Case Insurance company If
Confidence and readiness to face journalists through media training
"A very interesting and intense set, led by excellent trainers. The training gave me good tools for interview situations and advice on how to approach media questions. The trainers added a special value to the training by bringing a journalist's perspective. The personal practice part of the training was really good, as it is my own experience that gives me confidence in this area as well. I now look forward to future contacts from the media."
- If's expert who participated in the training
Starting point
If experts are often interviewed by the media on various occasions. However, for many experts who are not used to the media and its ways of working, interview situations have been exciting or even frightening. It is also very important, especially when discussing compensation issues, that If experts stick to the company's common line of communication.
Solution
We organised media training for ten If experts so that future interview situations would no longer be stressful, but instead would be seen as opportunities to spread the company's most important core messages.
We structured the media training with the idea that, after it, If's experts will be more confident and positive when facing media interview situations. We also focused on how each expert could identify interesting communication targets in their own area of expertise - thus directly supporting the work of If's communication team.
We found the coaching very practical, offering concrete tips for interview situations. Finally, we tested how the tips worked in practice in small group personal practice interviews. We videotaped these exercises and gave personal feedback to each participant, both face-to-face and later in writing.
Results
Based on the feedback survey conducted for If, the training was very successful, as it was praised by both the communications team that commissioned the training and the experts who participated in it.
If gave Korner's media training the following ratings, on a scale of 1-10.
Media training in its entirety: 9
The professionalism of media coaches: 10
"The media training was exactly what we ordered. We wanted the experts to be confident in working with the media and to understand what media issues to raise around their area of expertise. In addition to theory, we also wanted practical training. And that's exactly what we got. The planning and delivery of the training went off without a hitch. We have received a lot of good feedback from our experts about the training. They particularly liked the exercises and the comprehensive feedback they received. After the training, the experts have also given our communications team their own ideas on blog and media topics. We would definitely recommend Korner's coaching sessions and will certainly use them ourselves in the future."
- Henna Nikkari, External Communications Specialist, Ifi