Features of holding press conferences and briefings. Open door day, round table and discussion

Briefings and press conferences - meetings of officials with media representatives to inform the public on topical issues.

The briefing is dedicated to brief overview several events, lasts no more than 30-40 minutes and is mainly used by government agencies.

The press conference is devoted to a detailed discussion of 1-2 issues and, on average, lasts 1.5 hours.

Press conference is an event for the media held in cases where there is socially significant news, and an organization or an individual famous person directly related to this news, wish to comment.

The purpose of the press conferences is to facilitate targeted dissemination of information among the editorial offices of the media. They accelerate the flow of information to the editorial office, differing in the authority of news sources, the reliability of information; at the same time, it is always possible to check and update versions multiple times, to receive an additional news package.

Commentary on the information offered is achieved, firstly, by inviting recognized authorities in their field, personally interested in providing the most complete information, and secondly, by the very rules of the press conference, which provide for clarifying questions of journalists, supply them with press releases, texts of speeches.

Holding a press conference is justified only if:

· The organization has “hot” news and it is necessary to make an important message, on which journalists may have questions, or it is necessary to urgently respond to a certain event;

· A well-known specialist, an interesting person, who is ready to speak to the media representatives, comes to the city;

· Journalists prefer personal informational contacts with officials.

In other cases, information is communicated to the media by a press release.

Briefing - a short informational message, which is usually done by an official, a representative of the government, international organizations, commercial structures with representatives of the media, in order to inform them about important events, the course of international negotiations, conferences, symposia, seminars.

The main goals are related to meeting the information needs of the audience by communicating information, facts on behalf of the official authorities, top management. At the same time, the different approaches of the participants in the events to the assessment of the same issue are clearly compared, the official point of view is declared, the developed position is briefly motivated.

An informational review of documents, decisions made does not imply passing opinions, assessments, clarifications, references to a precedent, etc. An impassive list or abbreviated retelling of the main provisions related to the event emphasize the officiality of the information, the unambiguousness of its interpretation.

A briefing summary of the topic of the briefing can be offered to journalists to clarify key ideas, factual details of the meeting. Personal opinions, quotes are missing.

The briefing makes it possible to transmit information simultaneously to almost all media outlets, without spending time on preparing a separate press release for each specific publication, television and radio channel.

A briefing is an analogue of a press conference, from which it is distinguished by the absence of a presentation part, a stage of information discussion and less formality. Answers to journalists' questions are almost immediately given. For example: pre-match press conference and post-match press briefing for journalists.

The briefing is usually held as a post-PR campaign for a business event.

Of course, no mineral water, sandwiches, etc. are served during the briefing. Moreover, the briefing can be held while standing, without seating the journalists and speakers at the tables.

Press conferences and briefings are an excellent form of working with media outlets because:

• they provide a unique opportunity for the simultaneous transmission of information to almost all media;
• You do not waste time and effort on preparing material for a specific print publication or TV and radio channel - all this will be done on a professional level by the journalists themselves, taking into account the peculiarities and priorities of their media;
• the topic or problem raised by you, journalists will cover more broadly than it is stated in your press release, due to the fact that they will have the opportunity to ask questions of interest to them.

The last point also has its "disadvantages" - the questions asked by journalists can be the most unexpected and tricky. To hold a press conference at a decent level and avoid problem situations, it is necessary to keep abreast of the events of your organization, to possess information not only on the subject of the conference, but also on topical problems and areas of activity that are within the competence of the organization. If possible, based on the situation, prepare in advance answers or general guidelines for problematic questions.

Press conference and briefing is a meeting, conversation of officials or participants in important events with representatives of the press, radio, television on issues of broad public interest. In the classic version, the briefing is intended for acquaintance and dissemination of information, and the press conference is also for its discussion.

Unlike a press conference, a briefing is a more mobile form of communication with the media - a short official form of notifying and familiarizing journalists with an official document that has just been released or an event that has taken place. Its duration is about half an hour on average. Briefing is often used in cases when it is necessary to clarify or expand the available information (advent, emergencies, accidents, official response / reaction to the manifestation, etc.). In these cases, the briefing allows you to convey your interpretation of the events to the media, and through them to the entire society. If you do not react on time, then the information in the media will pass in the free style of the vision of journalists and have a negative impact on public opinion. As a good example, we can cite the briefing of the Republican Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan after the demonstration of the public against the opening of a hospital for HIV-infected patients. The briefing had a great response in the media and thus, helped to soften public attitudes towards the patients of the AIDS center.

There are several other differences between a briefing and a press conference. In the classic version, the press conference usually ends with a buffet table or cocktail, at which there is a continuation of communication and discussion of the problems raised by the press conference. After the briefing, contacts with the press are not desirable - unofficial information may leak. It can negate all briefing efforts. In addition, in addition to journalists, other interested persons are often invited to the press conference (representatives of other organizations and institutions working in the same field, partners, including potential partners, everyone in whom you are interested) for whom it is also necessary to convey information. At the briefing, information is disseminated only among professional journalists.

A good reason and a good reason are needed to hold press conferences and briefings. As a rule, this is important and interesting news for the media. You should not abuse the attention of journalists at a press conference or briefing for the sake of short information that can be distributed to editorial offices simply by a press release.

Good topics for press conferences and briefings are:

• holding international actions (December 1 - World AIDS Day, June 26 - International Day against Drug Addiction and Drug Trafficking, 3rd Sunday in May - World AIDS Day);
• announcement of thematic competitions at the local and national level (competition among the media "No to drugs and AIDS!"), announcement of the start (start) of information and educational campaigns, projects;
• adoption of important state and legislative documents (Republican target and comprehensive programs, resolutions, orders, etc.);
• opening of new institutions, organizations or their branches (opening of the Center for the rehabilitation of people with drug addiction);
• unplanned events or emergencies that occurred in the organization / institution (mass poisoning or infection, public manifestations).

Press conferences and briefings should be planned and prepared carefully. The more attention you pay to the preparation, the more meaningful the conference will be.

People are needed to hold a press conference or briefing.

Speakers. As a rule, these are representatives of the management of the organization / institution, as well as specialists dealing with the issues or topics raised at the press conference. To reflect the objective situation and look at the problem from different points of view, it makes sense to invite representatives of other interested departments to speak. Holding joint press conferences usually attracts more journalists and has a wide media coverage. But, the number of participants in the press conference should be limited. Due to the large number of people wishing to speak, the press conference may be delayed, there will be no time for questions. In addition, the less a person speaks, the less the same information is repeated "in other words" and the less likely it is to touch on "dangerous topics". Undoubtedly, the speaker should be able to speak and hold the attention of the audience, but within the framework of the topic under discussion and the rules. The longer a speech lasts, the more chances you have to say more than necessary and get into an unpleasant situation.

Leading. It is desirable that he was a person responsible for public relations in the institution, who knows the media channels, their characteristics and requirements. The ability to remain calm, confident, steadfast under the pressure of journalists, but at the same time, correctness and politeness are the most important qualities of the presenter. The selection of participants for the press conference / briefing and the entire organization of the event are also within his competence.

Journalists- representatives of the mass media. It is possible and necessary to invite all media outlets to the press conferences that are at least in the slightest degree interested or may be interested in the information reported. In what form and how the material will be presented, the journalists themselves decide. On the one hand, this is beneficial - you do not waste efforts on preparing one material from different angles (for doctors, psychologists - in specialized media, for parents - in news programs or for teenagers - in a youth newspaper). On the other hand, you will not be able to track all journalistic materials in preparation and correct possible errors or misinterpretation of information.

