I often found that while working in the travel media space, or really any media space, that budget was always limited and an important consideration as it so often is with many destinations or companies. It’s no secret that there are some out there with big pockets to host media or produce over-the-top destination experiences, and I’ve listened wide-eyed to many stories over the years from media on the extravagance and memorable experiences that one can have. It can be disheartening to think that it would be quite difficult to break through other pitches and offers, to offer up something enticing and interesting enough for media to cover. That’s where I’ve always found the value in building long-term, genuine relationships with media not only for myself, but ensured our destination partners did as well. I may not have had hundreds of thousands of dollars to work with, but my product—an authentic destination filled with rich stories—was in and of itself a great start.
So many times the key was simply giving our partners a platform to tell their story in their own words, along with how they fit in the context of the overall city (messaging!). My colleagues and I brought along chefs, musicians, artists and even park rangers (San Antonio has a World Heritage site!) on our travels. The seed of a new media relationship was always in those media interactions with partners. I thought of my role as facilitating those conversations and providing information, like a strategic liaison. I was able to create fun environments and give one-of-a-kind gifts that helped amplify our brand and message, but really at the end of the day it was those memorable conversations along with a dish that a chef cooked or a song an accordionist played.
A genuine interaction can’t be bought and there’s just something about it that sticks. So many times I’ve been pleased to hear that media still kept up with some of our partners many years later, which resulted in additional coverage or even business development opportunities. We all win when genuine bonds form.