6 steps to maintain good media relations in Brazil

In a world so heavily reliant on public opinion, when we talk about corporate communications or brand strategies, not having a plan to maintain good media relations could be considered one of the biggest sins in business. It takes a lot of time and work to convince your audience that you are the socially conscious, trustworthy, valuable business that you say you are. 

That is why, while this is an essential marketing component for companies around the world, it is particularly valuable in Latin America, where tradition and trust is incredibly important in the consumers’ decision making process. 

At its core, to have effective media relations means to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship between the media and an organisation. But it’s also so much more than that: on a more practical level, the job of a great PR agency is to act as an advocate, developing and telling a client’s story in a way that meets all the necessary requirements and is consistant with the organisation’s strategy and objectives. 

Still, there’s no secret formula. In fact, even if, when properly planned and executed, it provides a great return of investment, since we’re talking about people, this can be a largely inconsistent service.

With all this in mind, how can businesses build media relations in Brazil? We at Sherlock Communications have listed 6 main things to remember:

Unfortunately, with the speed and high volume of information circulating today on the market, the reality is journalists can’t afford to waste time on a daily basis. This is why a significant part of having good media relations is being as mindful of their time as possible. The relevance of the content you share with them should be immediately apparent. Otherwise, it is highly unlikely that you’ll get a second chance to prove your value to that publication.

Even better than telling, is showing the journalists what your organisation is all about. Here, we are including everything from in-person interviews (which consist of choosing and training the right spokespersons), to promoting and organising events, and, of course, the production of a strong media/press kit. All these components should demonstrate your creativity, relevancy and value while being informative and easily understood.

We recognise that all publications hold potential for building reputation and public awareness. However, one of the first steps when deciding when and where our efforts should be located is to prioritise the journalists and vehicles according to relevancy for the client. 

When dividing the publications in tiers, we’re able not only to better allocate out time and resources, but also, organise the information flow so that journalists receive fresh and exclusive contents from time to time. This is definitely a great lesson on how to improve media relations in any country, but especially in Brazil.

With the previous step in mind, it’s also important to mention that smaller, more niche publications should not be overlooked. In many cases, the return of investment on a campaign held with local journalists, for example, could be as high (if not higher) than that of those with bigger outlets. The key here is to know the media landscape and making the right calls when curating the press mailing.

Once again, strong planning is the backbone of effective PR work. There are many factors that contribute to the decision to publish a story, we refer to these factors as news values. Response time is, of course, one of them (and one very much in demand by journalists), but you can’t count on it everytime. 

In order to stay relevant and build a presence in the newsroom, where the point is to be established as a main source of reference in the topics that are important for the brand and its public, we need to keep a constant flow of information, feeding the journalists with stories on a weekly basis. That is why it’s important to have an eye for what could become a good story, and what couldn’t, in that particular media landscape.

On that same note, the client’s only job is to know how to do what they do best, that is, their business. Telling their story, on the other hand, it’s the job of the PR agent. What differentiates a truly great public relations agency however is how well they are able to tell that story, which in turn depends largely on how well they know the audience, that is, the journalists and the final consumer public.

That is why it’s always a safer, smarter choice for organisations looking to build good media relations to enlist the help of a local PR agency, especially in a new country. Together, client and consultants will work to achieve the brand’s goals in the most efficient and solid way possible, uniting the knowledge that the organisation has of its product and public with the structure and expertise of years in the PR market that only a truly internationally consolidated agency can have.