In order for journalists to respond and come to a press conference or briefing, they need to be interested.

Technical staff. The organization will need help - in the preparation and reproduction of press release materials, in the invitation of the media and their registration at the press conference, briefing.

All press conference / briefing organizers should have badges with their names to make it easier for the invitees to navigate and address any questions that arise.

Date and time selection holding a press conference or briefing is up to you. It is important that the date you have chosen does not overlap with other bright events that can draw all the attention of journalists to themselves. This can be avoided by not choosing the dates of traditional holidays or major events planned before your event (Independence Day, City Day, Visit of an official). For control, this issue can be coordinated with the Ministry of Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting and Mass Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Office for Public Relations and Mass Media of the city or district administration, or with familiar journalists.

Press conference invitation carry out in different forms. It depends on the level of the press conference being organized, its topic and your connections in the journalistic environment. You can invite by phone, fax or mail. The best form is a written invitation to the press conference 5-7 days before it. You can invite media representatives by contacting the editor-in-chief, the editor of the news and information department, or directly to the journalist in charge of your topic. It is possible to contact news agencies ("Tatar-inform") with a request to notify all media outlets about the upcoming press conference in the materials sent by this agency. It is customary to report a press conference three times - before sending a written invitation, immediately after it, in order to make sure that it has arrived and immediately before the press conference.

The best option is a written invitation to the name of the editor-in-chief, sent by fax 5-7 days in advance, and phone conversation with the journalist responsible for the topic on the eve of the press conference.

The press is notified of the planned briefing one day in advance, and sometimes even on the day of the briefing.

It is good to prepare invitations, as well as press releases, on company letterheads or on specially prepared press forms. The invitation must clearly indicate: the topic of the press conference / briefing, participants (as representatives of an organization / institution, or if they are people well-known in society, it is better to indicate their names - this will interest journalists), date, time, venue, contact phone number for additional information. Perhaps the presentation of any additional information (substantiation of the importance and urgency of the problem, controversial, positive and negative points) that can interest the media.

Responsibly it is necessary to approach the choice premises for a press conference / briefing. You can use the conference room of your own institution, rent a suitable room in office center, a house of culture, etc. The main thing is that it is possible to quickly and conveniently get to the venue for all those invited. For a briefing with limited number the invited journalists can also use the office of the head of the institution / organization, if space and seating (conference table) allow. It is desirable to arrange the hall in accordance with the theme of the conference / briefing. Care needs to be taken of the stage or podium for the speakers, chairs for the press, telephony, lighting and technical comfort for electronic media (availability of electrical outlets for television equipment).

On the table of the presidium, it is necessary to place signs with clearly written names of the speakers. Sometimes the name and title of the institution / organization are also indicated on the plates. The design of the plates depends on the level, topic and setting of the press conference / briefing. International etiquette limits the name and surname of the performer on the labels. We usually indicate Additional information.

Press conferences and briefings are held as follows scenario. Registration of media representatives begins 30-15 minutes before the announced start of the press conference. For this, a table should be set aside with a sign “Press Registration” or “Media” and a person should be assigned to meet the arriving journalists. It is better to prepare a registration sheet with accredited media representatives in advance. During registration, it is better to write down not only the full name of the journalist and the channel he represents, but also Contact phone numbers, the subject of the correspondent's specialization. This will allow in the future to track the material of the press conference and, possibly, to establish contacts with the journalist.

It is good to combine registration with the distribution of press releases and information packages with additional information on the topic, photographs, posters, brochures, etc. direction of activity). Information packages must be formed in advance, it is better if they are in a folder with the logo of your organization / institution, action, etc. The press conference will be more effective if the journalists listen to the speakers, having previously familiarized themselves with the essence of the problem under discussion.

Do not delay the beginning and end of the press conference, briefing. It will never be superfluous to demonstrate your punctuality, business attitude and respect for other people's time.

Start and end the press conference / briefing with gratitude to everyone present for their interest and for taking the time to attend your event. This will be a plus for both your organization and you, as his person in the media environment. After thanking those present, introduce yourself and introduce those who will be speaking. This shouldn't take more than 1–3 minutes.

The moderator should plan in advance and agree with the speakers on the order and the issues they cover (sometimes, up to writing the texts of the speech). Compliance is essential. Depending on the importance and composition of the presidium - no more than 5-10 minutes per speech. The optimal duration of a press conference is 45-60 minutes, of which at least half should be left for journalists' questions. The briefing usually lasts 30 minutes. It is advisable to limit the number and range of questions at the briefing to the topic of the briefing.

It is better to answer the questions briefly, clearly and clearly. Long, lengthy answers will drag out the press conference and may also divert the course of events from the topic. All this will not contribute to the success of your event. Dynamism is one of the requirements for good press conferences. If the press conference is delayed, questions arise slowly and tensely, the moderator needs to take responsibility in a correct but firm manner to end the event.

If any media outlets were unable to accredit their representative for a press conference or briefing, for example, due to employment at another event, send them a press release promptly after the press conference / briefing. Go to this media channel, ask what is the reason for the absence of their representative, whether they are interested in this topic and in general the area in which your organization / institution operates, whether further information and invitations to follow-up meetings are needed.

For a week or more (depending on the frequency of the media channels), it is necessary to track the materials published and aired after the press conference / briefing. This will allow you to:

• evaluate the skill, nature and level of information presentation;
• select potential partners for cooperation (a good relationship with a good journalist should be appreciated);
• see and further correct the mistakes of holding this press conference (up to personal image).

Do not quarrel with the press even if you're 100 percent right. Be polite, welcoming, and neutral. Do not allow any harsh, arrogant, or familiar attitude towards those invited to the press conference.

Press conference and briefing

A press conference is the most effective form of interaction between a company and journalists, since the latter receive information at first hand from the company's PR specialists and its management. Management or people who are most competent in the issue covered at the press conference must participate in it. A press conference is usually held when it becomes necessary to clarify controversial issues with the public and draw its attention to solving a problem. Also, press conferences are convened if journalists have a lot of questions to the management of the company, on the eve or at the end of any event (event). The press conference is being held with the invitation of representatives of the media. The invitation can be sent to all media outlets or selectively. In order for the press conference to achieve the goals it is pursuing, it is necessary to take into account several seemingly small, but in fact very significant circumstances in its preparation and conduct.

Circumstances of the time of the event:

it is best to hold a press conference in the middle of the week, because Monday is the editorial day in the media and the desired turnout will not work, and Friday is the day before the weekend, the day of cultural programs, and this will also affect the presence of journalists;

since it is known that journalists often work at night (late issues, recordings, editing, paths, etc.), it is advisable to schedule a press conference between 12:00 and 14:00, since the delivery of materials begins at 15:00 in editorial offices, recordings, studio time.

