The power of good public relations has the ability to soar our client to success, while at the same time, giving their brand a powerful voice across the airwaves that can shape and influence the community’s perception of sports aviation.
The power of good public relations has the ability to soar our client to success, while at the same time, giving their brand a powerful voice across the airwaves that can shape and influence the community’s perception of sports aviation.
Our client, the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia recently attended, Australia’s biggest annual airshow, Wings over Illawarra and our team at Sustainable Marketing saw the opportunity to seize some national media coverage that would provide maximum exposure and brand visibility for the various flying disciplines under the HGFA umbrella.
Breaking through the newsroom noise to gain prime place in the faced-paced news feed- isn’t simply sending out a media release and hoping it flies. There were a few vital steps we took to ensure we had a compelling story to tell that was engaging, informative and a bit of fun for viewers.
Getting media excited
When it comes to media coverage, you have one shot to grab the attention of the Editor or the Producer. If your pitch doesn’t fly high enough, it’s going to crash and burn. In this first point of contact, we wanted to make sure our story stood out from the crowd, spoke to the target audience and would entertain television viewers.
HGFA’s attendance at the airshow was of interest to local media, but we wanted our pitch to fly a little further to ensure we got national morning television coverage. Thinking outside the box, we decided that the HGFA’s, Australian-first hang gliding simulator (that was featuring at the show) would be a great segment, inviting the Today Show presenters to get in the harness and have a go on live TV.
Ensuring our pitch was perfectly tailored
Our pitch to the Today Show Producer was:
Good morning,
We would love you to come down to the Illawarra Airshow and test out the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia’s hang gliding simulator at this year’s Wings over Illawarra. Or to make life easier, why don't we bring the hang glider to you.
The Today Show hosts can experience first hand, the thrill of the sport without their feet leaving the ground. We think this would be an exciting, fun segment for your viewers.
The Hang Gliding Federation of Australia are also key sponsors of the exciting AOPA Junior Pilots program, encouraging the younger generation to take flight. I have attached a media release for further information.
We will be offering young aviation enthusiasts hands-on experience of the key flying essentials of hang gliding, paragliding, powered paragliding and microlighting at the AOPA display.
We look forward to you taking flight with the HGFA!
Good PR gets your event some exposure but great PR goes the extra mile, with local, national and international coverage that highlights your air sport, educates the general public and elevates your brand. A press release with a punchy headline may get some attention, but in our case, offering a studio segment with the simulator, grabbed the Today Show’s attention - adding spectacular vision was icing on the cake for media. After our initial pitch, it was important that we followed up with phone calls, providing another opportunity to sell the story and highlight why it would be of interest to their viewers.
Testimonal from our client, HGFA Operations Manager, Brett Coupland
“Sustainable Marketing has used their industry knowledge and extensive media experience to secure national television coverage with the Today Show on our presence at the Wings over Illawarra Airshow. Maria and Kerryn have gone the extra mile to ensure our media coverage was on brand, provided maximum exposure and highlighted our sport to a wide and broad demographic.
With a background in Journalism, Kerryn understands how a newsroom operates, knows the best point of contact and how to pitch an engaging story opportunity to media outlets. Their professional work ethic is second to none and their team of media experts are always on the hunt for the next PR opportunity for our organisation.”
How can Sustainable Marketing Services help?
Sustainable Marketing Services have a proven track record in helping air sport organisations elevate the profile of their brands, generate leads and help retain existing members.
We have strong experience working with the MAAA and the HGFA to name a few.
Sustainable Marketing Services can develop marketing, public relations, digital marketing and social media tailored for your organisation.
Meet us for coffee, we're happy to share our knowledge and understand how we can help your organisation take flight.
Contact us on 1300 699 085 or email us here for a complimentary meeting.