Landing Talk Show Placements: Achieving a Client’s Dream

It is the main goal of many PR professionals (and our clients) to book appearances on television shows – spanning local to national. Anyone who has paid close attention to no-name companies after they have been featured on a show like Good Morning America or Oprah has seen these companies get a boost in brand awareness, and in most cases – an increase in sales and new business opportunities.

According to a recent PRWeek article, and from my knowledge of failed attempts, securing a slot on one of these shows requires strategic relationship building on the part of the PR professional.

Quoted in the article is Patty Neger, a coordinating producer for Good Morning America, who generally states that PR professionals don’t think visually enough – you have to offer a video, interactive quiz, etc. because it’s television, not print. Most importantly, PR professionals have to watch and know the shows they are pitching.

Other highlights from the article:
-Make sure the pitch and client is newsworthy
-Don’t pitch something that does not fit with the culture and feel of the show
-Don’t mislead a producer by pitching a paid celebrity spokesperson instead of the actual client, or by letter him or her believe the show has an exclusive

What sparked my interest in writing on this subject was a recent teaser I saw for a new show – The Oprah Effect – set to air Thursday, May 28. According to a recent press release, the show will take a close look at businesses that have been featured on the show. What an interesting opportunity this will be for PR professionals to get an inside look at tactics used to get on the show…and the amazing stories of success after being on the show!