Nine Media’s Helen Croydon on her beloved Bianchi bike: The fitness sector is one of the most competitive for media coverage
When I’m not being a journalist or media training, I’m training for triathlons. Like many journalists, my passion and hobby have influenced what I write about. So health and fitness articles has fast become one of my focus areas.
I regularly write for the Fitness Trends section at Metro (recent assignments include night swimming in the murky Royal docks and axe throwing!) and for Outdoor Fitness & Adventure.
Health and fitness is one of the most competitive areas of PR. There are so many specialists in this sector, each claiming to have new approaches. So, here are four ways you can tailor your pitch for the fitness media.
1. Think about the format, not just the topic.
Just because I write fitness articles, doesn’t mean I can make anything to do with fitness a feature. If you are seeking coverage for a new range of sportswear, for example, don’t pitch to me because mostly, I do reportage on new fitness trends. Pitching a physical product is the sort of thing which would sit in a Review section, and that’s not my area at all. So, look at the type of articles the journalist has written, not just the topic.
2. Consider pitching a quote, not a story.
I get many emails from PRs representing diet expert, personal trainers and all manner of health gurus, asking if want to write a feature about them. I’m sure these people are brilliant but they are not a story in themselves. Another personal trainer entering the market is not a story no matter how many flat tummies they have curated. It’s much more likely that a journalist would use a diet expert, personal trainer or health guru for a quote on a wider topic they are already covering. So instead of asking a journalist to write a vague feature about your client, consider reaching out to writers and editors who cover health and fitness and let them know that you have a client who can comment on tummy bloating (for example) should they ever be visiting that subject.
3. Think wider than your own product.
Your client may have launched a great fitness class / piece of equipment / event but singularly, it probably won’t be enough for a feature on its own. But say if you can present it as a trend with examples of similar launches, then they may listen. Recently, I was approached by a PR representing sports club Lifeleisure. It had just made an anti-gravity treadmill – traditionally the preserve of Olympic athletes – available to the public. Great product, but not enough for a full page fitness slot. But, with a bit of lateral thinking from the PR, we reshaped the story as ‘How To Train like an Olympic Athlete’ with the anti-gravity treadmill featuring as one of four high-tech innovations. So, help the journalist think of ways they can include your product.
One concept is rarely enough for a full feature
4. Is it a feature, or just one for a mention?
If you are seeking coverage for a sports event like a mud run or a charity challenge, think what makes it feature-worthy. I often get press releases for novel events, like a recent pop up yoga pod on the streets of London. But this is only of interest to an editor if their readers can take part after they’ve read it. One-off events rarely make features. Instead, consider pitching it as a news story, or if it’s an event like a triathlon, pitch it as a ‘listing’ to a magazine which lists fixtures such as yours.
For more pitching tips, read our Nine Media blog. Or for media training for you, or your company company contact us. Whether it’s help in seeking media exposure or specialised interview training, we can help.
