Taking a multimedia approach to PR is a great way to extend your audience. In a B2B context, broadcast journalism often gets dismissed as an indirect channel for business communication. Although a targeted media approach has proved to garner the best results for B2B clients, broadcast journalism still has a place in B2B PR strategy.
Good Broadcast hosted Channel 5 news planning editor, George Bleakley at an event at King Street Townhouse Hotel in Manchester. The event aimed to demonstrate the value of broadcast journalism as a method for brands to communicate key messages and offer advice on how best to contribute.
Naturally, Skout sent a team member to investigate. Key insights included:
Knowing your audience
Channel 5 News prides itself on the high level of engagement it gets from its 5 million viewers, who are largely based outside of London. Typically based in the North West, North East, Midlands and Yorkshire & Humberside, Channel 5 offers an alternative to London-centric news that welcomes content from local sources.
68% of Channel 5 audiences are women and within the C2DE social bracket with reportedly mixed political views. This demographic might not seem like a typical target audience for B2B content but it would be a mistake to underestimate the influence of viewing family members and friends over executive decision makers outside of the work environment.
People-led stories
Committed to its viewer base, Channel 5 is exclusively interested in stories that relate to people’s lives in reality. The platform encourages stories and opinions from the ‘real people’ who are affected by domestic issues in preference to experts and politicians who may alienate audience members.
This doesn’t mean that B2B messages should be avoided! Any content that offers insight into how people’s lives in the UK will be impacted presents an opportunity to comment on business-related issues.
When an opinion isn’t an opinion
An emphatic point was made about the wide scope of insight the channel welcomes. More controversial topics are frequently avoided by spokespeople, especially around the topic of Brexit. However, not all opinions have to be black and white.
Insights into one aspect of an issue and how it affects your business, life or community, even in a very small way can make a big impact and help to raise your profile. Five news once interviewed two brothers with competing HGV businesses and opposing views on how Brexit will affect their customer base!
Remember that B2B audiences are made up of real people who are impacted by the same issues that businesses face. Using your business insights to inform the public on specific areas of the functioning world is not only useful but it helps niche industries gain some momentum. Next time you think your business doesn’t have any input, think about how your workers, customers and the people involved in your industry sectors are affected. There may be something interesting to share!