Circumstances of the form:

the invitation to the press conference must certainly indicate the subject matter, which will allow the editorial offices to send journalists competent in this matter to the press conference. It is better to draw up an invitation as a personal one and send it 5-7 days before the opening of the press conference itself;

a press conference should have a clear scenario plan, consisting of two parts - a statement of the company's position on the problem and answers to journalists' questions. The time for each part is determined by the organizer and depends on the position of the management - whether to allocate more time to disclose the problem, or, conversely, to allocate the maximum time for answers;

the press conference may be hosted by the person in charge of public relations or press. The presenter must introduce the participants to the journalists, among whom the presence of a person authorized to make the final decisions on the issues of the press conference is desirable;

it is advisable to register the participants of the press conference from the side of the media, which will allow analyzing the results of the meeting for subsequent publications. When registering, it is very useful to distribute materials that report facts and clarify the problem that the press conference is devoted to, which will protect against inaccurate interpretations (they recorded it wrong, heard, seemed, etc.) and will provide an understanding of the essence of the issue;

undoubtedly, the goodwill and activity of journalists is facilitated by the organization of refreshments (soft drinks, coffee break, buffet, buffet, etc.). The refreshments should be held at the end of the conference, as the organizers get the opportunity for informal PR-communication, establishing closer contacts, trusting relationships, and launching the necessary rumors.

Media briefing

A briefing is a short operative speech to the press on the fresh trail of important events. The message at the briefing is of a one-sided warning character with an accompanying brief illustration of specific facts. The difference between a press conference and a briefing is in the time frames that are allocated for them. The briefing cannot be more than 20-30 minutes. Such a short time frame suggests that the briefing leader can control the situation. 10 minutes, as a rule, are allotted to the speaker, 10–20 minutes - for blitz answers to journalists' questions. The briefing can be held while standing, without seating journalists and speakers at the tables. Briefings are organized in cases of emergencies, public scandals (mass poisoning, disruptions in the operation of transport, communications, etc.) in order to explain what happened, its reasons, and immediately prevent possible errors and exaggerations in this regard, spread through the media.

Rules for holding press conferences and briefings

1. To achieve a clear definition of the topic, purpose and related preparedness (statistics, graphs). Content and semantic richness of presentation, exhaustive argumentation of any assessment, any conclusion are required.

2. Prepare handouts very thoughtfully. It should be composed as if no one had ever heard anything about everything to come. The simpler the terminology and the clearer the essence, the easier it is to achieve reflection on the part of journalists.

3. Think over in great detail the scenario of the press conference, taking into account who will say what, what role and when will play.

4. Greet journalists kindly, but not obsequiously. It is obligatory to present the participants and announce the proposed conference plan.

5. Use the shortest possible reports and the demonstration of any visual material, since journalists constantly hear new headlines for their articles and messages.

6. Use logically consistent argumentation, avoiding internal contradictions in the message.

7. Plan enough time for journalists' questions, without creating a situation of frustration, dissatisfaction with unfulfilled expectations.

8. Track the duration of the press conference - a maximum of 40 minutes, and then provide the opportunity for journalists to work with individual participants.

9. Remember that journalists do not believe in altruism. Therefore, you should not deny your own business interests, but clearly and confidently present the benefits of the idea or product to third parties; the best option is when the benefits for both parties are clearly visible at the same time.

10. Try to be sincere, emphatically benevolent towards all journalists. Journalists have such professionally significant personal qualities as a heightened sense of justice and a highly developed sense of their own dignity.

Conducting traditional interviews is not the only method of evaluating candidates for a job. It is not effective when looking for several line specialists, because it takes a lot of time. In order to save time and not take on the staff of the company, literally, the first comer, recruiters began to use a briefing.

What is a briefing?

Many people know what a briefing is - it is an analogue of a press conference. It differs from it in that it is devoted to only one question, and lasts about 30 minutes. Most often, a briefing is carried out by politicians or special services in cases of emergency in order to prevent panic, voice sensational news, etc. It is also often held in the mode of workshops with the invitation of the media.

However, the briefing that I have already defined is very different from the briefing that is used in recruiting. Therefore, I will tell you a story about how briefing became one of the recruiting technologies.

Companies that are just starting their work or expanding staff when it becomes necessary to find a certain number of middle managers, line personnel, etc., have faced and continue to face the problem of mass recruitment of personnel.
In the 90s of the last century, large corporations thought about irrationality using traditional interviews for mass recruiting. Imagine that you need to choose 10-15 people out of 40 candidates. If this problem is solved in the traditional way, then it is necessary to conduct personal meetings with each candidate, then interviews with applicants with the head of the department with about half of the candidates, and then also a set of final interviews in order to finally determine the list of those whom your company will employ. ... In total, you will have to hold at least 70 meetings. Agree, the prospects are not bright!
Then it was decided to make the earliest stage of the selection of specialists, that is, the first interview, as a group. This form of work with applicants was called a briefing.

Most often, this technique is used when hiring sales managers, project managers, consultants, client managers and promotion managers.

Benefits of the briefing

Consider the benefits of a briefing versus conducting a range of face-to-face interviews:
1. Applicants who applied for a vacancy announcement, send their resume. Eichar analyzes the resume and makes an appointment with ten applicants at once.
2. At the meeting, the recruiter does not have to tell each applicant about the company, he announces this information 1 time.
3. Candidates see their future colleagues.
4. After the first group interview, where candidates fill out questionnaires and answer the recruiter's questions, they are given homework for 3 days, after which they must provide the HR with the finished project.
5. After the first day of the briefing (group interview) and project analysis, a meeting of recruiters and department heads is held, during which a decision is made about who to invite for the final interview.
6. A final interview is held, at which the working conditions are negotiated. The interview takes place individually with each candidate.

Thus, in order to hire 10-15 people, you spent no more than 2 weeks, and spent about 11-16 interviews, including interviews with leaders, instead of 70.

Briefing technology

The briefing is held in a spacious auditorium, where there should be a table at which about 10 people can fit: 2 heads of company divisions, 6–8 applicants and the briefing leader (recruiter).
You will need: an hourglass, a voice recorder, a digital camera, a sheet of paper for notes.

First meeting plan:

1. A story about the company, a description of the vacancy and requirements for candidates - 20 minutes.

2. Answers to questions - up to 10 minutes.

3. Briefing - 1.5 hours
First circle:
The participants introduce themselves, tell which company they worked for, what position and what duties they performed. All stories are recorded on a dictaphone.
The moderator of the briefing should make sure that no one leaves the topic and speaks for no more than 2 minutes.
Second circle:
Applicants must tell what kind of work they are able to do from start to finish, that is, what they can be entrusted with.
Since the facilitator's task is not just to listen, but also to write down the answers, you can ask clarifying questions if the candidate walks around, and about.
Third circle:
At this stage, invite candidates to recruit a team of workers from those present, and explain in what capacity and why they are present in it.
Record all connections on the board, mark them with arrows from one candidate to another, and write down the quality on the arrows.
This assignment will help you identify a manager from those present. If one of the candidates refuses to do the exercise, do not insist.

4. Group photography - 5 minutes.

This is where the group work ends. From now on, everyone will work individually.
But before proceeding to the next stage, give the briefing participants their homework: a short text (1-1.5 pages) about the company, a case that each candidate will have to solve and send an answer within three days to the corporate mail. Unwillingness to do homework can be interpreted as unwillingness to work.

5. Psychological testing - 50 minutes.
You can choose tests as you like. In my opinion, the following tests are most suitable for the briefing:
Raven's test for logic - 30 minutes
Klimov's test for identifying the preferences of objects of labor - 5 minutes
Test "Unfinished sentences" - 15 minutes
Tests are best done in a comprehensive manner. Information about the technology for their implementation is contained in sufficient quantities on the Internet, so I will not duplicate what you can easily find yourself.

After the briefing and testing, the recruiter must process the test results, discuss them with the head of the department. During the discussion, CVs, questionnaires, photographs of candidates are also taken into account. Since executives and recruiters were present at the interview, they remember all the candidates and easily determine who to invite to the final interview and who to refuse. The final decision on the admission of this or that candidate is made by the head.

