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.

Don't Be Thrown To The Lions

Tapping into world events is one thing – but it seems one US restaurant has scored a bit of an own goal…

Putting lion meat on the menu in honour of the World Cup in South Africa might have seemed like a great PR stunt. And yes it’s led to lots of publicity – as well as a bomb threat and hundreds of angry emails.

Never mind that apparently it’s not actually illegal to eat lion in the US, Sky News is reporting public outrage at the thought of Simba burgers.

I suppose the morale of this story is to remember that there are always (at least) two sides to every story and it pays to consider that if you want your reputation to remain intact.

Sometimes it doesn’t take much for the public – and press - to turn and once that happens the battle could already be lost.

There’s many a property developer who has been left counting the cost of overlooking the power of local feeling…

So, if you’re planning to do something that impacts on others make sure you’ve looked at it from all sides before you begin – or you could find yourself being thrown to the lions.

Get Your Press Release Published

10 Top Tips - ignore them at your peril!

1. The intro - focus on the key points (who, what, why, where, when)
2. So what? – if it’s not obvious explain why the above is newsworthy
3. Stick to the facts – restrict opinions to quotes!
4. Don’t ramble - aim for around 350 - 400 words
5. Double check the grammar and spelling – don’t rely on spell check or you could come unstuck
6. Be easy to reach – make sure you include your web address and a phone number so journalists can get in touch for more information
7. Be focused – don’t send your news release to every man and his dog – build a targeted distribution list. Quality not quantity.
8. Timing – make sure you allow plenty of time for your release to be used, especially if it’s about a forthcoming event. Remember magazine deadlines can be months ahead of publication.
9. Pictures – it always pays to use a professional press photographer
10. Be realistic – journalists are bombarded with press releases so don’t be disappointed if your story doesn’t get printed word for word in every title you send it to.

Get The Picture?

Now that the era of citizen journalism is upon us – and news organisations are happier than ever to use amateur ‘eye witness’ images you could wonder where this all leaves the professional photographer.

After all, why engage the services of a professional photographer when there’s a chap in the office who’s a dab hand with a camera? Now it’s all digital what could be more straightforward than doing it yourself – and saving a bob or two?

STOP. Having a sharp knife doesn’t make you a top chef – or indeed, a surgeon come to that. All it means is that you have the tools to make a right hash of it.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and a strong image is a powerful tool if you’re looking for media coverage. You might not have the strongest story, but if it makes a great pic then bingo!

Not too long ago, one client achieved ‘money can’t buy’ profile in The Times – all thanks to a great picture.

If you’re lucky the press may come and take the photo for you, but I wouldn’t bank on it. My advice is to engage the services of a seasoned news photographer if you’re serious about your PR.

Please note: I said ‘news’ photographer – not wedding, portrait or pet photographer!

Aside from the fact that poor pix end up in the newsroom bin, you also need to remember that dodgy shots reflect upon you and your business. If you care about your reputation, put the camera down – and leave it to someone who knows what they’re doing!

Carrot Crunch

It’s National Vegetarian Week. So what? Well, it’s a perfect opportunity for proactive businesses to raise their profile by ‘piggy backing’ on a national campaign. The press need topical hooks – and national awareness days/weeks are popular.

So congratulations to the new vegetarian catering company that achieved great coverage in today’s Eastern Daily Press, which ran a three page feature around National Vegetarian Week.

Do your homework and be in the know about awareness days and weeks. Regardless of your sector, PR opportunities abound!

For example, we’ve just had National Doughnut Week - great for caterers, bakers, fitness clubs and plus-sized stores. National Insect Week is coming up - one for repellent retailers/manufacturers, nature preservation groups and beekeepers. Get the picture? With a little imagination and creativity you can hitch a lift on someone else’s campaign - and get yourself in the spotlight.

You might have missed Be Nice To Nettles Week, but there’s still time to hop into the saddle for National Bike Week!