This post first appeared in Anthony Bullick’s Daily Post column.
While the end of the football season has brought the joy of a title or promotion for some, many others are digesting the difficult situation that is relegation.
Fans of clubs going down need to be kept onside for the next campaign to help put the club in the best position for a swift return, and fronting the media is a key element of ensuring the right messaging is reaching supporters.
Perhaps no better case for the importance of media training for a business could be seen than on Sunday with Southampton’s Rubén Sellés fronting the media.
As a key face at the club during a period of crisis which follows relegation, Selles had the skills and confidence to deliver his message in a clear and concise manner while handling difficult questions about his professional future.
In a fast-paced media landscape which quickly latches onto negatives, communicating effectively and positively is crucial for any organisation seeking to maintain or improve their image with stakeholders and the wider public.
Media interviews can be a rare occasion for brands, so ensure you are maximising your chances at positive coverage through practice and developing a knowledge of how the media operates.
Print, TV, and radio all have different approaches to interviews, deadlines, and editorial requirements, so approaching each enquiry differently will best address the specific needs of each story.
Build a relationship with the journalist enquiring about your company to not only position yourself as an industry expert for further opportunities, but also gather key information about what is required at each step of the process.
For example, is the interview going straight to air as a live cross, or is it to be recorded and edited by the journalist for airing later?
Develop key messages you wish to highlight, and make sure to keep them to a minimum as well as short in length to give the audience the best possible chance of remembering them.
For times of crisis, resist the urge to speculate on information you do not have at hand or deflect with a refusal to comment, as often this can paint your business as uncaring and unknowledgeable.
Identify senior employees who can discuss projects across the organisation and ensure they are also skilled with dealing with the media to provide continuity of knowledge should a journalist require more than one figure for the story.
Finally, provide all key colleagues with access to media training to build a bank of spokespeople for different scenarios.