By Yudi Fernandez Kim, Partner, Schwartz Media Strategies
In today’s fast-paced media landscape, capturing a reader’s attention is more challenging than ever.
Consumers have an endless menu of content at their fingertips. Yet, the stories that strike a chord still have the power to make an impact and influencing decision making.
Clients often ask, how do we cut through the noise to achieve ‘newsworthiness’? The answer often comes down to relevance and resonance.
What makes ‘the news’ often requires understanding what audiences care about and delivering content that is timely, authentic, and meaningful.
For companies and organizations navigating today’s crowded news cycle, it’s essential to understand the three elements of a newsworthy story: relevance to current events, a clear connection to the audience’s interests, and the ability to provide fresh insights or perspectives.
Every business has the potential to score high-impact headlines, but creating a compelling story that stands out requires a strategic approach to media relations.
Here are some tips for connecting the dots:
⏰ Timing the Story
The timing of a brand’s attempt at storytelling is critical. Connecting your business to what’s in the news creates a clear path to becoming part of the story. This could include current events, newsworthy trends, data-driven reports, holidays and anniversaries and bold predictions.
Staying attuned to the news cycle allows organizations to align their narratives with topics already capturing public attention, ensuring their message resonates more effectively while building authority and relevance in crowded media landscapes.
For example, when aircraft-related incidents happen or the aviation sector experiences shifts, we lean on the experts at Podhurst Orseck, one of the world’s premier law firms in aviation litigation, to provide valuable commentary to international news outlets.
🎯 Connecting with Your Target Audiences
With the media landscape more diverse and diffuse than ever, audience segmentation is key. From cable and network news to streaming services, social media platforms, podcasts and radio, there are more communication channels today that allow you to more effectively reach specific groups of people. Understanding where your target audience consumes information and tailoring your messaging for those channels ensures your message reaches them and aligns with their needs and interests.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when Florida declared itself ‘open for business,’ our agency led a strategic communications campaign on behalf of 830 Brickell, a new Class A office tower in Brickell that targeted business owners and decision-makers in major domestic and global markets experiencing pandemic-related constraints and lockdowns to relocate to a sunnier, more business- and tax-friendly metropolitan.
Through nationally and market-specific placed stories, social media ads, and direct marketing, we helped cement the tower’s position as the most successful office building in Florida history. The tower was 100% pre-leased ahead of its opening, with 90% of its tenants being new-to-market, and its leasing rates increased from $60/square foot in 2019 to $150/square foot in 2024.
📢 Sharing Your Perspectives
In today’s 24-7 news cycle, the media is constantly seeking experts, individuals with knowledge on specific subject matter that can enhance and shape their stories. At Schwartz Media Strategies, we counsel our clients so that they can leverage their unique experiences and expertise in building their own brand and raising awareness of their businesses.
By positioning yourself as an authority on key issues year-round — via LinkedIn, on a company’s website, and through strategic media relations — you can help ensure your voice is heard in relevant conversations, providing valuable insight that promotes your expertise and elevates your reputation within your industry.
Take the Live Local Act, a statewide legislation aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing across Florida. This is a timely topic that has received wide media attention over the past two years given the high level of interest from local audiences statewide.
At Schwartz Media Strategies, we have positioned a range of sources as experts on the legislation and the broader topic of housing affordability, including lawyers, developers and insurance providers. Collectively, they are sharing their insights via media interviews, social posts, podcasts and speaking engagement opportunities like The Real Deal’s South Florida Real Estate Forum. The result is enhanced awareness of the new law and a clearer understanding of how to navigate it.
Crafting and delivering impactful stories garners more than attention — it builds credibility, trust, and influences actions and decisions. When done in a strategic and thoughtful manner, businesses and brands can benefit from stepping into the spotlight and shaping the news cycle.
Yudi Fernández Kim is a partner at Miami-based integrated communications firm Schwartz Media Strategies, where she leads communications, marketing and social media campaigns on behalf of some of the top residential a
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