A fairly low-key stunt at a NFU British
Food Conference
(PA/EMPICS)
Stunts
What to do if no one's taking any notice of your campaign or
cause? One answer is to come up with a show-stopping publicity
stunt to get attention. Groups like Fathers
4 Justice, who've shamelessly sent men up cranes dressed as
Batman, have proved that the publicity stunt can be a valuable
tool for self-promotion.
But beware: climbing a crane dressed as a superhero might get
people to take notice of you, but it's also stupid and dangerous.
What's more, many physically safe publicity stunts go badly wrong.
Think of Janet Jackson's Superbowl nipple, for example.
Another reason to think carefully before turning to publicity
stunts is the competition. A whole industry – public relations
or 'PR' for short – has sprung up around creating attention for
products and campaigns. Your stunt will have to compete with the
same devious minds that make pop stars and politicians seem exciting,
interesting, intelligent and trustworthy. The fact that in reality
most politicians are few, if any, of these things should show
you just how good the best PR people are.
Can your campaign stand up to theirs? Only one way to find out
... Where's that Spiderman suit? |
