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.
"A public conversation with my old mate Trevor Morris"
I had an enjoyable evening last night, pontificating to 300 PR souls at the Old Cinema at Westminster University. The event was in “a public conversation with my old mate Trevor Morris”, who prompted me to respond to issues that were pertinent to modern PR. The final half hour of the evening was taken over by audience questions, many of them were very searching. After the talk, quite a few people de-camped to the bar next door where some of the issues where debated long into the night. It’s thrilling to feel that there is a huge amount of passion…
The U.S. Propaganda Blitz in Post-War Japan
Here is an interesting snippet from Spinwatch taken from The Japan Times, November 21, 2007 “A report written in 1959 by Mark May, a Yale University professor and expert on psychological warfare, detailed the extensive operations by the United States Information Service (USIS) in Japan after the end of World War II. The report was recently uncovered in the National Archives in Washington by Kenneth Osgood, an assistant professor of history at Florida Atlantic University. The report reveals that 23 of 50 USIS-sponsored programs were not publicly identified as U.S. funded projects. USIS sponsored radio news and commentary programs “which…
Campaign for Media Democracy stages the "Falsies Awards"
At the end of each year, the Campaign for Media Democracy stages the “Falsies Awards,” to recognize the people and players that take spin and propaganda to new lows. I have been told that 2007 is a vintage year and has some all time lows. Corrupt PR practice in the US plagues the media across the pond and CMD have been doing much to expose the issue. The major communications networks have, over the last decade made some major acquisitions of some meaningful indie agencies here, in their quest for global domination, so we should accept that there poor practices…
Jungle rumble to Cerys comeback?
Out of the jungle and into the spotlight for Cerys Matthews Cerys Matthews might have sung “It’s all over the front page” in trademark song Road Rage, but the same could not be said of her in recent years. Until three weeks ago, that is, when the former Catatonia singer joined the gaggle of famous (and not so famous) faces in this year’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! “The romance side of things will do her the world of good and give her more oxygen of publicity if she’s got the ability to plunder it ” Publicist…
The effect of sales promotion ..
When ever I walk across the Paddington Station concourse I marvel at the genius of sale promotion agencies that regularly use the space. The art of great sales promotions is to connect a brand with potential customers in a creative and engaging fashion. I was drawn to the current Brazil promo at the busy commuting hub – as you can see the client’s budget is being spent well.
Verity Lambert R.I.P.
I learn from a Guardian obituary http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2216886,00.html that Verity Lambert has shuffled off to the grand TV studio in the sky. Many years ago, I developed a situation comedy with a dear friend and journalist Peter Freedman. Peter did most of the hard work and penned a pilot script entitled “Hype” It was a factual account of my crazy life at the time as a theatre publicist at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. All the crazy stunts I staged were true and I thought the pilot was a work of genius. Peter and I took the developed script to the…
Prank vs Prank
My old friend Joe Staggs sent me a link about an American TV company soliciting for pranksters for a reality TV show. http://pranks.com/2007/11/26/so-you-wanna-be-on-tv/ The question is, is this in itself a post modernist prank? It could be a prank to out prank pranks, after all, it’s Monday morning and I’m still confused from the weekend and even more confused for the week ahead. So, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt and encourage would be pranksters to get involved.
The media got to Scott Carson but not to Paul Gray
What a depressing week – I hope the coming weekend will erase the memory of the last 5 days. From data cock ups to sporting ignominy a battalion of incompetents have presided over a series of lamentable events. The nation is left with a clutch of black ostrich feathers to wave at the cemetery gates. I suggest we go Victorian – dress completely in black crape for the entire year to show our collective disgust. Only one of the casts of players from the dismal week of weeks has acquitted himself with any sense of decency. Paul Gray, the chairman…
No gossip, no cry
I heard today on the radio about a PR company in Chicago, Empower Public Relations, which has made office gossip a sackable offence. When Sam Chapman started his small company, Empower, it was partly because he left a company where vicious backbiting was an epidemic. He felt it damaged careers and morale. I whole heartedly applaud them as they have lit a beacon in the far too self important PR world and should cut out this cancer that’s totally demoralizing. I know gossip exists in other business sectors, but without a shadow of a doubt, PR does seem to harbour…
Bessie The Elephant
If you ask any Circus proprietors how business has been going, and they have suffered the effects of poor attendance, they will all notoriously reply “we starved in……….” The great U.S. circus publicist, Frank Caplan, saved one such desperate Circus (whose name I have sadly forgotten) from bankruptcy by selling advertising space on the side of the Circus’ prize elephant, Bessie. The idea was extremely successful, both in terms of selling advertising space, and also by generating inordinate amounts of publicity which luckily saved the Circus. Oh, for those politically incorrect times when a captive animal could be used to…
