Picture this: it’s media release day. Your PR agency has prepared a fantastic message and press conference, which you have spent over five hours rehearsing for. The room is full of journalists and stakeholders. You nailed every sentence in your speech, and some of your guests might have even given you a standing ovation.
But as the days go by, the coverage is not what you expected; the public response is lukewarm and your post-release content is receiving low engagement.
Worse, online forums and the comment sections are abuzz with critiques on the poorly done visuals and infographics. Some make fun of your “ugly” press conference backdrop, call the designs “badly photoshopped” and poke fun at the “cheap-looking” visuals. Some media outlets even choose to ignore the visual assets distributed in favour of their own photo bank.
It’s a disappointing outcome – especially since it could have been avoided if only the design had been better. Why weigh a brilliant PR campaign down with bad design?
At Mutant, we believe every campaign should be treated as an avenue for your audience to experience your brand, rather than just a one-off stint or a publicity stunt. So, it’s worth every dollar to appeal to the eyes and emotions of your audience alongside reason and data.
Here are three reasons why we always push for good design to accompany our PR and content works:
Good design amplifies PR tools
Think of it this way: you’re helping the journalists talk about you. It’s far easier to cover an event where the media kits are purposefully designed and the fact sheets are easy to read.
Give the journalists what they want and make it appealing. For example, think of your media kits as a funnelled communication piece; a prefacing one-page summary of the entire campaign, followed by a fact sheet with more infographics, important quotes and product samples if applicable, and more detailed materials (the official press release, executive bios, shareables, and official photos.
We would like to encourage you to make infographics your best friend, especially when dealing with vital facts and figures. If the journalists can grasp the key points of your campaign in one minute, you’re doing them a favour.
Massage the medium
How you say something is just as important as what you’re saying. This adage also applies to the design of physical and digital events. Aside from your media kits, consider jazzing up the press conference backdrop and even the venue itself.
Every corner of your venue should carry your key message and tastefully match the aesthetics of your campaign. In other words, make the event an “Insta-worthy experience”. If you have great culinary taste, you could even curate refreshments that tie into the theme of your campaign!
Your event will be far more successful if your guests can touch, taste, see, hear, and smell your message. Treat them as you would influencers, and make sure that covering your media event is an unforgettable experience for your journalists.
One particular element that might go overlooked is the fact that many event halls these days offer LED backdrops, so make good use of them.
Well-produced animated videos and slides will keep your guests engaged throughout a conference or presentation. With digital events, consider the variety of streaming platforms available today and how they can make your livestream a unique experience, even on screen.
Help them to create more content
In addition to a product launch or announcement, your event could also be a treasure trove of content. As you plan your media event with your agencies and vendors, think like a content creator. Ask questions like, “how many short clips and tweets can you generate from a single event?”, “What is the coolest thing about this campaign?” and “How many photo ops will I get?”
Bonus points if your event is meme-able too (in a good way!)
By planning these elements, you can ensure that these talking points and assets are well-designed for social media making it easier for reporters and attendees to cover your event. It pays off to prepare shareable content for multiple social media platforms in a variety of formats. When we help our media colleagues, they can do their job better.
These are just a few of the ideas on how good design can improve your PR campaign. With a little attention paid to the design aspect of your event, you too can bump up engagement with your audiences.
Want to know how to jazz up a PR event with good design? We can help: [email protected]