Is it always important to talk to the national press?
Don't make the mistake of thinking that specialist trade publications are less worthy of attention that mass media.
Last week the Telegraph complained bitterly in an article that Lloyd’s of London had “shunned” the newspaper and its national competitors following the publication of its annual results.
Instead, the Telegraph wrote that Lloyd’s had focused on some “hand-picked” specialist publications – implying that these were somehow lesser news outlets and not so worthy of attention.
Indeed, the attitude that only national media are the ones that matter regularly raises its head, whether you’re talking to the publications in question, PR agencies, in-house communications teams or their subject matter experts.
Anyone involved in public relations has had “that conversation”, where clients or colleagues tell you that their expectations of what can be achieved are totally realistic, but “of course it would be great to appear in the FT”.
I’ve got nothing against the Financial Times - it’s a fantastic paper – but is it always the right home for our clients’ messages? Is it what their target audience is most avidly reading? Sometimes the answer is, actually, no.
I’m a PR professional involved in an industry that some might consider niche – specialty insurance – even though the London Market, the world’s largest specialty insurance hub, contributes nearly £50 billion to the UK economy, approximately 2% of UK GDP.
Respecting trade publications
Globally, millions of people work in insurance, whether they are underwriters, brokers, claims providers or part of other relevant professional services. And what are they reading? Of course they are reading national media – and these days, probably getting their general news from TikTok, X and other channels. But when it comes to industry news they rely heavily on – and have great respect for - specialist trade publications who really know their stuff.
Off the top of my head I can name more than 30 publications that cover insurance, and there are certainly others. It’s an astounding number when you think about it. They are mostly staffed by incredible journalists who have deep and broad knowledge of the sector they are focusing on, work hard to build relationships with experts, immerse themselves in the industry and have a forensic level of understanding that regularly surprises their interviewees.
This is true for many other industries as well: other financial services sectors, construction, consumer goods, shipping, tourism, and so on. Similarly, it’s been pointed out that recent reporting of the meningitis outbreak in Kent was led by dedicated local reporters who, again, know their patch, have in-depth sources and live and breathe their area of expertise. When the story became national, it seems that they were the ones who were briefing their out of town colleagues and rivals as the story widened.
Yet the perception remains that national media are more worth focusing on than specialists and locals. It is not the job of PR professionals to promote one over the other, but to explain to our clients and colleagues why each type of media matters, where their expertise lies and how it can help achieve our aims. When our clients understand the value of each, can adjust their message and explanations to the relevant audience, and appreciate the results that have been achieved depending on the situation and desired outcome, then we will be doing our job well. And everybody wins.
Caroline Klein is a partner at Haggie Partners, which is a CIPR corporate affiliate member. She has worked in communications, public relations and marketing in the financial services sector for more than 20 years. She has wide ranging experience across external and internal communications, with a particular focus on change and M&A.
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