Mark My Words Blog
Welcome to ‘Mark My Words,’ the digital sanctuary where insight meets intrigue, and commentary sparks contemplation.
Delve into the dynamic world of PR maverick Mark Borkowski as he unravels the threads of media, culture, and communication. Mark’s blog is a treasure trove of industry wisdom, offering a backstage pass to the inner workings of publicity and the ever-evolving landscape of modern media.
ROONEY & BERNIE
I’m thinking of complaining to Rupert Murdoch about the acres of Scandinavian forestry cynically squandered by his tabloid editors on Wayne Rooney this week. Vandals. If only the Sun and the News of the World would face the fact that Rooney will never be another Beckham. Why won’t he? It’s harsh I know, but however many goals he scores, he simply isn’t pin-up material. People outside football are into Beckham. People of both genders fancy him rotten. People who loathe and detest all forms of sport, even they have a soft spot for David Beckham. Wayne Rooney? It’s called a…
I once hired a real ghostbuster
Andrew Green Andrew Green, who has died aged 76, was pursuing a blameless existence as a freelance parapsychologist, secular exorcist and author of such classics as Ghost Hunting: A Practical Guide, when, in April 1996, he was plucked out of obscurity to investigate reports of paranormal sightings at the Royal Albert Hall.
HAS BECKS FALLEN OFF THE BRAND-WAGON?
HAS BECKS FALLEN OFF THE BRAND-WAGON? Is Goldenballs slip-sliding into a brand pariah? Until recently David Beckham�s seductive face could re brand and save the planet (and, had they been quick, Dasani too). But today it�s looking like Goldenballs can�t even flog Golden Syrup.
All you need is luvvies
The Scotsman – Edinburgh,Scotland,UK One of the hottest tickets looks to be the appearance of publicist Mark Borkowski, who after years of thrusting others into the public eye will tread the … http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=738442004
BIG names and small voices on cue for Fringe
BIG names and small voices on cue for Fringe The Scotsman – Edinburgh,Scotland,UK … Comedians Boothby Graffoe and Jackie Clune and the publicist Mark Borkowski braved the storms to celebrate the launch of the 2004 Assembly Pleasance programme … http://news.scotsman.com/arts.cfm?id=722422004
DJ Tony is shoved over for Cliff
What a truly fantastic PR stunt – DJ Tony Blackburn suspended for playing too many Cliff Richard records. The scam is in all the papers this morning. A PR person can do no wrong when they use Sir Cliff as a muse because, as we all know, everyone loves a Cliff tale. So – set up an internal row down at Classic Gold between studio bosses and the Blackburn, and the old digital station gets some ink. The ink might turn into some new listeners if they can find the station, and the breakfast show might keep the new devotees…
Big Brother the dark side
The outrage continues in the press about the current series of Big Brother. The Mail on Sunday proclaims this morning So Big Brother do you still claim to care about the mental health of your inmates? I went public about this issue two series ago and was thrown off the official BB web site for positing the theory that the contestants were cannon fodder for ratings.
ROLL UP! It's Showtime, folks…
FRINGE promises sex, rock and possible injury The Scotsman – Edinburgh,Scotland, UK. … The headline-grabbing publicity agent Mark Borkowski is to sell himself in his own show, Son of a Barnum: A Stunt Too Far. Mr Gudgin … http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment.cfm?id=663662004
OFFICIAL: Silly Season Is Here
The Silly Season has arrived. It’s official. Max Clifford spinning for the UK Independence Party and its new MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk… the Women’s Institute creating a piece of music to played on Tupperware as part of the Aldeburgh festival…no doubt about it: the unmistakable signs of the start of the silly season.
