SMT: Building Buzz

Here are a few smart reasons to do a satellite media tour.

1. Incredible cost savings.

- Effective TV commercials and radio ad campaigns cost thousands upon thousands of dollars, not only in the creative process, but also for the time purchased on air.

- They produce buzz...that the news media helps create. (Yes. That is me briefing Col. Buzz Aldrin for the SMT on July 16, 2009 at 5:55 a.m. Photo by Lisa Cannon)

- Satellite media tours "start" at around $18,000 for pitching and producint. Fees may increase for remote locations and other add ons such as catering, make up artists, number of cameras, lighting crews and such.

2. No advertising.

- They are NOT a commercial and broadcast audiences know the difference.

- News typically owns a captured audience so people tune in and don't change to another station until the broadcast is over...or during commercials.

- An aired segment helps a company stand from their competition.

3. Say "credibility".

- Interviews in the news translate into credible experts for the viewing or listening audience.

- The art of producing a great tour is working with the client and person being interviewed to ensure their talking points or responses to the host, anchor or reporter don't sound like a commercial. It is news by the way!

4. Timing is everything.

- Incredible timing means SMTs offer a chance for opportune and strategic placement in the news.

- Both offer the ability to quickly respond to regional or national issues.

5. Very little effort for client.

- Media tours are written, pitched and produced by an SMT specialist.

- Production can be conducted in a studio or can originate from remote locations by hiring a satellite truck.

- It only takes set amount of time for the client (typically three to six hours during a tour) to reach an audience of millions.

6. Huge value.
- Because of the Internet, broadcast interviews live on! They are posted on a station's website and are then shared via social media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

- A news story has a higher perceived value placed on it than advertising. When measuring, a news story MAY be valued up to four times the cost of the same length for a broadcast advertisement during that same time.

- And lastly, SMTs are measurable in many ways!

Check out my earlier posts of several SMT interviews with Buzz Aldrin that I helped produce on July 16, 2009 for the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 at Kennedy Space Center. I was three feet below him and one foot behind the camera working as the floor producer. There was also a camera guy, a lighting tech, a makeup artist, Buzz's assistant, and two caterers on the floor in addition to three producers in the satellite truck.

For more info about producing a tour, working with me to pitch and book your tour or to discuss your next Satellite Media Tour, give me a shout at 407-341-9866 or mmonte@hotmail.com.