Preparing for press junket interviews
If you have been told to prepare for round table press interviews, you might be feeling a little apprehensive as you can get bombarded with questions from hard to please journalists.
Who runs press junket interviews?
We hope that this article alleviates some / all of those thoughts because a good PR agent will provide help and will manage the event like a tightly-run ship and look after you so well that it will most likely turn out to be a really good experience.
So, what is a press junket?
Press junket interviews are one-day events of back to back media interviews (often the same questions), taking place in one location with the intent purpose of promotion that is close to the release date. Predominantly, in the entertainment industry where an actor promotes a feature film or TV show, they have expanded into a broad range of sectors, since they are seen as a way of maximising awareness in PR Campaigns.
PR Agents are now banking content and coverage, using these promotional jam-packed press events, for shows, products and brands all across the sectors, not just entertainment, but for sports, business, fashion and beauty.
So what happens at press junkets?
The PR Agent will have scheduled journalists from all across the media, to interview you in short time slots, one after the other where you will be filmed and recorded answering the reporter’s questions about the event.
How can I be prepared for a press junket?
Having good communications with your PR Agent is paramount for the success of press junket interviews, so they can alleviate any apprehensions that you may have about how to be prepared. Bear in mind, that they will be there to hand, to keep you energised, fed and watered and generally looking after you.
Arrive in plenty of time to prepare to chat with your PR agents and go through expectations about the media day. Your PR agent will anticipate some reporters arriving late but they will handle all of this, so you are left feeling calm.
Stick with the approved questions about what you are there to talk about. Don’t answer unapproved questions and don’t use the time to talk about anything that hasn’t been discussed with your PR Agent prior. Nerves could make you want to talk too much or veer off subject but again, your communication with your PR Agent will keep you feeling calm, collected and armed with confidence.
Don’t worry. After a few interviews, especially answering the same questions over and over, you may be feeling tongue tied, dry-mouthed or tired but your PR Agent will look after you, get you some breathing space, manage the time and anything unexpected. You will not be expected to do anything extra that hasn’t been discussed prior.
What shall I wear for my media interviews?
Usually there is a make up and stylist to hand before and during press junket interviews, if it is going to be broadcast. If you are promoting a fashion brand or showing your latest collection, you are most likely going to be wearing your clothes but if not, you will have probably had this conversation already with your PR Agent and will be on the receipt of all sorts of good press junket help.
What if I don’t have an answer to a reporter?
A good PR agent won’t allow you to be surprised. They will have done all of the homework and pre-approved all of the interview questions. After all, reporters want good answers in the little time that they have with you and not to walk away with hardly anything to write about or with an interview which has to be heavily edited, leaving hardly any material to broadcast for their audience.
The PR agent will also help you with your answers to the questions that are going to be asked. They will also be at hand to step in with any surprise questions that may not have been pre-approved. Some journalists may try this to get an exclusive from you, since they know that you will have been asked a series of the same questions from lots of reporters, but a PR agent will steer it back to the approved questions. If you are caught short, just don’t say anything.
These interview questions are usually sent well in advance, so you will know what to say ahead of time. Any extra, unexpected questions will most likely result in your PR agent cutting the interview short, so journalists are at risk, if they do, so do not worry.
What if I say things by accident in a filmed interview that I am not comfortable about?
Your PR Agent will most likely not let the footage leave the building without pre-approval and edit. Remember that your PR Agent is all about looking after you and achieving the goal of good public relations.
It is important to them to ensure that what goes out is not going to be anything other than positive and achieves exactly what the press junket is all about and that is promotion, not part of something controversial or that will end up spiralling out of control on social media.
Your reputation is important to your PR Agent and they will absolutely make sure that your reputation is enhanced in every way possible and not the other way around. Your PR Agent is working for you, remember and getting positive press. They will give you all the help that you need with all of the press junket interviews.
It is worth knowing that a journalist will make sure that you get out of the interview what you need, just as much as they will, and they won’t surprise you, since they will get more from you that way, if you are relaxed. They are most likely to come from an angle of putting you at ease if they are asking you pre-approved questions and it will make for a more compelling interview for their audience to read or watch.
You won’t have to worry about the details of the press junket interviews day, since your PR Agent will be handling all of it, including you. You will have built a good relationship with the right PR Agents, as they will want to be right by your side looking after you, advising you well and protecting you from any surprises that they will anticipate through their experience. With their expertise and press junket help, you will no doubt have a really good experience from this and ultimately build up your profile with positive press that will escalate.
This is worth its weight in gold, since they will ensure that not only does it all go smoothly but you will have had a good and positive experience and the goal of a successful PR Campaign has been achieved.