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PRESS TRIPS:

SEEING IS BELIEVING

With journalists, seeing really is believing. It's the same with timesharing.

Through press trips, journalists can see (and believe) the benefits of timesharing. Press trips expose the media to timesharing and they in turn expose their audience to the concepts. Press trips can be provide perfect public relations and exposure for many ARDA members.

"There is literally no substitute for getting an appropriate journalist to visit a resort," says Cheryl Andrews, president of Cheryl Andrews Marketing, a Coral Gables-based public relations firm specializing in the travel and leisure industry. She says, "We do more press trips than most firms because we believe first-hand experience is the best exposure."

Through ARDA's Alliance for Timeshare Excellence (ATE), many member resorts have hosted press trips over the past few years, leading to much coverage of the resorts, the destinations, and timesharing in general. Individual and group press trips have taken place in Florida, California, Hawaii, Arkansas, Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, and many other places.

The resulting press coverage after ATE press trips has been phenomenal. Timesharing has been featured in USA Today, Travel & Leisure, CBS "This Morning," The New York Times, The Denver Post, Orlando Sentinel, Florida Today, and dozens of other outlets. Future press trips will lead to even more coverage in the coming years. "We have found that press trips are one of the best public relations tools for spreading the word about timesharing," says David Matheson, ARDA's director of public relations.

For journalists, seeing really has been believing when it comes to timesharing and spreading the good word. With well-planned press trips, many ARDA member resorts can achieve the same results on a local, regional, national, and international level.

THE BASICS

Press trips have been around since Marco Polo. Their basic premise is to expose the media to resorts, destinations, and other travel services. This is accomplished by inviting targeted media to the resort and destinations. It can be done on an individual or group basis.

Targeted media can include, but is not limited to: newspapers, magazines, newsletters, books, television, radio, and other forms. Journalists may be on staff, but there are also many freelance journalists who can (and will) pursue assignments for a wide variety of outlets. It is probably best to start with local media and the local media located in best selling markets.

THE SPECIFICS

"Our goal with group and individual press trips is to reach the general consumer in travel-related stories," says Keri Lowe, public relations specialist for the Disney Vacation Club. "These journalist visits have led to great coverage for our program at the Disney Vacation Club and Walt Disney World in general," she says.

Though travel journalists are traditionally the most common group invited on press trips, other potential invitees include journalists from the business, real estate, and family segments. Any journalist who can provide coverage to an appropriate readership can (and should) be invited on press trips.

Journalists can be found and contacted through a wide number of resources. For staff members, it's best to contact the publication or electronic medium directly to find out the name of the appropriate person. For freelance journalists, specific organizations like the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) can provide good leads (many media staff members are also members of organizations like SATW).

Since journalists often receive dozens of press trip invitations annually, contact them by mail at least two months in advance with specific information about the press trip invitation. It's also important to contact many more individuals than you expect to visit, in that typical positive response to press trip invitations is between 1% and 10%.

"I receive many invitations and I'm glad I accepted a recent timesharing press trip," states Glenn Morris, a prolific freelance travel writer. "I learned so much about the industry during the trip and believe this is crucial for gaining coverage," he says.

Initial correspondence can include specific dates for a group press trip or it can be open-ended, allowing the journalist to visit when it's convenient. It can also include information about your property, timesharing, and the destination in general. In any case, the goal is to get the journalist to visit the property at some point.

A typical press visit lasts anywhere from two to six days. Try to provide flexibility with dates, including weekend and weekday press trips in the possibilities.

It's best to follow-up press trip invitations with phone calls to confirm interest in the story possibilities and in visiting the property. Many journalists may not be able to come immediately, but may have an interest in future trips and story angles. The mailing and follow-up make for a great time to start a "press trip" database.

Once you have confirmed journalists for group and individual visits, it's time to start planning their stay. The goal is to provide them with a "typical" timeshare experience. This may include inviting their families, providing food and beverages for use in their unit's kitchen, and other possibilities that typify the uniqueness of timeshare ownership and enjoyment.

Most trips have an itinerary, which can be detailed or quite flexible. The itinerary can include a welcome reception, property tour, media briefing, a typical sales presentation, meals, area sightseeing, and anything else requested by journalists.

Resorts are generally expected to provide complimentary transportation, lodging, meals. Transportation costs may be minimal if journalists are driving. However, journalists who must fly expect the resort or a sponsoring airline to pick up the tab. Some publications do no permit "free" trips and will request normal or press rate charges.

Your local convention and visitors bureau can often provide specific help with local sightseeing and other area activities and attractions. Tourism officials are often anxious to help resorts with press trip coordination, in that it increases exposure for the destination.

For instance a recent press trip at Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg, sponsored by Fairfield Communities and Marriott Ownership Resorts, included many sightseeing opportunities in the area that were arranged by the Williamsburg Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Their executive director, Dave Schulte, says, "Press trips have been one of the most successful elements of our media campaigns over the years. After spending just four days in the Williamsburg area, many journalists provide coverage for years."

Be sure to send the itinerary to journalists a few weeks in advance, so they can request time to pursue any specific story angles they may have. Almost any angle pursued by freelancers or staff members can lead to good publicity for a timeshare resort.

Once journalists arrive, be sure they are staying in the best possible unit. Small touches, including fruit baskets, welcome gifts, updated media kits, and special services, can make a big difference in any coverage press trip participants may provide.

Though it's best to follow the itinerary as much as possible with a group, try to be flexible in allowing journalists to pursue individual angles. Each participant needs to cover matters that will interest their audience.

During their stay, be sure to provide journalists with access to appropriate staff members. Interviews may lead to new story angles.

After the trip ends, send a brief questionnaire to each participant. Positive and negative input can make future trips better. Then just sit back and wait for their responses. . .and their coverage. When you see it, you'll believe the benefits of press trips.

THE BENEFITS

You will often see immediate, intermediate, and long-term benefits of press trips. It's important to develop an on-going program of individual and group trips, as well as a strong follow-up program.

Immediate benefits may include articles in daily and weekly newspapers, television and radio coverage, and word-of-mouth between journalists. All of this will lead to interest in the resort.

Intermediate results will include coverage in monthly publications, expanded television and radio coverage, and additional coverage from freelance journalists in a wide range of publications. Long-term benefits include constant exposure and many intangible factors that can influence consumers to consider or buy.

Lew Sichelman, a popular syndicated real estate columnist, says, "Press trips provide first-hand knowledge. My experiences on timeshare press trips find their way into my columns and articles for years."

As you host more press trips, it will become easier to draw local, regional, national, and international journalists. An on-going program will lead to years of on-going coverage. . .and on-going sales.