| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 04/09/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 62 |
| Copyright: Other |
Facing up to press attention
With more and more travel companies being the subject of television documentaries, is there a need for employers to give media training to staff in resort?Andrea Perry reports
WHAT do Unijet, Celebrity Cruises, EasyJet and Priceright Holidays have in common? The answer is they have all allowed staff members to be filmed for television documentaries.But while this type of warts-and-all programme makes entertaining TV, it doesn’t always show the company in question in the best light.
Some members of staff, such as Airport star Jeremy Spate and Celebrity Cruises’ singer Jane MacDonald, become instant successes with the public but many others reveal a less appealing image of their employers, leaving travel firms open to criticism.
The recent Holiday Airport programme about the goings-on at Orlando and Palma, pulled in eight million viewers, so it’s obvious that TV companies will continue to look for operators to be programme subjects. How can holiday firms protect their reputation?
According to Radio Five Live presenter Peter Nunn, companies should start training their staff on how to become TV stars. Nunn, who is also director of Communicate Media Consultancy, already has a client list that includes ABTA, Air 2000, Thomson Holidays, Cosmos and First Choice. Now he intends to set up tailor-made training sessions for reps in resort.
The objective is to show tourism staff that a media interview is merely another type of business meeting which you need not fear, provided you approach it with a positive attitude and relevant knowledge.
“Many people are very scared of speaking to journalists but given some kind of media awareness, they could do an even better job.
“If the company they work for has a policy on the media, it is vital all personnel follow it. It’s all about understanding what the programme makers want so you are prepared and don’t end up getting into trouble. Each interview should be grasped as a media opportunity to be exploited and not an exam to be passed.”
He believes companies are being short-sighted if they train only senior executives to deal with the media. While bosses can give the corporate line, it is the reps who are the face of the company on the ground and often provide the best entertainment. For more information on media training sessions contact: 020-7837 8777 or e-mail: cmc@communicatemedia.com.
How do operators feel about media attention?
Thomson: staff who haven’t received media training don’t talk to the press. If they are approached by a journalist, they refer all enquiries to the press office. We don’t take part in fly-on-the-wall programmes apart from a couple of exceptions. It is not representative of what we do.
Nunn’s top tips for dealing with the media
n Find out as much information as possible about who they are ie: TV, radio or newspaper, and what they want.
n Know your company policy – you don’t want to be caught out in an embarrassing moment.
n Be natural. Think about what message you are trying to project but don’t lose your personality.
n Don’t become too subjective.
Press gang: all companies should grasp interviews as a good media opportunity
Compulsive viewing:docu-soaps can attract up to eight million viewers