Michigan Irish Music Festival came to us wanting a brand refresh. What they got was a dedicated team that created a brand new look–but we’re not here to talk about the creative genius behind their logo (we did that already)- instead, we want to talk about all the pre-event buzz we were able to get for their event… months before the festival.
A Plan is Nothing without Strategy
There’s a lot that goes into securing media coverage, before we even pick up the phone or send an email to a reporter. We compiled research, brought together details on the new rebrand, festival and ticket sale, and compiled a press release with all the relevant information for reporters.
Then we had to determine who would be the correct reporters to reach out to, which involved researching target markets and pinpointing publications and stations and the reporters at them who are the right fit.
Our main goal with this outreach was to secure media coverage for the festival surrounding the new rebrand and their ticket sale, which fell perfectly on St. Patrick’s Day.
Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up
After pinpointing who we should reach out to, we got to work, picking up the phone to call and sending emails to reporters. The result: we booked 3 interviews and got MIMF featured in 6 articles.
But the work didn’t stop there, we prepped Michigan Irish Music Festival staff for the interviews and went with them, to take behind-the-scenes pictures and videos, and offer support.
During the interviews, we were able to offer the stations more information about the upcoming festival, including the performer set list, which was released close to the St. Patrick’s Day Sale.
The first interview was a week before St. Patrick’s Day with Cumulus Media and we traveled to Muskegon to meet the team and support the Michigan Irish Music Festival crew. It focused on the new rebrand and the upcoming ticket sale. Then that next week, we had a live interview with WOODTV 8 on their live digital desk and on St. Patrick’s Day, we were in FOX 17’s studio for a live interview on their morning show. The festival team got the word out about the festival’s new look, what’s new this year, the just released performers list, and drove people to get tickets.
After the interviews, we continued reaching out, getting more eyes on the festival including being featured in the Irish American News, MLive, WZZM 13, and Local Spins’ newsletter.
The Results
- 7 pieces of earned media
- 63,000 total estimated views
- $23,251 in total advertising value
All that – still months out from the start of the festival. The takeaway–-making a plan for your media outreach pays off. There’s a lot of work and research behind a pitch. Knowing how to stand out and building relationships with media outlets matter.
At 8THIRTYFOUR, we have a human approach towards public relations, we pick up the phone, meet clients and reporters in person, write postcards. That human connection pays off.
Don’t believe us? Check out our PR wins and what we are working on here. Need help getting your story out there? Connect with us.
