PR help for your event

Promoting your event to your local media can be a great way of gathering more support, increasing awareness and also raising money. If you are organising or taking part in a fundraising activity, your local newspaper, radio or TV station will probably be interested to hear from you.

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of your event

Write up the details of your story in the form of a press release

A press release is simply a short written account of an event or piece of news. Journalists receive press releases everyday and use them to write up a lot of their stories.

Clarify the Who, What, Where, When and Why of your activity in the opening paragraph

Who is doing it?
What is it?
Where is it?
When is it?
Why is it being done?

Give further information in the rest of the press release

The more details you give to a journalist, the less work they have to do and the more likely they are to use your story.
Mention any local links, a journalist will always be more interested in a story if it relates to their local area.
Highlight anything that makes your event stand out - is it the first or the biggest of its kind?
Include a quote from yourself or someone else taking part.
Don't forget to include details about how people can get involved and support your event.
Always include contact details so the journalist can call or email you for more information.
If you like, you can use the sample press release at the bottom of this page as a template, simply substitute the parts in bold with details of your event.

Decide on the best date to tell the media about your story

It's best to inform the media 7-10 days before your event so they have time to write up the story, speak to you in more detail or take some photographs.
If you're taking part in a big event, for example the Great North Run, you may want to send more than one press release. Send one a few months in advance to let them know you are taking part and encourage sponsorship. Then send another as a follow up story on the day of the event, or just afterwards, to announce how much money you raised.

Contact your local media

You can often find the contact details of your local newspaper's Newsdesk listed inside the paper. Many TV or radio stations will list their phone number on their website. Simply phone up and ask for ‘the newsdesk'.
Check first that it is a good time to talk, as journalists can often be working to a tight deadline.
Tell them the key points about your event and ask if they would like the press release sent over to them. If there is a photo opportunity, mention this to the journalist so that they can book their photographer to attend if they want to.
Find out the journalist's name and keep a record of who you spoke to, when you spoke to them and what was said.
Send the press release to your local media contact. This is best done over email but you can fax it or send it in the post.Follow up with a phone call 2 or 3 days before the event.
Ask your contact if they are interested in covering your story and provide them with moreinformation if needed. They may ask you to re-send the press release, if they do, make sure you get their direct contact details to send it to.
If they are going to cover the story, ring the Tesco Hotline on 0845 872 9058 and let the team know - they might be able to provide you with some extra help and information.

Take part in any interviews and photographs

Always make sure you are available for an interview or a photograph if the journalist has requested it.
Be confident in what you want to say - write down the key points you want to get across before you speak to a journalist and have your press release to hand.
Remember to mention that the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is Tesco Charity of the Year 2009.
The money raised will be put towards giving children with muscular dystrophy specialist equipment to be independent.
Only talk about the event and the partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. Any other questions about Tesco should be referred to the Press Office. Questions about the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign should be referred to the Tesco Hotline on 0845 872 9058.
If appropriate, try to wear a Muscular Dystrophy Campaign ‘Charity of the Year' T-shirt. You can order T-shirts from the Hotline.
It's always a good idea to take your own pictures using a digital camera, even if a newspaper sends a photographer along. You can then send your own pictures to journalists who weren't able to make the event, or they could be used in additional Muscular Dystrophy Campaign or Tesco publications, such as The One.
If there are any children in your photographs, make sure you have the parent/guardian's permission to use their image. For photography permission forms, ring the Hotline on 0845 872 9058.