Amergis Caye’s largest private beach at Las Terrazas Resort & Residences
This month our team celebrated our newest account, the absolutely sublime Las Terrazas Resort & Residences on Belize’s Ambergis Caye. Exuding laid back elegance and offering guests unrivaled intimacy and luxury on the areas largest private beach, Las Terrazas is one of the few remaining hidden gems awaiting discovery in the Caribbean. Now, our team is hard at work systematically gearing up, as we prepare to launch what is certain to be a successful, high-impact campaign for this amazing property.
Four Steps to Kick Start a Successful PR Campaign
The beginning of a successful public relations campaign is all about the steps taken during the gearing up period. Our proven systematic approach to kick starting a campaign is simple and effective – ultimately, providing the creative inspiration that propels the PR program to success. Below are the four essential steps involved in travel PR gear up.
1. Site Inspection – Back in February we got our first look at Las Terrazas during a visit to experience the property. For hotel and travel clients, it is essential that the public relations agency experience the product first hand. The media relies upon our ability to respond honestly and accurately to their requests and often ask for our genuine opinion of the hotels we are promoting. The knowledge and information gathered during a site inspection provides fuel and ammunition for the media relations program, as three decades of experience in travel PR have enabled us to often uncover story angles that may not be readily apparent to the hotel staff.
2. Information Gathering – Following the site inspection, we gather all of our notes and meet as a team to share our perceptions of the property. Once all notes are combined, our team brainstorms a list of additional questions for an information gathering session with the client. During an extended meeting and through follow up correspondences, we gather all necessary information to draft the comprehensive press kit.
3. Press Kit Development – Once information gathering is complete, it is time to get to the drafting board. For hotels a comprehensive press kit generally includes a background press release, detailed fact sheet, staff bios, rate chart, restaurant and spa menus. It is important that you take your time in drafting these documents, so as to ensure that all relevant information that would be of interest to press and travelers is covered. Additional news releases are added to the press kit throughout the campaign.
4. Campaign Planning – Once the press kit is finalized, it is time to put together a campaign roadmap. The campaign roadmap outlines deadlines for the months ahead and is useful in keeping the program on track. It is essential to set dates for press trips at the very start of a campaign, so as to allow sufficient time for planning and securing the attendance of top tier journalists. Determine the topic of your first press release and major pitch at the outset, so that the media relations initiatives can begin straight away to bring immediate coverage. It is also helpful to compile a list of potential press release and pitch angles to be added to throughout the campaign.
What tips do you have for gearing up for a PR campaign? Sound off in the comments.