Media Relations in the Social Media Age - Assignment Example

Media Relations in the Social Media Age Table of Contents Introduction 3 2. Brief Creative Outline for Launch Day Media Opportunities 4 2 Press Conference 5 2.2 Photocall 6 2.3 Positioning through News Release 6 3. Outlining Effective Elements of the Media Strategy 6 3.1 Core Story of the Media Strategy 7 3.2 Product’s Key Messages 7 3.3 Target Audience 8 3.4 Target Media 8 4. Supporting Resources in Product Launch Campaign 9 4.1 Traditional Media Release 9 4.2 Social Media News Release 10 4.3 Media Sharing Tools 10 5. Conclusion 11 References 12 1. Introduction Seiko Epson Corporation (Epson), a Japan based electronic manufacturer, is highly regarded for providing quality based electronic products to the global customers. The company has been performing its business operations across the different geographical locations. In this context, it is observed that Epson UK is one of the largest subsidiaries of the company in terms of producing a wide range of printers and imaging equipment. In relation to the present day context, Epson UK is highly inclined towards successfully launching it exclusive EH-SWZ-5000, a new home cinema projector in the growing UK electronic business industry. Therefore, the report intends to develop an effective plan and implement the traditional and social media engagement activity for EH-SWZ-5000 during its forthcoming UK launch. In order to successfully launch EH-SWZ-5000 in the respective business market, the development of proactive media relation opportunities would primarily focus on three major aims in line with the conventional and social media across the market. Firstly, the report devises a brief and creative outline regarding the media opportunities for the launch day of the product. The second aim of the report is to plan an effective outline through incorporating the essential elements including the core story, key messages of the product along with its target audiences and media in the respective business location. And, the third aim of the report is to create three major supporting resources for the proposed launch campaign of EH-SWZ-5000 in the UK market. 2. Brief Creative Outline for Launch Day Media Opportunities With regard to the proposed plan for EH-SWZ-5000 home cinema projector during its forthcoming UK launch, the creative media opportunities would be considered in accordance with efficacy along with their capability of demonstrating the product in the respective business market. The stages to be implemented for EH-SWZ-5000 in the UK electronics market at the product launch day will focus on three major media opportunities including press conference, photocall and positioning through news release. Firstly, a press conference would be conducted through involving diverse media channels such as print, electronic and online networks. The press conference for EH-SWZ-5000 will focus on conveying essential information to the media channels and networks regarding the features, effectiveness, price and availability of products in different outlets to the media. Secondly, the photocall strategy would be organized through involving local media while inaugurating EH-SWZ-5000 in the UK electronic market. The process will be conducted soon after the successful completion of the press conference. And thirdly, the media strategy for EH-SWZ-5000 would focus on providing detailed information about the product through the company’s news release activities. The strategy would facilitate the major group of stakeholders to easily access relevant information about the performance of the product along with its innovative features to meet the changing trends of the local consumers in the UK market. The detailed information of these three stages is briefly discussed in the following section (Lord, 2000). 2.1 Press Conference In order to gain considerable attention of the potential UK local consumers, an effective planning mechanism will be developed for the product prior to its launch day in the target markets. The planning process regarding the press conference event for the selected product would be conducted two weeks prior to the date of the event. The strategy would help the spokesperson of Epson UK to prepare an exceptional message by encompassing each subject area relating to the product and expectations of the local consumers as well. In relation to EH-SWZ-5000, the press conference event will basically provide detail coverage of the product along with its features and their importance. In this regard, a grand opening and announcement about the essentialities of EH-SWZ-5000 would be conducted through which the spokesperson of Epson UK will be able to provide detailed information about the product including features, technological aspects and compatibility among others. The press conference for EH-SWZ-5000 will aim at targeting the changing consumer trends in the electronic market. The messages to be delivered to the media outlets would be tailored in accordance with the needs and expectations of the local consumers. The process would help the spokesperson of the company to execute a strong promotional campaign of the product through a newsworthy press conference event. The strategy would also focus on making the company’s spokesperson to conduct more interaction with individual media persons along with ensuring adequate compliance of legal requirements associated with the product. The process would enable the company to reduce various types of future legal and environmental related concerns (Leinemann & Baikaltseva, 2006). 