Media & COVID-19: How To Create a Break Through Pitch for Your Brand

April 21, 2020
6:00 pm

Posted by DMA Solutions Team

It seems impossible for brands to break through given the state of the current news cycle. As media provide wall-to-wall coverage, the stories being reported are far and away from the consumer and lifestyle puff pieces we are used to seeing. It’s a 24/7 hard news cycle out there, so how can your brand break through?

Reading the news is imperative in order to see what’s being discussed, particularly when it comes to the food industry. We’re seeing media office landscapes change drastically, with work from home and virtual meetings being the main focus. In order for brands to stand out at a time like this, we’ve compiled a list below of three strategies to consider with your marketing team to help your brand break through the noise:

1. Re-evaluate Your Current News & Story Angles

Take a step back and read through your current plan of story angles you planned to send the media. What was relevant even two weeks ago may be obsolete now. In times like these, it’s okay to pause and go back to the drawing board. Most media publications have scrapped their digital coverage plans to make room for more timely pieces related to COVID-19 and the story ideas or pitch angles you send their way need to reflect this.

2. Put Yourself In The Reader’s Shoes

Take your brand out of the equation and ask yourself, “what link would I click on right now?” Are you more likely to open “Artichoke Recipes For Your Next Party” or are you more likely to open “Artichokes 3 Ways: Pantry Staple Ingredients You Can Use Now”?

Before pitching a story to the media, take yourself out of the brand headspace and instead focus on what readers are currently experiencing in their own lives. Once you have that in mind, it will help set the stage for thinking through the articles that make the most sense to read and for the media to write about now.

3. How To Fit Within The Current Coverage Landscape

The majority of coverage related to food is shifting to home-cooking recipes and tips only. How to make the most of what’s already in your pantry or fridge are also big angles that are getting picked up right now. Do you have a product with a long shelf life? Is it something that has multiple uses or is applicable in many different recipes? Highlight this.

Along with these three strategies, staying on top of what the media are talking about and how food is being discussed is key in order to pitch to writers and editors at the moment. With an uncertain future ahead, how we use food and feed our families with the ingredients on hand at home will always be a topic of conversation that your brand can integrate into.

Having trouble cutting through the noise, or need help on where to go next? Fill out this form and one of our marketing experts will contact you within 24 hours to schedule time for us to help you – for free.