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BE AN EXPERT
There is a difference between being a media spokesperson for your organisation, and appearing as an expert. As a spokesperson, you’re generally invited on to the media when something bad has happened to your own organisation. Be prepared for that, but you can also volunteer your services as an expert to the media, to give your views on your area of expertise.
The idea As a brand owner or guardian, you’re not expected to be impartial. If you’re invited to give an opinion to the press or to talk on the radio, they will always bear in mind that you have something you want to publicise. But if you can give good advice about your field, without showing a bias towards your own brand, the media will generally allow you the trade-off of mentioning your company.
If you do try to push your own brand, you won’t get invited back, so there is a balance to observe. You can also have media training. This is the professional version of practise videos, and teaches people how to come over well on television and radio, if they plan to be a spokesperson for their organisations. However, you can generally spot the media-trained. They refuse to answer questions and say, “That’s not important, my point is...” Interviewers on news programmes loathe this and can be
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100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 102
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