How to Survive a Media Interview
27 Nov 2014Paid and free media interviews are essential exhibitor tools at trade shows such as Hi Europe. While paid media interviews help exhibitors stand out in the crowd and drive booth traffic, free media interviews during the show can do the trick—and can carry weight long afterwards. Both media interviews can draw visitors to your booth, […]

Paid and free media interviews are essential exhibitor tools at trade shows such as Hi Europe. While paid media interviews help exhibitors stand out in the crowd and drive booth traffic, free media interviews during the show can do the trick—and can carry weight long afterwards. Both media interviews can draw visitors to your booth, generate quality leads to your website and build your company’s prominence in the industry. However, free interviews are not easy to score and require some creative strategic planning.
5 steps for planning media interviews
- Do your homework: Research and prepare interesting and relevant information for your interview. Reporters will ask questions not only about your products but also about the competition, market trends, etc. Knowledgeable experts are highly preferred and, this could be your industry debut as a thought leader. Be well-armed; have all the answers ready in advance.
- Gain an advantage: Ask your PR agency to get the questions in advance whenever possible.
- Provide newsworthy material, not old news or, worse, “fluff”: Editors and reporters are extremely busy during trade shows, covering the most exciting events and stories. Don’t waste their time with recycled news or self-serving hyperbole; help them look good by introducing a buzzworthy concept or a brand new angle.
- Contact journalists once or twice via email and phone before the show; don’t bombard them. Secure a scheduled time or day for the booth visit, if possible.
- Write a succinct compelling email subject line: In the message body, expand on why they just must interview you. (Always keep it short!)
Top 7 Tips on Acing Your Media Interview
- Shape your message: Prepare one or two key messages to communicate during the interview. Structure your responses to place your key messages front and center.
- Give it a positive spin: Create a transition to move from discussion topic to the message you want to communicate. First, answer the direct question. Then, transition to your message. Try phrases like:
- “Before we get off that topic, let me just add…”
- “Let me put that in perspective…”
- “Yes. And it’s also important to remember that…”
- Speak strongly and clearly: If your soft voice on the backdrop of a noisy booth affects video quality, it may doom your interview to the cutting room floor.
- Shape your body language: According to business coach Dr. Amir Helmer, your physical movements should be “round and soft.” Sharp gestures may be perceived as aggressive.
- Capture visual attention: Holding a visual demonstration of your company’s healthy ingredient in a final product can “eye capture” your audience. Some interviewers are not sure what to do with their hands during the interview. A good eye-capturing visual can solve this problem.
- Be on time, but be patient: Make time to be available for the interviews. Reporters are booked solid at tradeshows and they might be late for your meeting. So schedule extra time after the interview in case it runs over.
- Stick to Business: Even if the reporter is a close friend, stick to the matter at hand: promoting your message.
With all these things to keep in mind, remember: you are the expert; the reporter is eager to learn from you!
Liat Simha will be at Hi Europe & Ni 2014. She also wrote other blogs about Hi Europe, you can view here: http://bit.ly/UuBcSi
Related news

Exploring the business benefits of food waste reduction
10 Aug 2022
The environmental and human cost of food waste make reduction strategies “one of the most urgent and daunting” challenges to society, but businesses can use the fight on waste to drive additional revenues and profit, according to a report.
Read more
Price sensitivity driving consumer shift to private-label solutions
9 Aug 2022
Rising inflation and ongoing supply chain issues are driving shoppers to switch to own-label products, with private label outperforming brands in certain categories, say experts.
Read more
Activists sue Turkish government for ‘unconstitutional’ banning of vegan cheese
8 Aug 2022
Activists in Turkey have slammed the government’s decision to ban the production and sale of vegan cheese products in the country as unconstitutional, with lawsuits and a 7,200-strong petition under way.
Read more
Chickpea revolution? Companies looking to innovate could face higher prices as global shortage hits
5 Aug 2022
From coffee to ice cream, recent product launches demonstrate how companies are betting on chickpea in the plant-based revolution… but could a global shortage scupper innovation?
Read more
Swedish food packaging company Tetra Pak exits Russia amid mounting sanction-led supply chain pressures
4 Aug 2022
Tetra Pak has become the latest big company to exit its remaining operations in Russia as the country faces increasing shortages under ongoing sanctions.
Read more
European soft drinks industry celebrates sugar reduction milestones as the ‘war on sugar’ continues
3 Aug 2022
The European soft drinks sector has achieved a 17.7% reduction in average added sugars since 2015, says its industry association, UNESDA. However, experts warn that the “war on sugar” will intensify from both consumers and governments in the next few y...
Read more
Diageo unveils plans for €200 million carbon-neutral brewery in Ireland
1 Aug 2022
Diageo has unveiled plans for a €200 million carbon-neutral lager and ales brewery in Ireland – the country’s first.
Read more
Mexican packaged food companies to feel profit squeeze as inflation continues
29 Jul 2022
Mexican packaged food companies are set to feel bigger profitability pressures over the next year as commodities price inflation and slowed growth continues, said credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings.
Read more
Gut health is the biggest growth area for US personalised nutrition brands
28 Jul 2022
Gut health will be a key growth area for personalised nutrition brands in the US throughout 2023, fuelled by the development of more user-friendly microbiome testing kits and the importance of gut health for US consumers, according to the Nutrition Bus...
Read more
How (and why) should food brands leverage social media?
27 Jul 2022
Social media is a powerful and far-reaching tool which allows brands to get closer than ever before to their consumers. To reap its value, brands should closely monitor consumer attitudes on social media and proactively engage with them.
Read moreAre you a supplier?
Here's what we can do for you
- Generate quality leads for your business
- Stay visible for 365 days of the year
- Receive product inquiries and respond to meeting requests directly
- Improve company online presence through Search Engine Optimisation