Damned United Film and the Irony of its Pre-Launch Publicity

I’m a football fan. Have been for some time. And I’m looking forward to seeing the new film about Brian Clough. The reviews are encouraging. And the exerpts have seen make it sound like it will be an entertaining hour and a half well spent.

The publicity surrounding this film has been bubbling for a few weeks now. And it offers a great example of how confrontation can be used with great effect to generate massive publicity, curiosity and ultimately bums on seats,

Nigel Clough says he and his family will not watch the film ‘The Damned United’ when it comes out next week.

Based on the book about his dad Brian’s 44 days at Leeds in 1974, Derby manager Clough says the story has upset members of his family, including his mother.

“The book deeply upset a lot of people when it came out, including my mum,” Clough told BBC Radio Derby.

“I’ll go with the principle that if the film is based on the book, we won’t be going down the road of seeing it.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7950412.stm

Former players have also been quoted (although this is a bit tenuous in my book – from The Sun)

… he will not be sitting down to watch The Damned United.

Pearce, whose side have a friendly in Norway tomorrow night, said: “You could learn a great deal from him. He was such a strong character. Respect

“You bump into people and some of Brian Clough rubs off on all of us.

“If you asked Martin O’Neill, Brian Laws or Roy Keane they would have nothing but respect for the man.

“My lads are free to go to the pictures on Sunday so if they want to see it they are more than welcome. Personally I won’t.

“I haven’t read the book either. I worked with him for eight years so I don’t need to read a book about Brian Clough.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/damnedunited/article2341282.ece

So, ready for some irony? The Clough family and players who feel agrieved by the film have generated more publicity than any film promoter could have achieved on their own.

They set out to tell people that they didn’t think the book or film represented the father/manager they knew. Fair enough.

But how many more people will now watch this film than would have if they hadn’t helped to generate publicity for it by voicing their disapproval?

How Do Journalists Use Press Areas of Websites?

The Web is one of the most important research tools for journalists. When asked how they would get basic information about a company or organization, all journalists in our studies said that they would begin by doing some Web research.

Most journalists started by searching an outside service — mainly Google, but also traditional services like Dow Jones Interactive and Lexis-Nexis — after which they visited the company’s own website. This finding emphasizes the importance of having a clean corporate website with a clearly labeled Press or PR section that can quickly provide information for journalists. It also emphasizes the need to be well represented in external search services (again, mainly Google at the time of this writing).

via PR on Websites: Press Area Usability.

YouTube – Hot Tips for PR Buzz

Some good advice from our American cousins for ‘Entrayprenoooers.’ Pronunciation aside – a good watch.

How to Attract Journalist Attention using Personal Pitches with YouTube

Imaginative way to use YouTube for personalised pitches.

More info here http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/guide-to-pitching-a-blogger/

Top 10 Tips for Approving Releases and Media Information

Press releases and media info generally can be like like football – everyone has an opinion. But that can make approving a press release a tortuous path. It’s amazing how much time can be sucked and how many deadlines missed by to-ing and fro-ing.

In-house PR, agencies and clients might all benefit from the following tips for smoother-than-smooth, rapid approval.

1. Keep the number of people invited to comment on media information to a bare minimum.

2. If you absolutely must have more than one person approving a news release (in large organisations this is unavoidable) seek amends in stages. By that I mean one person at a time if possible with the most senior person
   offering amends last.

3. If you forward a release to two or more people at once you’ll rarely get the same amends back from each person. And they can conflict leaving a decision over which amend to action. The answer? See number 2 above.

4. If you have PR support – let them handle the approval process. They should make it a priority to field opinions, chase feedback and action amendments to get approval. It’s a time sucker but this should be part of any self-respecting PR support.

5. Make sure quotes are written before the approval stage. Don’t ask for quotes to be added by the person approving the release. This way, the writer can control the flow of the copy and ensure key messages are delivered. It also
   avoids delays waiting for non-writers to supply quotes. It’s much easier for people to tell you what they don’t want to say than what they do!

6. Consider online approval using applications like Google Docs. This way everyone in the approval chain can keep track of
   how the changes are going.

7. To those amending the media information: try and remember why the media information is sent. It’s to generate editorial coverage! Will your amendments really help to generate more coverage? Would the information be less likely to generate coverage if the amendments weren’t made?

8. And try to avoid making amends based on style. Media information is written in a layered format. It doesn’t need to be stunning prose. It does, however, need to deliver a quick sharp fix of fascinating news irresistible to journalists.

9. Do amend factual innacuracies and add more facts if you can. The more newsworthy information the better.

10. Make and communicate amendments
    promptly.

Forward Features 2009

Forwarned is forearmed!