Output: It is advisable to apply this technique when applying for positions that are massive in your organization. It makes no sense to look for a top manager through a briefing.

Do you use briefing in your work?

Maya Dushkina Chapter from the book "PR and Promotion in Marketing: Communication and Impact, Technology and Psychology"
Publishing house "Peter"

Press tour

It is customary to call a press tour an event prepared by the organization's promotion service specifically for journalists, designed for a sufficiently long time (several hours, a day, several days) in order to result in the publication of objective journalistic materials about your company in the mass media. The purpose of organizing a press tour does not have to be an acquaintance with the activities of the entire company or, for example, the life of the population of a small provincial town (if the administration of the latter wants to establish good relations with local journalists), for this, a rather convincing news occasion is sufficient.

Direct work with journalists on the day of the press tour is preceded by a rather laborious preparation period, including lengthy negotiations both within the organization and with the media. The public relations department clarifies the purpose of the press tour with the management. This means that the press tour should be devoted either to something significant, already achieved, or to the promising development of the organization (region, scientific direction). In the latter case (a long-term press tour), it is important to familiarize the public with these plans through the mass media, as well as, possibly, to search for partners and investors. For a public relations specialist, it is important, immediately after making a decision to hold a press tour, to receive from the management documents (orders) that define the goals and date of the press tour, as well as indicate the names of the persons responsible for its preparation and conduct. Further (also in agreement with the management), objects of inspection for journalists are determined and specialists are appointed who will give explanations at each of the objects. The route of the press tour is selected, and those responsible for holding the event at each of the planned stops of the tour are appointed. All responsibilities for ensuring effective work and maintaining contacts with employees of the administrative and economic sector of the company are carried out by specialists of the public relations department. The same department is engaged in establishing and maintaining regular communication with the media on the basis of the organization's database of media and regular contacts with them, makes an initial list of names of journalists whose presence on the specified day would be desirable and useful. It should be noted that, as practice shows, approximately 50% of the journalists initially included in the list, for various reasons, will not be able to visit the organization on that day. Some of them, thanking for the invitation and expressing regret at the inability to accept it, nevertheless show interest and ask to send all materials related to this event. Of course, such a request should always be granted. Now is the time to dwell on those printed materials that the PR department prepares when planning a press tour. All decisions and contracts that are concluded thanks to the event are drawn up on paper. Only the main types of materials prepared by the PR department for the press tour will be named here. The whole complex of materials is easy enough to divide on the basis of the purpose for one or another target audience... And starting from the very general definition groups of the public with which PR specialists will have to contact during the preparation and conduct of the press tour, we highlight the internal and external audiences. The work on creating plans or, if you like, scenarios for connecting to participation in the press tour of individual departments of the organization itself begins immediately after the management issues an order to conduct a press tour indicating the purpose, time and name of the performer who is responsible for all stages of both preparation and and holding a press tour. They usually start with drawing up a press tour program in accordance with general recommendations, and then establish who will do what and when, and these responsibilities are assigned not only to PR specialists, but also to specific persons of the departments where the journalists will be invited. as well as for representatives of administrative services. All this is drawn up in the form of orders indicating the deadlines. Of course, all preparation work takes place in regular contacts at the level business meetings to solve practical issues. Work with an external audience is much more formalized and clear in terms of written documents. If the event for which the press tour is planned is really very serious and the city administration may be interested in it, then invitations should be sent to the city leaders. Later, a day before the scheduled press tour, you need to receive confirmation by phone and find out the names and positions of persons who intend to take part in the event. Regular contacts are maintained directly with media representatives:

• they are sent a press release - an announcement with a short message about the upcoming press tour and an invitation to take part in it;
• some time later, a news press release is sent to the editorial office with detailed information about the goals of the press tour and some of its details;
• a few days before the press tour, the organization by phone clarifies the list of representatives of the media, including radio and television, and their requirements to ensure the technical side of their work;
• during the preparation period for the press tour, the PR department prepares a special press kit, which is handed to journalists either upon their arrival or upon departure; Also, additional reference materials about the organization and its production and technological specifics are being prepared for distribution to journalists in case they intend to make a large material on the topic of the press tour.

So, when organizing a full-scale press tour to the region, it is necessary to think over such blocks of events as:

• meeting at the station or at the airport, accommodation, briefing meeting outlining the details of your stay in the city;
• escorting journalists along the entire route of the press tour;
• food, evening entertainment, cultural program, shopping;
• meeting with the executive and legislative branches of government;
• visiting specialized events and objects for the subject;
• visiting the most interesting objects of the city, acquaintance with their socio-economic development;
• final meeting, summing up the results of the trip, seeing off to the station or to the airport.

In general, the resource-intensiveness of organizing a press tour is fully compensated for by its PR-efficiency, since it is during trips, in the process of joint labor activity (here such a type of influence on journalists as involvement in joint activities is used) that informal, confidential communication arises, close contacts are established, strong interpersonal ties with the journalistic pool and its individual members, which in the future can bring real dividends for the PR-specialist and the company.

Reception

Business issues in PR and promotion are resolved not only at the negotiating table, but also during receptions. At receptions, business partners are given the opportunity to receive additional information, deepen and expand contacts. For businessmen, a reception is, first of all, a logical continuation of official activity in a different format and setting. At receptions, an active exchange of views and information takes place, friendly relations are established, which is very important in business contacts. It is necessary to distinguish between current and representative techniques aimed at solving different problems.

1. Ongoing admission is carried out on a regular basis as part of the daily activities of the company. Work with visitors and clients during the reception is carried out both by the management of the company and by specialists from internal departments. Reception takes place in a special office room or in a separate reception area, isolated from strangers, equipped with furniture and tables for negotiations; coffee can be served while browsing advertising materials. The management and staff involved in the current reception must clearly understand with whom, when, during what time the guests will be met. During the current reception, it is necessary to ensure a calm atmosphere of negotiations in compliance with corporate traditions and corporate identity.

2. Representative reception is an organizational form of PR-communication between company employees and guests, which is of an episodic nature, on the occasion of significant events, anniversaries, anniversaries of the company's foundation or its creation. Representative receptions are accompanied by a meeting of distinguished guests, delegations of partner companies. Guests attending the reception must be introduced to each other by the host of the banquet (the method of presentation depends on the form of reception, the level and number of guests). Guests can be introduced in different ways: by personally announcing those arriving during the reception, or by presenting each guest with a card with his name, position, rank. You can use a special "book of records" in which everyone can leave short wishes, comments or just an autograph.

Typically, PR specialists practice the following forms of receptions: daytime, evening, formal, informal, reception with and without seating at the table. Afternoon Receptions: Glass of Champagne / Glass of Wine and Breakfast.

• The “Glass of Champagne” or “Glass of Wine” reception usually starts at 12:00 and lasts until 13:00. At the reception, as a rule, only champagne, wine and juices are served, possibly nuts, small sandwiches and cakes, during the reception they do not sit down. Dress code - casual suit or dress. This technique is distinguished by simple preparation and a small amount of time, the occasion can be the anniversary of the company, seeing off the representative of the partner company, opening an exhibition, showing models, samples.
• Breakfast can be held between 12:00 and 15:00. The average duration is 1-1.5 hours, of which 45 to 60 minutes are spent at the table, and from 15 minutes to half an hour - over coffee. "Breakfast" differs from lunch in a smaller number of dishes, one or two cold starter dishes, one hot dish are served. The dress code is usually casual. It is arranged on the occasion of the visit of interesting and necessary people, the signing of important contracts or the maintenance of useful contacts with partners and representatives of the press. The reception is led by a facilitator or a group of facilitators who are knowledgeable about the subject of discussion or signing and are interested in the results of the exchange of views.

