Anyone who’s worked in PR for any length of time knows the absolute unrivalled value of face to face interactions with journalists. Media relations through the phone and email is one thing, but sitting down with an editor and immersing them in your client’s world is another.
When Covid-19 struck, I’m sure we weren’t the only PR team wondering whether we’d ever get the opportunity to do that again. Zoom and Teams calls became the next best thing for a while, but they didn’t quite have the same effect.
Thankfully, that is now a distant memory and just as we’ve been keen to get back in front of our media targets, so too have our clients.
Construction PR media briefing: The Häfele Innovation Day
As a construction PR agency and buildings product PR agency, there are loads of great opportunities to get in front of media and other stakeholders, from exhibitions to CPDs. But hosting your own face-to-face media briefing event can be a particularly powerful tactic - and this is something we supported with Häfele UK when the business hosted its first Innovation Day for the media.
Earlier this month, we welcomed 15 key media contacts to Häfele UK's Training Academy Rugby for media briefing. We know journalists are very busy people, but we also know they’re happy to get away from their desks for the day as long as it’s worth it. And Häfele made sure its Innovation Day was.
First up, Häfele’s new Managing Director, Richard Curtis, was introduced to the media for the very first time as the event got started. Being able to share his vision and ambitions for the company set the tone for the day as we shared coffee and pastries, and the attendees were able to put questions to him for use in their write ups.
Häfele recently commissioned research with 2,000 homeowners to explore the things they love and find most challenging in their homes, as a follow-up to the ‘Kitchens for Living’ research they undertook in 2022. Following Richard’s introduction, Häfele was able to share an exclusive look at some of the results, which resulted in media coverage within just hours of the event.
Media briefing: Hands on opportunities
Next, was an opportunity for the guests to get hands on with Häfele products. As part were guided around the company’s inspirational training facility, which over the course of each year becomes home to hundreds of Häfele customers who are looking to upskill in different areas. Each of the journalists had the opportunity to fit various products – from lighting to cabinet plinths – to a kitchen just as an installer would, helping them realise how Häfele’s systems are designed to make life for tradespeople so much easier.
After a networking lunch, attendees were given a sneak peek at the place where the magic happens – Häfele’s Research and Development suite. The company prides itself on innovation and its R&D team has been hard at work developing a variety of new products that will truly shake up the construction industry. This article from Furniture Joinery and Production gives you an insight into what was shared with the attendees, though lots remains under wraps until later in the year!
A positive response to the face-to-face media briefing
Once the day closed, we were able to reflect on how successful the event had been. The feedback shared with us afterwards reminded us why you can’t put a price on this type of activity: ‘insightful’, ‘amazing’ and ‘innovative’ are just some of the words the attendees used to describe the experience, and the wealth of coverage we’ve received already from our press packs proves how effective face to face media relations remains to this day, even in an ever-changed world.
We’re already looking ahead to our next press day!