DON’T PUT OUT MORE FLAGS
Good to see the Royal Princes out in public this week, even though the occasion was a sad one: their granny’s funeral. I’m reminded of the ancient Chinese fable in which a young and foolish man goes to an older, wiser one to ask for the secret of perfect happiness. “Easy.” says the sage. “Grandfather dies, man dies, son dies.” “What?” says the young one. “Three deaths? How can that bring perfect happiness?” “Because” replies the old man, “that’s the right order to die in. Any other order and you’re in trouble.“
FROM DDAY TO FUNERAL
Good to see the Royal Princes out in public this week, even though the occasion was a sad one: their granny’s funeral. I’m reminded of the ancient Chinese fable in which a young and foolish man goes to an older, wiser one to ask for the secret of perfect happiness. “Easy.” says the sage. “Grandfather dies, man dies, son dies.” “What?” says the young one. “Three deaths? How can that bring perfect happiness?” “Because” replies the old man, “that’s the right order to die in. Any other order and you’re in trouble.“
Big Brother Publicity Stunt Mk 1
From the Daily Mirror. A fairly obvious publicity stunt to get the geeks talking about Big Brother. An off-air cock-up is always a surefire hit to attract a bit of publicity. NET BOOB REVEALS WHAT BB BOSSES THINK Jun 7 2004 Exclusive By Andy Rudd BIG Brother bosses became stars of their own show yesterday when fans watched them slagging off housemates. Viewers of live coverage over the internet were shocked when cameras switched to the Little Brother studio where staff were sitting. They saw a production leader called Dave and a colleague turn to a live feed screen to…
Celebrity and the Campaign Trail
Politics is often described as showbusiness for ugly people. Few politicians can resist the lure of the flashbulb – or the opportunity to bask in a little reflected showbiz glamour. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3746865.stm
Body blow
The US military’s attempt to hide the returning corpses of US soldiers from the media has backfired spectacularly, writes Mark Borkowski, and it might just cost Bush the election The US military’s PR men can usually be relied upon to elide uncomfortable facts with a good euphemism, but mutilated, putrefying corpses returning to American soil have generally posed a bit of a problem.
Beckham The Training Ground Outburst
David Beckham today hit out at the media following a series of lurid claims about his private life, condemning coverage in the Daily Mail and the News of the World as an “absolute disgrace” and admitting he had considered boycotting certain media organisations. This underlines a couple of crucial issues. (1) The pressure is ON and (2) there seems to be no gentle father figure in St Dave’s life right now. Hot headed outburst wins no friends and projects vulnerability. The downside is that his media life is managed by a pop talent agency, and I suspect he wishes he…
CONDOM v. CASSINI
Enjoying a front row seat at Wednesday’s main feature, Attack of the Purple Condoms (cert.18, dir. Roger Corman), must have been a genuinely horrifying experience for our honourable representatives in the House of Commons. The Daily Mirror’s Paul Routledge described the scene in detail, referring to the perpetrator throughout as a ‘nutter’ and declining to name the organisation the said nutter was attempting to promote. Paul made the point that irresponsible behaviour shouldn’t benefit those in pursuit of publicity.
PERUVIAN POSH
I’m sure my powers of prophesy should be applied to more profitable ventures. A few weeks ago I suggested, to anybody prepared to listen, that after the Loos Affair had melted back into the night and the heat had died down, we’d see some extraordinary PR strokes from the Beckham camp as they redefined and fine-tuned the Beckham brand. And, verily, so it came to pass this Sabbath just gone, as an agenda-setting story appeared following a leak to all the Sunday newspapers. A ‘leak’?: A full-blown flush.
AN ENORMOUS STINK
From this week’s spinwatch. I love to know how the big PR consultancies make a buck. http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0512bksh.htm “BKSH & Assocs., Burson-Marsteller’s lobbying wing, is representing Radio Sedaye Iran (Radio Voice of Iran), the Beverly Hills-based network that advocates regime change in Iran,” reports O’Dwyers. Former BKSH clients include Ahmad Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress. In fact, BKSH staff for the Iranian account include the former INC/ Chalabi account head and the senior advisor to the 2000 Republican National Convention. While Radio Sedaye Iran says a U.S. invasion of Iran would “raise an enormous stink in the Moslem world,” it…
Beware of the Darkness
Great quote in the Guardian today from Bill Drummond, the ex-KLF prankster. In a feature about his soup tour of the Britain, don’t ask. just click on this link http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1220512,00.html. He claims he frets about doing any PR, ‘I’m careful now about how I interact with the media.’ Great sound bite I suspect has been crafted after some bitter encounters with the press.
Michael Moore and his ex PR reps
I notice from a diary item in the Express today that Macdonald / Rutter are no longer representing Michael Moore. I think we should all compare notes? Mr Moore is a fantastic film maker but it comes with a price