2.2 Photocall In relation to the photocall plan for EH-SWZ-5000, the allied event related to the product would highly focus on representing the product through the involvement of the key leaders including chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or chief marketing and promotional directors while demonstrating the product in the UK market. The strategy would help to increase the efficiency of the product and enable the target group of customers to gain adequate knowledge about the features and exceptionalities of EH-SWZ-5000. The event would also focus on providing a short snapshot of the most successful leader of Epson with the product, which can further help the company to establish a large promotional campaign of its EH-SWZ-5000 cinema projector in the Epson UK’s target market (Smilansky, 2009). 2.3 Positioning through News Release The strategy of making a clear position of the product can be considered as an effective and essential part of a company while introducing new products in the market. In relation to the proposed strategy, the potential and target buyers of the product will be delivered detailed specification with respect to the features and performance of EH-SWZ-5000. In this context, it can be stated that the information regarding the product specification will be provided through the company’s own news release portal to facilitate the potential buyers in the UK market. The process would help Epson UK to reduce the promotional cost associated with the product while informing the potential buyers of EH-SWZ-5000 (Zamaria, 2013). 3. Outlining Effective Elements of the Media Strategy In the context of EH-SWZ-5000, the media strategy would highly focus on certain crucial aspects in forthcoming UK launch. The key elements in this media strategy include core story of the product, its key message to the potential buyers along with the target audience and media associated with the product in UK. 3.1 Core Story of the Media Strategy The proposed media strategy for EH-SWZ-5000 is centrally focused on developing a creative set of activities that can enable to bring adequate opportunity for the product to successfully market in the UK electronic industrial domain. Subsequently, the primary focus of the proposed media strategy would include a significant effort to establish a strong brand position of EH-SWZ-5000 in the growing UK electronic market. The enactment of strong brand promotional campaigns regarding the technical competencies of the product would facilitate Epson UK to sustain its long-term competitiveness in the respective industry. The measures associated with the brand position development would also enable the company to gain an adequate number of potential consumers along with increasing the number of valuable stakeholders across the different locations in the UK. The advanced technical features along with innovative configuration of the product would also enable to strengthen its brand position, which can further lead the company to boost sales (Young, 2010). 3.2 Product’s Key Messages Although the strategy of developing and increasing brand awareness can build long-term sustainability, the product should convey key messages to the targeted customers as well. The proposed media strategy for EH-SWZ-5000 would significantly communicate its exclusive features and durability to the major group of stakeholders. The key message of the product will also focus on its technical specifications such as a high specification 3D compatible printer and compatibility with 3D TVs along with home cinema systems, which can enable to gain the attention of the customers. Moreover, the feature of wireless connectivity of the new projector with smartphone and tablets can also enable Epson UK to attain competitive advantage due to the greater level of changing trends of the customers in the UK electronic market. Therefore, the deliverance of unique experience to the customers as a part of the key message of EH-SWZ-5000 would be highly considered, which can enable the company to draw a large number of potential buyers in the respective business locations in the UK. 3.3 Target Audience EH-SWZ-5000 involves various types of advanced technology based features for targeting the modern technologically driven customers. Therefore, the strategy for the product would be focused on encompassing different groups of audience from mass media. In relation to an effective media strategy, the involvement of mass media has long been considered to be a key constituent to strengthen the competitive position of a company for obtaining a large number of target audiences. Therefore, the target audience of the proposed media strategy would be considered as individuals from different media platforms including print, electronic and online networks (Hanes, 2000). 