Evening receptions are considered more ceremonial. These include: "Cocktail", "A la buffet", "Lunch", "Lunch-buffet", "Dinner", "Tea", "Coffee".

• Reception "Cocktail" begins at about 17:00 and lasts about 2 hours (it is customary to indicate the start and end times of the reception on the invitation). If employees of a company do not arrive at the reception together, then according to etiquette, junior employees should be on site earlier than their management. Leaving the reception should be done in the reverse order: first, the management leaves, and then, in accordance with the ranks, the rest of the employees. During the reception, the waiters serve glasses of cocktails to the standing guests. Dress code - casual suit or dress.
• Reception "A la buffet", like "Cocktail", is held between 17:00 and 20:00 and lasts 2 hours. "Cocktail" and "A la buffet" are held standing, which allows you to receive a large number of guests and provides freedom of movement in order to establish business contacts as much as possible. After admission, it is possible to show a feature or advertising film, depending on the goals pursued. Dress code - a casual suit or dress (the solemnity of an evening reception can be emphasized by indicating the dress code in the invitation). Promotional films are a powerful PR tool that allows you to distribute information needed for a company free of charge. When preparing them, you need to carefully consider the script of the film; the purpose of the demonstration of the film; duration; material support(convenient when going to an exhibition, participating in international symposia, for showing at receptions, presentations).
• Reception "Lunch" is the most honorable and solemn type of reception. It usually starts between 17:00 and 19:00. Lasts 2-3 hours or more. Guests stay at the dining table for an hour, then move to another, less formal, room where fruits, tea, and coffee are served. Lunch is served with seated guests. Dress code is ceremonial.
• Reception of the "Lunch-buffet" type (or buffet) assumes free seating of participants at small tables for four or six people, on sofas, in armchairs. This appointment starts between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Guests collect snacks from one large table and sit at an empty table. Such a reception is usually organized in the pauses between conferences. Lunch Buffet is less formal than Lunch. Dress code is ceremonial.
• Dinner Reception starts at 21:00 and later. A seated “dinner” differs from a late lunch and in that soup is usually not served for dinner. Can be given by a person who has invited their partners to the theater or any other evening event. The dress code is indicated in the invitation.
• The "Tea" reception is organized between 17:00 and 20:00 and lasts 1-1.5 hours. One or several tables are served, confectionery, fruits, dessert and dry wines, juices and a small amount of sandwiches with caviar, fish and cheese are served ... Dress code - casual suit or dress.
• Reception of "Coffee" is similar to the reception of "Tea". It does not start later than 19:00. Sometimes hot snacks or salad, juices, mineral water are served at this reception.

The conference is the most formal reception. Conferences are usually held to promote your ideas or new products. A conference is actually a form of a meeting (meeting) dedicated to the consideration of a specific problem or topic. Conferences can be internal, that is, for the workforce of the company, as well as external - focused on an external audience. The main event of the conference is the prepared reports and speeches on the topic by authoritative representatives of business, science, and government bodies. Reports and speeches are limited to 10-20 minutes. The regulations are determined by the availability and quality of simultaneous interpretation, the level of awareness and intelligence of the listeners, and the complexity of the topic under consideration. Based on the materials of the conference, which aroused the greatest interest, as a rule, collections of abstracts with an advertising attachment with information about the participants, promising areas and leading companies are published. It should be remembered that a conference is a means of maintaining contacts, discussing and solving problems in professional, corporate, business communities and government authorities. In large commercial companies, conferences are complemented by conferences on the Internet.

The organization and implementation of any kind of techniques require careful development of the scenario and preliminary preparation to ensure the achievement of the final goals. Preparation of the reception includes such steps as:

1) setting the purpose of admission;

2) the choice of the type of reception;

3) drawing up a list of invited persons;

5) drawing up a seating plan for those invited at the table;

6) drawing up the menu;

7) preparation of toasts and speeches;

8) drawing up the procedure for the admission;

9) cultural program.

At each of these stages, there are many pitfalls that must be skillfully circumvented, eliminating any possibility of a deterioration in the microclimate among the participants and the possibility of increasing psycho-emotional tension. Neglecting careful planning of any of the stages of admission is fraught with the emergence of conflict-generating situations on it, which, if they escalate, can reduce its PR effect to a minimum.

Open door day, round table and discussion

Days open doors are a common form of self-presentation of a company in the framework of PR and promotion. They allow everyone to get acquainted with the activities of the company, its plans, ask the management questions of interest. It is supposed to invite employees for a close acquaintance; excursions around the company are held for everyone; the accompanying person tells about the history of creation and the main directions of the company's activities, about its social significance for the public. In order for the marketing PR messages, both planned and unplanned, received by the target audience at the open day, to be positive, careful professional preparation of such PR events is necessary.

It is at these events that participants can get acquainted with the mission, corporate values the company, the corporate code of its personnel. Open days are essentially a kind of internal presentation of the company, which involves the preparation of visual stands, signs, visits to new buildings and territories with the presentation of comprehensive and emotionally colored positive information about the company, its activities, achievements, management, employees, ongoing projects and long-term plans. At the same time, the visual range offered by the organizers of the event should not be underestimated - if it is not carefully built, but if it develops spontaneously, a negative effect can be obtained. In any case, the impression made on the visitors must be complex, holistic and internally consistent, only then the PR-impact will be productive and long-term. Preliminary detailed briefing and communication trainings of the personnel responsible for the event are also highly desirable. The time allotted for PR-communication is 1-8 hours, including lunch and cultural program.

It is important to note once again that during the open day, the target audience may receive unplanned PR messages, for example, as part of the communication of untrained staff with visitors, which is why a detailed study of the procedure for these events is so important, a careful selection of participants, in which simply there can be no trifles and insignificant details. It is at the open day, in a situation of the most informal interpersonal communication and unstructured conversations, that the communicative and conflictological competence of PR specialists and all participants in the event acquires decisive importance.

Round table and discussion - one of the forms of discussion of an idea, a problem that is important for a wide range of the public; the round table participants are authoritative representatives of science, business, business circles, public and government organizations. Participation in round tables of top executives of commercial companies, sponsorship of their holding contributes to the enhancement of the company's image and popularity. The topic and the discussed issues of the round table are planned and announced in advance. Roundtable participants are introduced to them approximately 10-14 days before the start of the meeting. This allows participants to prepare arguments, demonstration materials, figures and facts, which makes the discussion more constructive and meaningful. The number of participants usually does not exceed 14-15 people. Participant ID cards facilitate communication with each other, making it more relaxed and lively and removing some of the technical barriers to group communication.

The work of the round table is organized and directed by a moderator or a moderator with a high level communicative competence, experience and skills in conducting similar events and well prepared on the topic of discussion. Before the start of the discussion and speeches, the participants introduce themselves briefly to everyone present. As a rule, this happens in the order of the participants in the seats at the table (clockwise). The moderator proposes the order of discussion and announces the rules for each speaker in accordance with the importance of his speech. During the discussion, the presenter / moderator monitors compliance with the rules, tactfully suggesting to interrupt or, conversely, highlighting additional time... It is especially important for the success of the event that the moderator uses the appropriate communicative techniques of active listening, such as reproduction, paraphrasing, development, summarizing, etc. any participant in the discussion, to prevent the emergence of a conflict situation. It is absolutely necessary to master the leading effective techniques for relieving psychoemotional stress, which he can work out in advance on social and psychological communication trainings under the guidance of an experienced psychologist.

