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Tour
Stop Coordinator Guide
Available
in Microsoft .doc format
If
you are interested in becoming a tour stop coordinator,
please fill out our request form - click
here for the link
P.4
- Media and Publicity
Publicity
and public relations will make or break a visit
with the B-17 and B-24. Attendance is determined
almost solely by the publicity that goes out about
your Wings of Freedom tour stop. Even in small communities,
word-of-mouth does not work well as a promoter,
so you must get the attention of the newspapers,
the radio stations, the magazines, and the television
stations in your local area. Advance publicity is
a must, and do not settle for guarantees of coverage
of the event when it happens… coverage must begin
at least two weeks in advance to get public attention.
Remember that people must be present to make the
item newsworthy, so try your best to get the people
there.
You
will receive press kits from the Collings Foundation
in both physical and digital formats to personally
give to the media. It is important to physically
hand them the information as well as talk to them
about its importance. In today's media environment
many press releases and press kits that are sent
via mail get lost or looked over, therefore you
must make your presentation stress the importance
of this event make the press kit valuable to them.
Do not assume that coverage is assured once you
hand over the kit to the reporter, you will need
to continually communicate with them, visit them,
try to get them to make a firm commitment to place
a story in their publication or broadcast. Ask radio
station contacts to fill their dead air time with
Collings Foundation public service announcements
(PSAs) publicizing the local visit. Ask for leftover
ad space in local newspapers in addition to coverage
to continually make the visit visible to the public.
Here
are a few tips and pointers to remember when contacting
media:
- For
radio spots, inquire about talk shows or morning
shows and coverage they may be able to provide.
Bob Collings is happy to do on-air telephone interviews
on live shows.
- The
arrival of the B-17 and B-24 is perfect for videotaping
for a segment on the local evening news as they
arrive around 3-4 pm.
- Human
interest stories from veterans are wonderful for
coverage and tend to attract media more than just
the aircraft. Remember that the numbers of our
WWII veterans are dwindling with each day and
the importance of honoring them becomes more and
more critical each year.
- Flight
spots on the inbound flight in the B-17 and B-24
are available to press. Two seats per aircraft
are available. This is a great and rare opportunity
to get in-flight footage and photos for the media.
- Video
clips and pre-made radio PSAs are available from
the Collings Foundation, contact us at 978-562-9182
for more information.
Next
Page: Logistics
Previous Page: Airport
and FBO Relations
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