Episode 7: Crafting the Perfect Media FAM Trip, with Sarah Blackwell

Destination On The Left

Sarah Blackwell is a Consultant at Break The Ice Media.

Sarah brings knowledge of the public relations industry to her work at Break the Ice Media, including the ability to write, pitch, and tell a great story. Her experience working with journalists and passion for PR and social media has allowed her to help her clients get great exposure and effectively connect with their target audience. She is a graduate of The College at Brockport, SUNY, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Broadcasting (concentration: PR) and a dual degree in English. She joined Break The Ice Media in 2013, and brought with her hospitality and marketing experience from internships at Disney, Southwest Airlines, American Cancer Society, and Susan B Anthony House. She is very involved with the Public Relations Society of America, Rochester Chapter, co-chairing both the Young PR Professionals and PRism Awards Committee.

Her personal strengths include her ability to find, research, and implement new media. She brings a fresh perspective, creativity, and attention to detail to the client projects that she works on.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Collaborative PR programs that Sarah works on
• The work Sarah has done on Haunted History Trail, Cross Border Showcase, and the Finger Lakes vacation region
• What a Media FAM trip is, why it’s so important, and what makes a FAM successful
• Strategies on how to use group trips effectively — and why they are losing popularity
• Strategies for helping journalists do live “pre-coverage” before they write their articles — a strategy that is new to the digital landscape
• How to build a journalist itinerary (and when to schedule break time)
• How to fund FAM trips
• Working with experts to build a FAM trip without dictating
• The time commitment needed to build an itinerary

Resources:

• Sarah’s blog: breaktheicemedia.com/how-to-adapt-your-fams-to-a-changing-media-landscape