Finishing the discussion, the moderator briefly, within 2-3 minutes, makes a summary, summarizing what has been said, emphasizing the necessary points of discussion and conclusions of the participants, as well as interpreting all the voiced information in the desired manner, based on the ultimate goals of the company's PR activities.

Exhibition

Exhibition activities play an important role in the formation and maintenance of a positive image of the company, its products and services. The exhibitions stand somewhat apart from the PR events described in this chapter, since they are addressed not only to media representatives, although they are an excellent informational occasion for them. It is believed that it is exhibitions and fairs that provide the best opportunity for effective personal contact with a potential consumer. The exhibition activity of a company begins with deciding which exhibition to participate in and how widely. Decisions are made by the management of the organization based on knowledge of the market situation and the strategy of the company in the market. The purpose of participation is determined: to declare oneself in a new market, increase the number of buyers or partners, build a dealer network in the desired region, study demand, conclude deals, etc. When deciding on participation in a particular exhibition, one should carefully analyze the financial capabilities of the company. Since the company's management is interested in the most rational and competent investment of money in exhibition activities, it must be provided with the necessary information in advance about all exhibitions planned during the year. The annual plan of exhibitions usually contains the most general information (name, topic and dates of the exhibition), therefore, the PR department responsible for preparing for the exhibition prepares an additional review based on the following data (D.E.Baranov, E.V. Demko, M A. Lukashenko):

• Catalogs of previous exhibitions, from which it becomes clear which companies have participated in a particular exhibition in previous years. One of the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of participation in the exhibition is a stable, constant participation in it of well-known companies with a good reputation.
• The composition of the visitors. Exhibition organizers are always ready to present some kind of oral classification of "their" visitors. The “visitor portrait” is extremely necessary when deciding whether to participate in an exhibition, since it may or may not constitute the target audience of the company.
• Newspaper materials. It is advisable for the PR department to analyze publications about previous exhibitions in the general and specialized press.
• Eyewitness accounts. Of course, the opinions of independent experts who have visited previous exhibitions are very important.

When deciding on participation in the exhibition, the manager must take into account the following factors:

• where the exhibition is held (location determines the scale, representativeness and number of potential visitors);
• when (according to the terms, the peak of the exhibition season falls on November and the end of January);
• by whom (how long have the organizers been in this business, are they well known);
• for whom (what is the target audience of this exhibition);
• how much it will require money and how (with the help of what events at the exhibition) to ensure the return of the budget.

A common mistake is that many firms consider the work at the exhibition completed at the same time as its closing, which is not true. After the exhibition, there comes a no less intense period of work on processing incoming requests.

The preparation process for an exhibition can consist of the following stages.

• An action plan is drawn up.
• Responsible persons are appointed.
• The order of organizational measures and programs is determined.
• Possible needs for additional forces and materials are taken into account.
• A stand plan is being developed at the exhibition.
• An estimate of the costs is drawn up.

After the end of the exhibition, accounting and analysis of past events are carried out and the necessary conclusions are drawn.

The action plan is the most important document for preparing for the exhibition. It contains the goals of participation, the place and time of the event, the persons responsible for the design of the stand, the delivery of materials; brief information about other participating firms (partners, competitors); the specifics of the exhibition and the nature of its holding; documents requiring approval and preparation (invitations, press releases, brochures, flyers, business cards, etc.). The exposition director (responsible for the exhibition), in agreement with the company's management, recruits a staff of employees who carry out training in specific areas:

• interaction with the media, development and distribution of press releases;
• preparation of exhibits for the stand;
• preparation and implementation of an advertising campaign before, during and after the exhibition;
• preparation of handouts (leaflets, catalogs, booklets, souvenirs, etc.);
• training of stand attendants.

Exhibition construction is carried out by a contractor, preparation of an exhibition center project necessary for the company and monitoring of its construction - by a designer. A plan is drawn up not only for the stand itself, but for the entire exhibition. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to assess the position of the stand relative to the entrance / exit, main aisles, competitors and provide for the tactics of attracting visitors to the stand. The placement of exposition materials at the stand is thought out in advance and a letter of application is drawn up for obtaining passes for cars and a permit for transportation / removal of goods. As one of the appendices to the action plan, a detailed list of items that will be taken to the exhibition is drawn up. The presence of such a document streamlines their storage and accounting, as well as facilitates the search and guarantees the replenishment of handouts. Another important document is a questionnaire for registering (polling) stand visitors. To accumulate reliable statistical information, the company's management determines a list of questions of interest and the order in which they follow.

For the period of the exhibition, the schedule of each day is written. The stand must function smoothly, otherwise there is a high probability of missing a potential customer / partner in the flow of visitors due to the absence, inattention or overload of the stand attendant. At this time, it is highly advisable to record all possible contacts in a special questionnaire. For each exhibition, a final review is drawn up, which specifies in detail the number of visitors in general, the number of visitors at the stand, the number of brochures handed out, and completed questionnaires. For half a year or a year, a general overview of exhibitions is compiled, taking into account all costs (it is shown separately how much was spent on rent, transport, advertising, etc.). At the end of each exhibition, a note is drawn up, reflecting a list of problems that arose during the preparation and holding of the exhibition, decisions taken and conclusions.

Rules for effective participation in the exhibition

The advantage of the exhibition is a concentrated combination of exposure, personal contacts, sales promotion, as well as a fairly wide primary (visitors) and secondary (through the media) coverage of the public (Table 1). Exhibitions differ by subject matter - multidisciplinary, industry-specific, specialized. The exhibition can be held on the scale of one company or an entire industry, last from several days to several months or more. Both goods and services intended for sale and objects of art and historical monuments can be exhibited. Non-commercial exhibitions work for the image of organizers, authors and exhibitors (according to N.V. Aleshina, www.elitarium.ru).

Table 1. Benefits of participating in the exhibition

The negative aspects of participating in the exhibition are as follows.

1. High cost of exhibition space.

2. We have to relocate sales personnel from their former territories.

3. Large trade shows are often crowded and messy.

4. Problems labor relations complicate participation in the exhibition.

5. There are many casual spectators at the exhibition.

6. Leakage of information about the product / technologies to competitors is possible. Organization of participation in the exhibition. The participation of a company in an exhibition requires serious work - analytical, planning, organizational; control and regulation long before the start and for a long time after the end of the exhibition. The responsible manager must be empowered and empowered to make decisions regarding all exhibiting matters. These issues include the following.

1. Space required by an exhibitor to present goods and services. To do this, you need to decide what to exhibit, how exhibits can be placed in space, and know how much a square meter of area costs.

2. Development of the project budget. In order to avoid unnecessary expenses and increase the return on investment in exposition, budget costs should be divided into two areas: direct costs - payment for stand space, assembly and disassembly of the stand, special literature and indirect costs - staff time to prepare for the exhibition, costs and labor costs at the exhibition and its provision.

3. Selection / design of the stand. A stand is a structure that allows you to showcase your product. The stand can be brought by the exhibitor, or its production can be ordered by the organizer of the exhibition. The exposition should be focused on volumetric perception, well illuminated, using acting models, films - everything that attracts with unusualness. The exposition should be a place for the outerwear of employees, a place for a reception - a living room for visitors. It is advisable to have a book of reviews.

