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April 15, 2005
How To Work With A PR Prima Donna
There are distinct advantages to working in the world of PR. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages.
One of those disadvantages is having to interact with prima donnas. You know the type - people who insist on having their own way, on being the one who gets the spotlight, and who frequently throws public fits when they don't get their way.
Hopefully, you don't have to work with one. Even worse, I dearly hope that you aren't one yourself.
Why? because, not only are prima donnas a pain to work with, they tend to offend the media. And the media has a way of paying you back once you offend them...
Take, for example, the recent photo shoot for Vanity Fair's cover, featuring the stars of Desperate Housewives. Reportedly, there's a feud going on there between Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross. On the day of the shoot, Cross didn't want Hatcher to be first to the wardrobe selection, nor to be in the center of the shot.
When Hatcher not only selected her swimsuit first, but was also being set in the center of the shot, the reports say that Cross pulled a hissy fit, storming off the set while swearing at ABC's publicist, then commenced a tearful conversation on her cell phone.
Changes occurred, but not quite the way Cross intended. It's not certain whether the photo that was finally run on the cover was retribution or not, but Cross didn't end up on the front cover at all, rather was relegated to the folded under portion of the foldout cover.
Apparently, in insisting that Hatcher got no better placement than she, Cross ended up getting punished.
Retribution isn't always so visible, nor so rapid, but it is almost always there.
So how do you deal with someone that's key to your public relations (Your CEO, your client, perhaps yourself) who's a prima donna?
Posted at 04:06 PM
How to Get Publicity Photos Into Newspapers, Magazines, and Onto TV
Photos are an important part of public relations campaigns. Indeed, there are many times when a great picture is the key to getting your story run. Plus there are times where your picture literally becomes the story with the only text being the caption that runs beneath it.
In short, it's vital that you produce terrific photos to support your public relations campaign!
So why is it that so many photos submitted to the media are stupid, poorly contrived, badly structured ones virtually guaranteed to go into the trash. You may have actually been involved in submitting such monstrosities for publication as the infamous check pass, the hand shake and the ever-fascinating ribbon cutting photo...
Now let's do a quiz to see what kind of PR professional you really are - do you know the answers to these key questions?
- Which do the media prefer - glossy prints or digital files?
- What size of photo should you submit?
Posted at 03:39 PM
How To Act In A Media Interview When You're Being Attacked
I picked up the phone Wednesday and heard a woman say "Hello, this is ______ from "60 Minutes" and we're preparing a story on...
I don't know how many times you've received a call like that in your career, but when it happens to me, I always feel an instant surge of both excitement and fear.
Fear because all of us have seen stories from the television newsmagazines that have ruined careers and bankrupted companies. Excitement because these stories can also do the exact opposite.
There are several keys that you should understand if and when you are in the position of dealing with one of televisions newsmagazines:
A. It's the producer, not the on-camera star that structures the story, develops the angle, scripts the voice overs, and most importantly, chooses what goes on the air in the end. So never underestimate the power of the producer when you come into contact with them, no matter how young they appear or how awed you are by the prospect of interviewing with a big-name talent in the next step of the process.
B. This genre thrives on controversy, emotion and visual images. They tend to push for slants that show how the story applies (or could apply) to the viewer on a personal basis. If a producer can illustrate the story visually (rather than just an interview) all the better. So if you've got visuals (preferably film) that shows your point of view, make sure you make it available.
C. Because of the quest to find controversy, by the end of the story development process, the producer and the on-camera talent have oftentimes developed a definite opinion about who is right and who is wrong. If they decide that you're in the wrong, you can be assured that you won't be having much fun when your turn comes to be interviewed. It doesn't always happen this way, but be prepared for the possibility.
Posted at 02:12 PM