3.4 Target Media In relation to an effective media strategy, the selection of key media is one of the major practices for an organization especially while introducing a new product/service into the market. According to the proposed media strategy for EH-SWZ-5000, a wide range of media networks would be involved while introducing the product in the UK electronic business market. Correspondingly, the media to be considered in the proposed strategy include print media, electronic or digital media and online or web-based media. With respect to the current pace and extensive use of the internet all over the world, the online media would be an essential consideration for EH-SWZ-5000 while entering into the UK electronic business market. The online media strategy would highly focus on promoting the product through different social media and media sharing tools. The extensively growing number of users of social media and media sharing networks across the horizon has been accepted as the key motivational factor for choosing online or web-based media for EH-SWZ-5000 in the UK electronic market (Chiu & et. al., 2006). 4. Supporting Resources in Product Launch Campaign The selection of supporting resources is an essential element of a successful media strategy. It generally determines the possible sales of a new product after entering into a new market. In relation the growing pace of mass media in the UK, the supporting resources for EH-SWZ-5000 would be considered in accordance with their efficacy along with the modern trend of customers in the respective business market. Subsequently, the major resources to be undertaken in the media strategy have been briefly discussed below: 4.1 Traditional Media Release In relation to the proposed media strategy for EH-SWZ-5000, a number of traditional media resources would be utilized. In this regard, the product would be promoted through local newspapers, magazines along with television and local radio channels in the UK market. The process would help to communicate about the product to a large segment of potential customers across the UK (Hanes, 2000). 4.2 Social Media News Release The potential buyers for EH-SWZ-5000 will be targeted through the social media networks. According to the proposed strategy, the product would be promoted through a number of online social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler and Instagram among others to attain a large number of valuable and potential buyers across the UK market. During this process, the proposed social media networks would be ascertained to convey the launch of EH-SWZ-5000 to an extensively growing number of clients belonging to a diverse demographic backgrounds including age, gender, income level and other related factors (Smilansky, 2009; Hanes, 2000). 4.3 Media Sharing Tools Media sharing tools such as YouTube and other related online media resources will be used as a crucial element for the proposed media strategy of EH-SWZ-5000. The selection of media sharing websites would help Epson UK to visually demonstrate the technical competencies of the product, which will enable to grab a large number of potential buyers. In this regard, a short-film telling the story of the offering would enable the company to visually represent the key features and quality of each of the technical equipment of the product. The strategy would further enable to bring a continuous flow of potential buyers (Smilansky, 2009; Chiu & et. al., 2006). 5. Conclusion The competitive pace in the modern business environment has been viewed to be influenced by an effective media strategy. In relation to the recent phenomenon, organizations are highly motivated to extensively use different types of media. A well-built media strategy involves a number of essential elements that determines the success of a company while introducing a new product into a specific market or industry. With reference to the proposed media strategy, a creative outline for launch day media opportunities for EH-SWZ-5000 has been provided. The strategy ascertained a number of essential steps regarding the successful media coverage of the product in the growing UK electronic market. In this regard, the promotion of the product through press conference and photocall can enable to derive significant responses in the UK market. Moreover, the strategy of selecting social media networks as the primary resource would also provide adequate opportunity for Epson UK to successfully launch and market EH-SWZ-5000. References Chiu, Y. C. & et. al., 2006. An Evaluation Model of New Product Launch Strategy. Technovation, Vol. 26, pp. 1244-1252. Hanes, P. J., 2000. The Advantages and Limitations of a Focus on Audience in Media Studies. Media. [Online] Available at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/pph9701.html [Accessed March 02, 2014]. Leinemann, R. & Baikaltseva, E., 2006. How to Manage a Successful Press Conference. Gower Publishing, Ltd. Lord, J. B., 2000. New Product Failure and Success. Chapter 4. [Online] Available at: http://www.enq.ufsc.br/disci/eqa5216/material_didatico/DEVELOPINGNEWFOOD/TX67784_04.pdf [Accessed March 02, 2014]. Smilansky, S., 2009. Experiential Marketing: A Practical Guide to Interactive Brand Experiences. Kogan Page Publishers. Young, A., 2010. Brand Media Strategy: Integrated Communications Planning in the Digital Era. Palgrave Macmillan. Zamaria, C., 2013. Business Practices in Creative Media. Ryerson University, pp. 1-12. Read More