4. Preparation of materials for the exhibition catalog (as a rule, a few months before the start of the exhibition).

5. Planning of transportation of exhibits and stands, accommodation of employees.

6. Preparation and printing of invitations to visitors, in the appearance of which the participant is interested.

7. Training of personnel to work at the exhibition. The staff must be able to show the new product in action, explain its functions and benefits. On the opening day of the exhibition or on the eve, the organizers receive representatives of the press. You need to be ready to accept them at your exposition, to help make its pictures or video. Most exhibitions have a press center where exhibitors can distribute press releases.

Quantifying exposure of positioning. A quantitative assessment is necessary to concretize the goals of exposure, the choice of tools to achieve them, coordinate work and assess the effectiveness of exposition activities. All assessment indicators are divided into three groups (Table 2).

Table 2. Indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of the exhibition

The effectiveness of a firm's participation in a particular exhibition is determined taking into account the objectives of the participation. For example, if the goal is to widely disseminate information about a new product, the indicator might include the number of brochures distributed to visitors.

Special events

Also, a special place among PR events addressed to both the media and the general public and target audiences is occupied by the so-called special events. During its existence, the PR system has accumulated vast experience in using a variety of actions and events to create a benevolent attitude towards an organization or individuals. PR specialists widely use the method of creating special events, especially in cases where the daily activities of the organization do not create enough new information. D. Burstin calls them "pseudo-events". If such events are in the public interest, they can enhance the organization's reputation.

Widely used in practice PR-actions or special events include:

• exhibitions, fairs, festivals;
• meetings, seminars, round tables, conferences, congresses, symposia, congresses;
• anniversaries, anniversaries, significant dates;
• special prizes, competitions;
• open days, company tours;
• rallies, public debates, theme nights;
• banquets, buffets;
• competitions, quizzes;
• parades, beauty contests;
• sponsorship awards, charity evenings, creation of charitable and educational funds;
• receptions, balls, presentations, film festivals;
• field trips;
• opening ceremonies of new construction sites, laying the first stone in the foundation;
• visits of distinguished and distinguished people, ceremonies of meeting and seeing off;
• reports on the resolution of problems, the announcement of the results of public opinion polls, socio-psychological research;
• opening ceremonies of festivals, sports days and other large-scale events;
• announcement of new appointments to positions of responsibility;
• proclamation of a new political course, programs, changes in the political course, programs of activity;
• amateur competitions;
• meetings with famous athletes, collective visits to museums, exhibitions, concerts, theater performances;
• meetings with prominent people, autograph signing ceremonies;
• participation in social events, improvement of parks, streets, playgrounds, etc .;
• celebrating state, national, religious holidays;
• events to honor the dates of the history and culture of other countries and peoples.

All of the above special events, which involve embedding a PR campaign into an already planned scenario of a socially significant event, are actively used in promoting their products by most companies, but recently new forms of special events based solely on the original creative ideas of marketers have become widespread.

Creative special events in promotion. Today, when in a crisis situation the role of online promotion is growing, the importance of advertising on radio and TV, sales promotion and sales is decreasing, there are still many places where a potential consumer is as open as possible for direct, direct contact. The most creative brands are gradually exploring new territories where it is easier for them to conduct an interactive dialogue, which arouses the interest and trust of potential buyers. The main conditions for success in this case are the maximum creativity of communication, the unusual idea and the non-trivial approach. So, in the spring of 2009, Wrigley's PR specialists launched the Five chewing gum promotion program, while there was practically no informational support from the media, they launched it exclusively through a special event. For this, the following special event was developed and held: an interactive gallery was built in the Mars gallery, in which materials about the “experience of communication” of consumers with this gum through the five senses were placed. In accordance with the developed concept of the special event, progressive young artists in collaboration with famous personalities from the world of fashion and art built objects, and visitors could not only watch, but also touch them - for example, move the magnetic fluid with their hands. Thus, all five senses of the participants were involved, which increased the effectiveness of the impact, as a result of which the PR coverage of the event worked better than a large-scale media campaign. Marketers got a larger number of contacts, and they were of better quality, because the participants - potential consumers were interested in the special event because of its uniqueness and creativity (//slon.ru/articles/184479/).

Sponsoring special events and events

As you can see, in a crisis, manufacturers are forced to resort to non-standard methods of promotion. One of the most effective is sponsorship or partnership support for entertainment events of various formats: from formal receptions to private parties. Participation in such events gives brands access to their target audience and ample opportunities for further promotion. The costs of special events and the so-called event marketing, or event marketing, are included in the budget of every major manufacturer. Marketers explain its relevance by the fact that, unlike direct advertising, its tools allow you to influence all the senses of a potential consumer at once. If a commercial “catches” only sight and hearing, and sampling (that is, free distribution of product samples, for example, during tastings) - taste, smell and touch, then all five senses are involved in event marketing. Moreover, the participation of a brand as a sponsor or partner in any event gives the manufacturer a direct access to the target audience, especially when it comes to premium and super premium brands. When choosing an event for sponsorship, several criteria and conditions are taken into account.

• The first condition is compliance with the concept: first of all, the semantic content, scenario, reason and place of the event must correspond to the concept of positioning and the image of the brand being promoted.
• The second condition is the target audience: the invited audience must belong to the target audience of the brand being promoted, because in most cases event marketing becomes a form of communication with a potential consumer.
• The third condition is a presence strategy: a clear strategy for the presence of the promoted brand and ample opportunities for its promotion within the framework of the event. A number of companies always require exclusive partnerships. It will also be useful to learn about other partners and sponsors of the event, it is desirable that they do not lose in the degree of prestige to the brand.
• The fourth condition is the media effect: among the key conditions for the participation of the promoted brand in the event is the final media effect, the possibility of the so-called post-PR, that is, subsequent mentions of the brand in the media. The number of contacts generated at the event itself is incomparably less compared to the number of contacts, for example, in the press, where the event is covered.
• The fifth condition is a social mission: a number of companies that regularly provide support to special events and event projects regard their participation in them as a kind of social mission.

As you know, two things are very important for a brand - the image component and the opportunity to give potential consumers to try the product. An event where members of the media and business elite can taste a product in a comfortable environment, with unobtrusive branding and gifts - the perfect combination that gives a brand both of these opportunities. Accordingly, the most common format of participation, for example, of a partner - manufacturer of premium food and beverages, in an entertainment event is treating guests. For all other companies, other effects of presence are also possible:

• visual use of the brand in interior design;
• installation of a mobile stand;
• distribution of branded souvenirs with a brand logo, etc.

The event organizer provides options for brand communication with the target audience of the event-event, which may be: branding platforms, PR opportunities, tastings, and so on, depending on the tasks set. Sometimes the organizer can request additional funding for participation in the form of a sponsorship package. The size of the sponsorship package, as a rule, directly depends on the quantity and quality of the offered branding and PR support options. A package with a wide range of media options usually costs more, but if the audience of a closed non-public event is of particular interest to the company, you can put up with the lack of additional opportunities for promotion. The level of partnership also plays a role here - it is a one-time or strategic cooperation. So, if the organizer aims to collect fees from the participants in exchange for options, then the packages can cost from $ 5,000 to $ 50,000 for a one-time event. Obviously, the sponsorship package is purchased for specific advertising purposes, but some events can hardly be considered as a platform for advertising promotion. For example, if it is proposed to present a product at a sporting event or gala dinner that attracts a high-yielding audience but aims to raise money for sick children, then companies will not view the event as an opportunity for strong promotional activity. They are ready to provide it on the terms of patronage, but without advertising, limiting themselves to including their logo in the list of event partners. Attracting sponsors can be seen as an additional tool to improve the status of the event and optimize costs.