Bundle of uncategorised (strange old mix) forward features and editorial calendars from various regional, national (mostly UK), B2B and consumer titles.

http://www.esadvertising.co.uk/en/1/forwardfeatures09.html

http://www.fx-mm.com/categories/FXMMForwardFeatures2008

http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/features/forward-features.php

http://www.businesswest.co.uk/Docs/ForwardFeatures09.doc

http://www.fda.org.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.aspx?lID=923&sID=1077

http://www.ebmonthly.co.uk/pdf/November2008/Forward%20Features%20List%202009.pdf

http://www.essentiallycatering.co.uk/files/EC-Forward-Features-09.pdf

http://www.iomnet.org.uk/control-and-news/Call-for-Papers.aspx

http://www.icm.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=1075-69

http://www.brandrepublic.com/InDepth/Features/866105/Forward-Features-List-2009/

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/media-centre/forward-features-supplements/

http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/article/866105/Forward-Features-List-2009/

http://www.funds-europe.com/Forward-Features-2009.html

http://www.retirement-planner.co.uk/forward

http://whichlawyer.practicallaw.com/5-101-8092

http://www.ihm.org.uk/membership/benefits/journal/Forward_feature_plan_2009

http://www.tuco.org/files/UC%20Forward%20Features%20List%2009.pdf

http://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/design/pdfupload/EPRDEdCalendar09.pdf

http://www.constructionnow.co.uk/docs/forwardfeatures2009.pdf

http://www.pjbpubs.com/gcpj/forward_features.htm

http://www.cavendishgroup.co.uk/media/ff_pharma.html

http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/search/866105/Forward-Features-List-2009/

http://www.step.org/attach.pl/1623/4797/Forward%20features%20list%20for%20The%20STEP%20Journal%20Volume%2017%202009.pdf

http://www.ras-publishing.com/wwbforwardfeatures.htm

http://www.ras-publishing.com/mwbforwardfeatures.htm

http://www.ras-publishing.com/feforwardfeatures.htm

http://www.ras-publishing.com/cwbforwardfeatures.htm

http://www.euroslot-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/494/2007_Forward_Features_List.html

http://www.talkingdrinks.com/home/features-list/

http://www.alliancemagazine.org/en/content/forward-features

http://www.thehrdirector.com/assets/files/HRD_Editorial_Calendar_09(1).pdf

http://www.camagonline.co.uk/pdf/CAMagazine-Forward_Features.pdf

http://www.retail-systems.com/pages/forward_features/Forward-features-09.pdf

http://www.step.org/attach.pl/1623/4797/Forward%20features%20list%20for%20The%20STEP%20Journal%20Volume%2017%202009.pdf

http://www.b2bm.biz/forwardfeatures/

http://www.thetrade.ltd.uk/ffeatures.asp

http://www.euromoney.com/ForwardFeatures

http://www.kablenet.com/kgc.nsf/WebPagesFrontPage/gcForwardFeatures

http://crossborder.practicallaw.com/5-101-8092

http://www.ebmonthly.co.uk/forward.htm

http://www.oscmagazine.com/OSC%20web%20pdf/OSC%20media%20Col%202009.pdf

http://www.firebuyer.com/assets/Fire_Media_Pk_08-lr.pdf

http://www.padmag.com/downloads/PaD_Forward_Features_2008.pdf

http://downloads.excelpublishing.co.uk/bemediapack09.pdf

http://www.carecruitment.com/news/newsDetail.asp?secID=1&newsID=98

http://www.caterersearch.com/OnlineTeam/mediacentre/forward_features.asp

http://www.retail-systems.com/pages/forward_features/Forward-features-09.pdf

http://www.alliancemagazine.org/es/content/forward-features

http://euromoney-magazine.com/ForwardFeatures

http://www.engagedinvestor.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=122&pubCode=1&navcode=385

http://www.pirnet.co.uk/synopsis_hotels.php

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/Assets/pdf/Editorial_Calendar_08.pdf

http://www.technical-textiles.net/brochures/media_pack.pdf

http://fibresystems.org/cws/Contact/Editorial-calendar.do

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?page_id=3555

http://www.totaltele.com/Advertise.aspx

http://www.wateractive.co.uk/materials/2009_editorial_calendar.pdf

http://www.agrow.com/mediapack/Agrow_2009_Media_Kit.pdf

http://www.innovfoodtech.com/media/data/editorial.pdf

http://www.elsevier.com/authored_subject_sections/P04/jasms/pdfs/JASMSMedia_2007.pdf

http://www.lsionline.co.uk/advertise/L&SI_MediaKit_2009.pdf

http://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/Magazine.Editorial.aspx

http://www.specialtygasreport.com/doc/mediaguide09.pdf

http://www.imveurope.com/IMVEmedia09.pdf

http://www.ukoug.org/membership/index.jsp?parent=61&id=185&gp=64

http://www.geoconnexion.com/downloads/MediaPack2009.pdf

http://www.materialstoday.com/pdfs/MTmedia09_low%20res_US.pdf

http://www.worldcoal.com/Magazine.Editorial.aspx?082009

http://images.iop.org/dl/fibers/advertising/2009/fse_mp_2009_euros.pdf

http://www.ledsmagazine.com/advertise/schedule

http://www.foodbev.com/MediaResources/files/magazines/2009%20alimentos%20media%20kit.pdf

http://www.aircraft-commerce.com/advertising/pdf_documents/AC_Media_kit_2009.pdf

http://www.totaltele.com/res/WhitePapers/TT%20Ratecard%202009.pdf

Your PR Guy: 10 Rules for Your Corporate Blogging Success

Being a wise-ass, humorous, emotional, or conversational are better styles to entertain and connect with readers

via Your PR Guy: 10 Rules for Your Corporate Blogging Success.

Good read.  Good advice.  And complete vindication of all internet wise asses.

How to Generate Millions of Pounds Worth of Publicity

Imagine you’re a leisure boss.  You’re launching a new family Christmas destination and you need millions of pounds-worth of publicity to spread the word.

Here’s a blue print in how to get the publicity …

And they try to tell you there’s no such thing as bad publicity!