VIVA Heather Mills
I don’t mean to bash HM but reading this mornings tabloids it’s difficult not to comment on her latest PR action. I was shocked to see Heather Mills McCartney across the media today in the guise of ambassador for Viva – (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals). When a celebrity is so high profile and under fire like Heather M.M is, what possessed her to do a raising awareness stunt so soon after her television outburst? I know small charities struggle to get attention and embrace celeb endorsement but on this occasion it has backfired. I am sure HM is a…
"It Pays To Watch"
An old friend of mine in New Zealand sent me some information on a classic piece of guerrilla marketing that is causing a kerfuffle in the Southern Hemisphere. To coincide with the launch of Mintshot.co.nz, an entertainment website which rewards people for watching ads online, it appeared that Rangitoto, an extinct volcano, was actually erupting before thousands of people’s eyes. However on closer inspection it was revealed that this was part of a guerrilla marketing campaign led by Mintshot director Marc Ellis. The Mintshot tagline is “It pays to watch” and in the early hours of the morning of the…
Jay – Z and a very modern publicity stunt
Jane Fonda and John Lennon created a PR backlash for the US administration when they used their celebrity 35 years ago to protest against the Vietnam War. In the 21st century, red faces in the US administration are caused by the rapper Jay-Z dissing the dollar. This stunt indicates that modem celebrities feel that the war in Iraq isn’t worth getting in a sweat over, instead monetary chaos is more painful and generates more global publicity Jay – Z’s stunt intersects the current zeitgeist. The soulless rapper chooses to exploit the debate on the low value of the dollar in…
I Used To Be A Publicist, Get Me Out Of Here
Another year, another bout of IACGMOH, addictive mind candy satisfying our latent lust for the guilty pleasures of a reality TV series. Please drop the faux intellectual bollocks that it’s corrosive, we all take a sadistic pleasure in watching it! Before I judge Lynne Franks’ first few days in the comfort of the Australian bush, I must declare an interest. I am proud to declare that I am a friend of Lynne Franks and have watched her trial with enthusiastic sympathy.
Virulent H5N1 – the PR spin
The bad news is that the type of bird flu found in turkeys on a Suffolk farm is the virulent H5N1. The government has stepped in to calm the media. Sorry to be the harbinger of doom but I detect the hand of a shadowy PR spin doctor with a damage limitation plan. Take note, careful news management is clearly in action today in an attempt to halt growing public panic Below is a collection of tight sound bites and my response to the flak. I suspect there is more to this story. My nails have been gnawed off after reading the wire reports and the sinister overtones. Not a good day…
Absolutely Fabulous – Michele Elyzabeth rejoins Heather Mills
So Heather Mills has a new PR ubermouth. It was reported yesterday that she has hired a self-styled French aristocrat and beauty salon owner Michele Elyzabeth as her “official worldwide spokesperson”. She is said to originate from France and started her career with Rogers and Cowan in the Seventies. Sir Paul McCartney’s estranged wife dumped her lawyers Mishcon de Reya and former media spokesman Phil Hall last week, after going off her trolley in a series of TV interviews. Comtesse Michele Elyzabeth, whom Paul is said to loathe, described herself as one of Mills’ closest friends. May I suggest that…
I'm A Has Been, Get Me In Here
The last 48 hours have been very odd for me, not only because I have the flu, but I’ve been taking calls from Malcolm McLaren from Brisbane, the location for yet another series of “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here”. He’s not a client of mine but a friend asking for advice. Clearly no one on I’m A Celebrity… is offered so much money for nothing – ITV needed Malcolm, and looking at the list of “celebrities” actually participating, you can see why.
'I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!" – Mclaren update…
I have just heard from Malcolm Mclaren he told me that he has decided not to join the mayhem in the Australian bush and is heading back to Europe. Perhaps it was the eleventh hour intervention of Ant and Dec that did the damage.
Malcolm Malaren and Lynne Franks go in "I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!"
A call from one of my fave scribblers informs me that the list of celebrities to brave the jungle and appear on “I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!” have been just released. I have known for some time that both Malcolm Maclaren and Lynne Franks had taken the ITV schilling and decided to try and generate some media interest, although I can report that Malcolm had second thoughts only a few hours ago. I am genuinely surprised that he has decided to go into the dark cavern of the ninth circle of celebrity hell. Frankly, his brand has…
Brilliant forward..
I have been in bed all week with flu and I have rolled out of my sick bed to take a peek at my inbox. Naturally there a pile of emails but one stood out, a forward from a pal in Australia. The email implored me to look at www.freerice.com. The site seems not only great fun but, well, food for thought. I pray it has real integrity and delivers its promise.