and billed by agencies as a separate and supplemental client program activity, the briefing book should be an integral component of any sound media relations program that an agency develops and executes for your company. 

Unfortunately, in today�s business environment, in which agencies track employee hours and account profitability hand-in-hand, this essential tool often falls by the wayside because of the time involved to do it properly.

A Look Inside The Covers

Having said that, let�s see why the briefing book is so essential by examining what goes into one. Here is a list of the elements of the briefing book (the actual book can be as simple as letter-sized paper stapled together or as elaborate as a bound publication):

• Cover page;

• Table of contents;

• Interview logistics: time, date and place of interview;

• Name of publication, with circulation;

• Name of writer and title, contact information at publication (address, phone, fax, e-mail and cell phone number, if available);

• A detailed description of the publication, including frequency, audience and other pertinent information;

• A bio of the writer, including years in present position, previous positions and other relevant information;

• A summary of recent articles by the writer;

• Full text versions of recent articles by the writer;

• Suggested questions for interview (or topics of discussion) provided by the writer. If the specific questions cannot be obtained, which is likely in a business interview of this nature by a daily newspaper (trade journal interviews are different), a list of �topics to be discussed� or �areas of inquiry� should be obtained; and

• Your key company messages with support points.

As you can see from this list, the briefing book is a comprehensive and concise dossier on the writer, his or her experience and what he or she is looking for in the upcoming interview as well as the material the company spokes-team requires in order to �ace� the interview. 

With this information in hand, the briefing book enables every member of the company spokes-team to gain familiarity with the writer and publication to build his or her own level of comfort and confidence regarding the interview. It�s important to remember that the interview should be seen as more of a conversion between the spokes-team and the writer rather than as a possible �hot seat� (a confrontational or negative experience). The briefing book helps make it so.

Be Prepared

The briefing book should be distributed to each of the spokes-team members a few days before the interview is scheduled to occur. Ideally, your company�s corporate communications staff and outside public relations counsel (the �communications team�) should schedule either a group meeting or separate one-to-one discussions with the company spoke-steam to discuss the material in the briefing book prior to the interview.  This session is best used to review information on the writer, to answer any questions the spokes-team may have and to discuss how each of the possible questions should be answered, and by whom.

Having the specific questions (or at least the areas of interest) the writer plans to ask prior to the interview allows representative answers to be formulated and appropriate spokes-team members to be assigned to answer each question.

If time allows, a mock interview session can be held, with the communications staff or public relations counsel playing the role of the writer and posing the writer-provided questions to the team. This enables each member to practice his or her response in a comfortable environment, with the communications team ― as well as other spokes-team members ― providing feedback and commentary. This also facilitates brainstorming over possible answers to arrive at the one that works best. Ideally, at the conclusion of the session, each spokes-team member will be comfortable with his or her answer or will have time before the �live� interview to add additional salient support points as needed to build a stronger answer. 

Finally, on the day of the interview itself, it is best to gather everyone in the meeting room or executive office in which the interview will be held to once again briefly review the briefing book. This time should be spent reviewing the reason for the interview and your company�s desired outcome as well as any last-minute questions or concerns from the spokes-team members. Ideally, this will help focus the team members� attention on this important opportunity and gets them primed to �perform� at their best.

We always suggest the spokes-team members keep their briefing books with them during the interview, but they should only refer to them as needed. Remember, the interview is a conversation, not a test. If the interview is conducted over the telephone, rather than in-person, the briefing books can be consulted more freely, since the writer is obviously not there in the same room as the spokes-team.

Now that you are familiar with the briefing book, next time (in advance of the November elections) we will take a look at key messages as part of the political process and discuss why sometimes the answers don�t seem to match the questions. In �PR speak,� it�s all about �bridging.� More on this is to come!

Important Note:  Please remember that I personally invite you to submit your questions on marketing and public relations to me. These questions can be general in nature or specific to your business challenges (your anonymity will be protected, of course!). I will answer them in upcoming columns.

Randy Savicky is president of the consulting firm Strategy + Communications Worldwide, Inc. (www.strategypluscommunications.com). With a unique �both sides of the editor's desk� perspective, Randy�s advice and counsel on helping technology companies improve their communications to their key audiences has been called upon by some of America�s largest corporations and best-known brands, including IBM, Apple, Fujifilm, Motorola and Sony. At the same time, he has extensive experience with start-ups, early stage and pre-IPO companies in the areas of public relations, marketing communications, Web marketing and channel communications.  He welcomes your comments and questions on how to put his ideas to work for your company and can be reached at (516) 467-4122 or at [email protected].

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