Creating your own PR opportunities

by Hibre Teklemariam

It’s important to understand that going into an interview with a journalist to talk about yourself, your fund and how great you are, is not necessarily the best way to get a feature article written about you. It’s better to talk about what you know in an intelligent way, connecting the dots in how it’s relevant to the journalist and the investment community, making the case for your story and making an impression that lasts!

Make yourself available
One client had a face-to-face meeting with two senior journalists at Barron’s for the first time. The fund manager in this case didn’t go into the interview touting his fund. Instead, he gave a big picture market outlook and spoke about the economy and how investors were being affected in a way that told a story about what was going on in the economic environment at the time. The journalists were so impressed with his knowledge and understanding of the economy overall and the economic turmoil in 2008, that they scheduled a follow up conversation over the phone. They spoke over the phone several times over the next 5 months following that initial interview. It took time and effort, but eventually Barron’s wrote a huge feature article on the manager and his fund.

Persistence is key
Another client, who launched a new fund, had trouble getting on CNBC due to the fund being new, low AUM, lack of fund’s performance history, etc. After months of persistence, CNBC decided to give him a one-time shot. He blew CNBC away with his vast knowledge on the market and investment expertise! Needless to say, he was asked to return as a guest and that began a consistent relationship with the broadcast news agency. Today, he gets calls from CNBC to be a guest on their various segments. He has also received personal invitations to appear as a guest on CNBC from Maria Bartiromo. Consequently, he has built a solid reputation with CNBC and is able to get on relevant segments.

You never know who is watching
Another client, who had a booth at a major conference, happened to have a TV screen at his booth that was playing an interview he had done with a major publication. A key player of a family office happened to be waiting to speak to the people at the booth next to that one, when the TV running this interview caught his attention. The fund manager was approached by this person and began a conversation that resulted in a very large ticket going into the fund (large for this particular small fund). In addition, it began a relationship with this firm that’s sure to be long lasting, as the fund continues to grow and be successful.

Build the relationship
Another client met with a senior journalist at a top tier investment publication about a year ago. Over that year, the two spoke several times and the journalist continued to monitor how the fund was performing. Recently, the journalist approached the fund manager requesting to do a feature on him and his fund. This is a prime example of the importance of persistence and always making yourself available to journalists who want to keep up with your investment ideas and staying on their radar.