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.
Bedford strikes back
Fantastic story on the front page of the Times today. Dressed in full running gear David Bedford (the 70’s running icon) dashed down the Strand to hijack an event the 118 118 company were staging. Fab bit of guerrilla action. Sue them Dave, sue them. It’s obvious to anybody who remembers the great runner that the 118118 two were Bedford rip offs. Bedford told the Times “I am making a peaceful protest against 118118 which has taken my image and used it without my permission. I am already �60K down in legal fees in the fight to retain my image…
Coke blunder need not be water torture
What’s wrong with tap water? I drink it every day. And if someone can give some good old British water a bit of a hi-tech going over, it’s got to be even better. Better than that poncey stuff they dig out of holes in the ground in the Alps. And what’s the real thing in this respect? Why, Coca-Cola’s Dasani.
Biodegradable underwear
If you are looking for a PR grab to help get some ink for a forthcoming tour take a leaf out Missy Elliott’s book. A thousand supermarket titles will love this line. Reportedly Missy Elliott will wear biodegradable underwear on her upcoming tour. The hip hop queen has placed an order with eco-friendly company 2(x)ist, which has just created a line of underwear made from Tencel. Celebrities who arrived at the recent Oscars – including Charlize Theron, Elijah Wood and Jack Black – were also presented with biodegradable underwear. Which they took away from the ceremony in their environmentally friendly…
Beyond Coincidence
My old friend Martin Plimmer launches his book Beyond Coincidence on Thursday and has sent this email: It was a story all the papers covered: 10-year-old Laura Buxton released a balloon with her name attached from her grandfather’s garden in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The balloon travelled 140 miles and landed in a garden in Pewsey, Wiltshire, the home of another 10-year-old girl, also called Laura Buxton. Almost three years on, the two girls are now 12 and will be coming together for the launch on Wednesday of the book Beyond Coincidence (Icon Books), by Martin Plimmer and Brian King – a…
Dasani
So to the Dasani debacle. Before I go into all that PR apocalypse stuff (which actually just boils down to lazy thinking) let’s just step back from the furore for a minute. What’s wrong with tap-water? I drink it every day. And if someone can give some good old British water a bit of a hi-tech going over – blast it through filters, stick in a few minerals, oxygenate it – it’s got to be even better. Better than that poncey stuff they dig out of holes in the ground in the Swiss Alps. And what’s the real thing in…
Today programme spoofed
As a seasoned media watcher I like spotting a publicity wheeze on a hard news programme. The most satisfying hit in the UK must be the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. Spoof stories posing as hard news when outed must be so frustrating for the show that gave the world Andrew Gilligan. This morning at around 8.00, John Humphreys trailed an item about a school in Birmingham which had started to teach Elfish at the expense of modern languages such as French and Spanish. The outrage of it all. Education dumbed down to an all time low for a…
Internet on the road to recover
My old pal Rhonda Palmer emailed me this link today http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8858230%255E7582,00.html It’s a feature from the Australian newspaper. “Internet recovers from dotcom crash” it boldly proclaims. I’m so pleased the internet is making a comeback. Borkowski had a ball with all those crazy dot com tycoons rolling up to our offices with bulging wallets hiring us to launch their oh so well-large and like totally wild web ventures. The most fun was a Swedish entrepreneur who’d set up a comedy and gaming site for kids called Funplanet. It was to be crammed with jokes games and virals to keep his…
What is situ-commercial?
PR Watch http://www.prwatch.org pointed out that Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal reports on a new Advertising trend: “The most obvious alternative to TV clutter, placing products Within shows, is generating some backlash among viewers. Marketers and media buyers see the ‘situ-mercial’ as a promising alternative.” What is a situ-mercial? It’s a commercial designed to look, sound and feel just like the show it’s interrupting. For example, a car insurance commercial set in a jail cell is airing during court shows and dramas. According to an executive at the major marketing firm Ogilvy & Mather, situ-mercials are pushing “the business… to a…
The PR disaster that never was
Benicio Del Toro has confessed he used to steal cars. The Oscar-nominated actor has revealed how he went off the rails after his mother died of hepatitis when he was just nine. The Puerto Rican star admitted: “I would get into trouble. Good healthy trouble – like stealing your neighbour’s car and then getting caught, and taking silverware from a restaurant.” Didn’t Benicio star in a much hyped Mercedes commercial? Lucky for all those involved that this did not leak out pre launch. It proves that we are all inches from disater when ever we use someone famous for pr…
How far will a press agent go for his client?
My pal Bill Grantham sent me this cutting from Variety this morning. His message to me was See how far a publicist will go for his client I am not sure I would go this far. But hey never say never. Neil Simon (76) underwent kidney transplant surgery Tuesday in New York. His wife, thesp Elaine Joyce told me everything went well, that he was responding satisfactorily, adding, “It’s a miracle.” The kidney donor is Simon’s longtime press agent Bill Evans (53) who is also OK. He is expected out of the hospital by week’s end, but Simon’s stay will…
Naming and shaming?
I have just rattled off a feature for Marketing on the Dasani disaster. Stand by for the fall out.
Theatre is a freak show
My pal Adrian Bryan Brown, the fantastic Broadway theatre publicist sent me the following email this morning. The UK Press Association website “Ananova” has replaced its “Theatre” wire with a link called “Showbiz quirkies.” Yes, we are now officially a freak show! http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/ I have been banging on about how theatre marketing and PR needs to wake up and get a sense of the modern media age. If it did then perhaps ananova would think twice about this change. The West End is living in a land time has forgotten.
Sexy tap water: it was my idea
My first book launch was for a brilliant and funny book called Glad to Be Grey by Peter Freedman. It was a glorious celebration of everything dull. Frankly it’s time to reprint the book, but I digress. On the week of its publication I staged a number of stunts to generate column inches to try and get some noise about its release. The central event was its launch party. It was then the 80’s and London was awash with glamorous bashes stuffed with beautiful people. I organised a more modest event. I didn’t really have any option – the budget…