Sponsorship

So, an additional, but very effective tool for increasing the effectiveness of promotion, the level of the event, as well as optimizing costs is attracting various sponsors. The most common forms of cooperation in this area are as follows (www.advertology.ru).

• General, or gold, sponsor - takes on at least 50% of all expenses, receives an extended sponsorship package, as a rule, acts as a co-organizer, has a similar target audience, so he is no less interested in the event than the main organizer. Its main goal is to expand its own client and partner base, as well as to establish personal relationships with participating companies.
• Sponsor of the evening reception - compensates for the costs of the evening VIP-part of the event, which works on his image, and also gives the opportunity to promote himself and personal communication with VIP-guests of the event.
• Information sponsor - as a rule, this is a publication or publishing house that publishes an announcement of the event in the printed version and on the website in advance, places advertising information about the organizer, reports on the results of the event, and sometimes helps with the preparation of informational content, print corporate magazines and newspapers. For its part, the information sponsor pursues three main goals: to strengthen its own image, attract new subscribers and advertisers from among the event participants, and also consolidate partnerships with the event organizers.
• Technology sponsor - supplies the necessary presentation or other equipment necessary for the event, for example, can provide assistance in the construction of stands or the production of printed materials. The task of such a sponsor is to present, show the advantages and opportunities, promote specific equipment, for him this is the so-called product PR.
• Registration Sponsor - Provides equipment and staff for registration. Such a sponsor is relevant when holding large events, such as exhibitions and large conferences, when a lot of resources are required, you have to print badges directly during registration, accumulate a large amount of information. The registration sponsor is interested in promoting himself and attracting the attention of as many potential customers as possible, who also conduct events and attract him in the future as a service provider.

Thus, one of the options for PR projects in promoting a company and its products is various forms of sponsorship - from using ordinary splash screens or displaying a logo to demonstrating the product and its consumer properties, verbal announcements of the presenters, giving gifts and prizes. Sometimes, in exchange for a sponsorship fee, a company may place direct advertisements. For example, Evian in one of the London suburbs sponsored the reconstruction of an outdoor pool, for which the company was allowed to mount an illuminated logo of this mineral water in the bottom of the pool, which became clearly visible from the aircraft entering and taking off. In our country, the most popular are films and series (47% of all projects), as well as entertainment and music programs (13% each). According to experts, the minimum cost of a sponsorship package is approximately $ 5,000, and the maximum can reach several million dollars. For example, the general sponsorship of Star Factory, the First Channel project, costs the advertiser $ 2 million. The sponsorship project on STS Kino at 21:00 costs about the same - a splash screen before the start of the program and inside the film every day for a year. A five-second intro before the Sex and the City series on NTV costs $ 4,000. The main advantage of sponsorship, in contrast to conventional advertising, is the "involvement" of the advertiser's brand in the program's plot, which helps to create the desired brand image. In addition, sponsorship is an additional opportunity to promote on television those products for which direct advertising is prohibited. A prime example of this is a sponsorship project from Nemiroff, where a vodka manufacturer finances broadcasts of boxing matches in exchange for displaying its logo.

Today, it is sport that remains one of the most effective contexts for promoting goods and services. About 60-65% of the total world sponsorship market is supported by sports events. With an accurate assessment of all risks and a competent marketing approach, sponsorship gives a better result compared to direct advertising, besides, the speed of accumulation of audience coverage at a certain threshold is much higher for sponsorship. All these advantages also enable the advertiser to announce loudly, including the product launch to the market. This is the stage when there is no need to create any relation to the brand, since it can only be formed in the process of “knowledge plus consumption”. The sponsorship project of Nemiroff, which became a permanent sponsor of boxing matches from the very beginning of its activity on the Russian market in 2002, allowed the company to announce itself to a wide audience that did not previously know about the existence of its product. It was partly thanks to this project that the Nemiroff brand became widely known in Russia. According to TNS Gallup, in the first six months of sponsorship of boxing matches, more than a quarter of vodka consumers in Russia recognized the Nemiroff brand.

And Bоurjois cosmetics, which are not well known to Russian consumers, having become a sponsor of the popular TV series "Sex and the City" on the NTV channel, not only increased the recognition of its brand, but was also able to create positive associations with the brand, which, in all likelihood, consisted in expanding the market share ... Nevertheless, for many companies the sponsorship procedure is still a way of creating a favorable image, rather than a variant of brand positioning in order to gain consumer loyalty. It should be remembered that creating a stable, positive image of a brand / company requires a certain amount of time. A one-time, albeit very striking, participation in any event will certainly attract attention, but sponsorship on an ongoing basis nevertheless remains an indicator of the firm's intentions. It matters both the moderate exploitation of the sponsored object without intrusive use of symbols, and the correct choice of this object. Participation in overtly commercial projects, if they are not tied to the main activity of the sponsor, reduces the trust of the target audience, which can make a well-founded conclusion about the promiscuity of the company due to its lack of clear strategic goals or about the promiscuity of funds. As for the effectiveness of sponsorship, then, most likely, the role of this form of marketing communications in increasing turnover is more indirect than direct. First of all, sponsorship is a means of promotion, and in this capacity it is more associated with attracting attention and subsequent retention of interest in the brand, that is, it is aimed at expanding the number of loyal consumers in its specific target segment.

In Russia, the pioneer in the use of integrated sponsorship is Wimm-Bill-Dann: one investment in the Last Hero project amounted to at least $ 1.5 million. the purpose of repositioning your brand as part of its promotion. As a result, in addition to increasing brand awareness to 99% and increased juice sales, consumer surveys have shown that the J7 is associated with adventure, freedom and a healthy lifestyle. In The Last Hero 2, Wimm-Bill-Dann no longer took part in sponsorship, but during the showing of the project, it posted J7 videos based on The Last Hero 1 on television, after which the consumer had the impression that the company also sponsors the continuation of the "epic".

Interestingly, many experts believe that sponsorship loses its effect when several companies participate in the program. The best option is when there are no more than 3-5 sponsors in one show. Naturally, their interests should not overlap. The absolute leader in terms of the number of sponsors (more than 130 participants) is the "Housing Question", but even there they try to prevent competing sponsors from appearing in the program. For Unilever, however, sponsorship was about solving the complex, delicate problems of building long-term brand-consumer relationships. So, in the case of Calve (it has been a sponsor of the Culinary Duel program on NTV since the first days of its existence), the company did not need to increase brand awareness: in its product category it is already the leading one. With the help of sponsorship, they just wanted to emphasize that Calve is for those who love creative approach in the process of cooking, and with the help of direct advertising, the achievement of such a goal is unlikely (according to materials from www.ko.ru).

Nevertheless, sponsorship as a promotion tool for Russian companies still remains not very popular, including due to the impossibility of a specific assessment of the effectiveness of sponsorship. To understand whether it is worth starting the implementation of a sponsorship project or it is better to limit ourselves to traditional promotion tools, one should proceed from the goals and objectives of the PR campaign. So, if a manufacturer is going to declare that his product is cheaper than that of a competitor, it is more expedient to use direct advertising, but if it is necessary to create a new image of the product, then it is more optimal to choose sponsorship (based on materials from www.productplacement.ru) (Table 3).

Table 3. Advantages and disadvantages of sponsorship in media projects (TV and radio) when promoting