Rules For Publicity Stunts

This article is for people contemplating publicity stunts. In light of current news events with publicity stunts going wrong, this article is to inform those who engage in publicity stunts on how to make them work to their own benefit.

Publicity stunts have been around since Barnum. He was very good at making them work not only for his own benefit, but to also make them fun for those who observe them. The days of having fun with publicity stunts are slowly coming to an end as the blunders become costly and even endanger the life of others. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when putting on a publicity stunt.

Everyone must be on board: When little Falcon announced that they did the balloon stunt for
TV while on a national TV show he spilled the beans. When the entire country was concerned for his safety, people were outraged to find he was never in danger. They were even more outraged to know that county resources were wasted looking for a child who was sitting safely at home. All parties must be on board with a a publicity stunt and know what to say and what not to see. You can see why stunts rarely involve children, you can never really predict what they will say. If your stunt results in the world hating you, you failed.

If it works , do it again. The Pilsbury bake off was intentded as a one time event, but when they saw how much participation they got, they repeated the event. The event resulted in an increase in sales.

Go big or stay home: Taco Bell placed ads saying they had bought the Liberty Bell in an effort to help the country’s deficit. They said it would still be accessible to the public and they were happy to help out. People were confused because all the media outlets carried the story. Their revenue went up by half a million dollars and by more the next day.

Think about the implications: When adult swim did a hunt with Aqua Teen Hunger Force, they scared people. In New York it began to look like a bomb scare. Always consider the impact of the community the stunt is held in.

People are following me!

I was reading Craig’ss list stuff for TV and Film in the Los Angeles area and I came across a post from a guy who was offering $1,000 cash to find out who is following him. He claims people started following him and now he is being recognized in public.

He talks about how frustrated he is and how to get the reward and lists his facebook page at a place to contact him.

It’s a great way to get traffic to your facebook page, I doubt the story seriously though. He may be trying to get some media coverage out of it. When you play the crazy card, media is usually not comfortable with that. Very few people can play crazy in a way that is endearing. Ask Bobcat Goldwait about that kind of move.

I always recommend playing your expert status. There are better ways of getting people to your facebook page without sounding like you are off your medication.

Media Questions #1

This video addresses some email questions about media:
How do I target the right poeple
and
When is the right time to begin media for a new project

Also check out http://wrightplacetv.com/instant-radio-star/

Its the Instant Radio Star Program where I teach you to
get on the radio, any time you want!

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