Is all publicity good publicity?
I was sent this sad and brilliant story from the Reuters bureau in Boogata which provoked deliberation. I have worked in the entertainment industry for many years and my mantra’s has always been, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity!” Sometimes I have a tough time defending that “All publicity is good publicity” as an…
Genetically Modified Spokespeople
Well trained media spokespeople are now the norm, habituating every nook and cranny in most news programmes. If there is an issue that an editor wants to focus on, then hey presto, the PR handlers offer up a genetically modified human, built in a workshop, to face the foe. These well trained “greys” are regularly…
Burn Baby Burn
After a weekend away in Amsterdam, I return to find the UK newspapers devouring and obsessing about the Britney Spears’ shaved head moment. The Dutch don’t seem to have this same fixation about a feckless pop star going through career breakdowns in the most pubic way. You don’t have to be a Harley Street shrink…
It's only a Boar that's Bored.
I have blogged before about how animals can upset the applecart and create negative publicity. I am keen to talk about the positive use of publicity to make people and brands famous, but my research continues to stumble on gaffs made by publicists trying to lure the media with a tale involving animals. In 1950,…
WHAT AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE CAN TELL US ABOUT MARKETING TODAY
It’s been a good year around the world for the outdoor media market. Unlike Britain – where we are still flogging campaigns that win awards rather than consumer cut through – publicity connoisseurs have feasted on a new generation of living outdoor ad sites, retail theatre and publicity stunts that capture front pages. This hunger…
VOYEURISM DEATH AND ANNA NICOLE SMITH
It was horrible; within minutes of her terrible demise Anna Nicole Smith made universal headlines. Before the poor woman was cold there was a feeding frenzy for the global media barons. Even as the proverbial ink dried on ” the page” celebrity voyeurs stepped up to paw over her tragic life. This was quickly followed by nodding…
HUGH GRANT A GIRLFRIEND AND ANOTHER DRESS
Hugh Grant stepped out with his girlfriend, Jemima Khan, to the Premiere of his new film “Music & Lyrics” the other night. As you can see from the way the media picked over it, they were happy to draw comparisons to Liz Hurley and the Versace dress 13 years ago. It all goes to prove…
Will Bernard Matthews survive bird flu?
The Guardian As he tucked into his own Christmas turkey, Bernard Matthews must have been relieved that 2006 was over. Hit by the the demise of the Turkey Twizzler and the exposure of animal cruelty – two of his workers had been filmed using a turkey as a baseball – his profits fell by 33%…
Harry Reichenbach's blindfold stunt drivers
Harry Reichenbach loved to use stunts to usurp commercial enterprise. He keenly kept an eye on the media and anything that was getting a lot of attention would be targeted with one of his left field stunts. Harry had used stunt drivers in the very early years to publicise fair grounds and circuses, but with…