Many SEMA members manufacture or sell products to enhance the camping experience. Whether it’s a tent that attaches to a vehicle or a trunk organizer to save space, there are literally hundreds of products that are ideally suited for camping trips.
Members that offer such products may want to reach out to their local media to see if they might be interested in developing a story on how to modify a vehicle for a camping trip. Publications throughout the country have already picked up on a related story, and SEMA members can leverage the interest with their local media.
When reaching out to media, consider these recommendations:
- Be Available: If you reach out to media, make sure you are available when they call or email you in return. Respond quickly with answers to their questions. If you can’t answer the question right away, still respond letting the reporter know you are working on an answer. Note: If the journalist is not interested in developing a story now, use it as an opportunity to start a relationship with that reporter so you can connect in the future.
- Offer Interviews: Along with your rapid response, offer an executive or owner the opportunity to include a quote in the story. If you have customers available for an interview, offer the opportunity to them as well. SEMA spokespersons also are available to provide reporters with an industry overview.
- Provide Statistics: Help a reporter write their story by providing useful statistics. An example: According to the 2014 American Camper Report, “40.1 million Americans, or 14% of the U.S. population over age six, camped in 2013. Each camping participant, whether staying in a tent, RV, cabin, bivy or yurt, spent an average of 14.9 days camping. On average, campers travelled more than 180 miles to get to their desired camping spot, which tended to be a state park campground.”