AF7420 Chap.8 Public Relations, Press Conferences and Media Relations
Public Relations, Press Conferences and Media Relations
Two disciplines
Advertising is paid communication with a controlled message placed in selected media; public relations is persuasive communication that earns free coverage. Put shortly, advertising is your own account of yourself and publicity is the account other people give of you.
PR as a profession spans corporate communications, investor relations, product publicity, media relations, policy lobbying and consulting, and it supports tasks such as launching a new product, repositioning a mature one, building interest in a category, reaching target groups, defending a product in trouble and building corporate image.
The publicist's work
A film publicist creates materials, the press kit, the electronic press kit, making-of specials and music videos; manages events, press conferences, gala premieres, charity events, seminars and festival trips; and coordinates media, editorial coverage, broadcast interviews, press screenings and tie-in activity.
The press kit gathers the production summary, statements, credits, short and long synopses, production notes, key art, stills, biographies, trailers and release details, grouped in the course's model into narrative, people, visuals and logistics.
The press conference
A press conference runs through pre-event planning, on-site set-up, execution and post-event monitoring.
Its checklist covers objectives, target publics, key messages, timing and venue; the host and speakers; media kits, backdrop, sound, rehearsal, reception and badges; photo and fan areas, VIP access and dressing rooms; questions, attendance logs, souvenirs and sponsor logos.
A film supplies many occasions, and when there is no star to present, the publicist must invent a credible one, creatively and without copying.
Getting coverage and planning media
Media turn up for cast and credits, exclusivity, priority, location visits, premiums, special screenings and advertising deals, and opinion leaders and designated media partners multiply the effect.
Media relations planning moves from objective to channels, research, key messages, press kits, a media mix schedule and a final briefing, and media are chosen by reach, frequency, impact and exposure.
The awareness timeline builds awareness for roughly six months before release, maximises it for one to two months, and sustains word of mouth for roughly six months afterwards.
Budgets
Promotion is set as a share of expected box office, with ranges for small, mid-sized and large Mainland films, Hollywood figures for prints and advertising, and a Hong Kong case in which an art film's budget was set at thirty per cent of its box office target and then divided between media, creative and publicity, and materials.
The course's public dispute over an unexplained promotion budget is the reason to keep a breakdown from the first day.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Advertising against public relations
- 02
What PR does for a product
- 03
The film publicist's three functions
- 04
Contents of a press kit
- 05
A press conference in four stages
- 06
Occasions and coverage factors
- 07
Media planning, selection criteria and the awareness timeline
- 08
Setting and splitting a promotion budget
Worked example · free
Plan a press event for a small release
- 2Invent a credible occasion tied to the film.
- 2Name the coverage factor and why media will come.
- 2Choose target media by reach within the segment.
- 2Describe the post-event monitoring.
Key terms
- Public Relations
- Persuasive communication that earns free publicity in media coverage to fulfil an organisation's objectives.
- Advertising
- Paid communication with a controlled message delivered to a target audience through selected media.
- Press Conference
- A staged media event planned in pre-event, on-site, execution and post-event stages to generate coverage of a film.
- Exchange Coupon
- A ticket voucher sold or traded in bulk, often to tie-in partners, as distinct from complimentary tickets given away.
- Media Mix
- The combination of channels chosen for a campaign and scheduled along the awareness timeline, each with its own key message.
- Awareness Timeline
- The sequence of pre-release, release and post-release windows in which awareness is built, maximised and then sustained through word of mouth.
- Media Partner
- A designated outlet that secures strong coverage and reach across platforms in return for access, often alongside third-party sponsors.
Public Relations, Press Conferences and Media Relations FAQ
What is the difference between advertising and public relations?
Advertising is paid for and its message is controlled by the advertiser, which is why readers recognise it as advertising. Public relations earns coverage through persuasion, so the message appears as someone else's view and is more credible, but the organisation gives up control over what is finally said about it.
What goes into a press kit?
The course's list includes the production summary, the producer's and director's statement, cast and credits, short and long synopses, production notes, key poster art with and without catch-lines, stills and production photographs, biographies of cast and filmmakers, trailers, and the release date and cinemas. A journalist should find everything needed in one place.
How is a promotion budget usually set?
As a share of expected box office rather than as the sum of material costs. The course gives Mainland ranges that rise with a film's scale, Hollywood figures for prints and advertising, and a Hong Kong case in which the budget was thirty per cent of target and then divided between media, creative work and publicity, and materials.
Assessment move
For the film you are following, list every piece of coverage you can find in the fortnight before release and label each with the coverage factor that produced it. Then sketch its awareness timeline and mark where each piece fell. Gaps in the timeline show where a publicist would plan the next event.
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