They’re Sending A Film Crew!

And that’s fantastic news - unless of course you’re involved in something dodgy or are hoping it was going to be a ‘good day to bury bad news’, in which case turn to the chapter on crisis management.

Anyway, a day spent with the BBC recently filming at the National Coffin Exhibition, Handled With Care, made me think back to previous experiences of working with film crews.

Generally speaking, things rarely go quite as you imagine, but at the end of the day you need to do everything within your power to help the press do their job. IT’S IN YOUR BEST INTERESTS!

So, a few things to bear in mind if they’re sending a film crew:

• Directions – make sure you provide clear directions, especially if you’re off the beaten track
• Parking – equipment is heavy so try to provide convenient parking
• Timing – filming schedules are constantly re-jigged, so it’s not unusual for crews to be running late, with less time to film than expected
• Ideas – try to get an idea of what the team has in mind before they arrive so you can get things into place in good time (people, equipment etc). Make suggestions by all means, but remember they’re the professionals.
• Health and safety – flag up any issues beforehand (eg will they have to sign a disclaimer? wear protective clothing? do any climbing? get wet/dirty?)
• Branding - don’t expect to get your logo into every shot, it’s not a commercial. If you’re asked to cover up branding don’t argue.
• Hospitality – think loos, coffee, cold drinks and sandwiches
• Crowd scenes - of course it’s exciting when a film crew comes to visit, but try to avoid having a crowd of onlookers, especially if they like to chat and ask questions…
• Manners – it’s OK to politely enquire (once) when the piece will be going out, but don’t expect them to send you a copy of the tape – a) they may not know and b) that’s not what journalists do
• Your PR professional – make sure they’re involved right from the start

The time will fly, so the more organised and helpful you can be the better. Then, you never know, they might want to come back!

What’s your experience of working with film crews?

Ask The Audience

There’s probably never been so much public consultation as there is now. Suddenly it’s all about bottom up decision making, stakeholder involvement, public engagement, consumer feedback, response mechanisms, user surveys…

And while it’s generally a good thing to take into account people’s views before implementing change, the challenge for PR professionals is to do it in a way that works. Fundamentally it has to be easy for people to take part, clear what you’re asking them and concerning something that they care about.

Not exactly rocket science, but why does it sometimes go so wrong? Take this week as an example.

Basically, the owners of some woods near where I live want to chop the trees down and build houses. Now, the first most people knew about it was when surveyors were spotted taking measurements and hammering in stakes. Outrage and uproar ensued, immediately putting the would-be developers on the back foot. And from what I’ve seen their week has gone from bad to worse, highlighting a few lessons to be learned:

• Don’t underestimate people’s passion for the environment
• Tell people what you are planning - before they get wind and are forced to draw their own conclusions
• If you’ve gone to the expense of spending a lot of money on leaflets and flyers make sure they actually get delivered
• Don’t expect people to plough through wordy literature – or to accept your point of view
• Don’t hold consultation sessions at short notice in venues that are difficult to get to
• Try to avoid holding important meetings on World Cup match nights
• Don’t expect people to ‘engage’, especially if they smell a rat (who wants to dig their own grave?)
• Remember that most people have better things to do than ‘engage’ with you
• Take comprehensive notes at public meetings – don’t expect people to have to tell you twice
• Make it easy for people to respond – via post, email, telephone and in person
• Choose your representatives with care – and make sure they know their onions and speak the same language as your audience

Only time will tell what the outcome of this week’s shambolic public consultation process will be. But what it has done is brought the community together – now at last people are getting to know their neighbours.

You've Got To Be In It To Win It!

Congratulations to CDI Worldwide http://www.cdiworldwide.com on being shortlisted in the 2010 East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards!

The judges have now sifted through the stacks of entries, naming the Beccles-based end of line packaging machinery manufacturer as a finalist in the Small Business of the Year Category.

As I've said before, regardless of what happens at next week's awards ceremony, it's a great achievement to be a finalist in such prestigious regional business awards.

It's a massive feel good boost for everyone involved and offers great PR opportunities. Who doesn't want to be associated with a winner?

Yes, at a time when British manufacturing is often described as being 'on its knees' it's great to be able to shout about local success stories.