Looking at PR stunts and how brands can best use creative marketing tactics, especially post-pandemic. Lots about the history of PR stunts, digital PR and redefining what good creative PR is.
Version of this presentation with video and other functionality available here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vT4hnPvDVJt8qGLpKAMSFn17csAMxwpVJDZgJK71FCDj2fd9faMvpw58LpyHjNXL1NDu4017VvwRyCy/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=60000
5. PRe sold in 2018
to stuntmasters
Taylor Herring,
after 6.5 years,
thousands of
posts, monthly
and annual
roundups and
with the support
of 100s of
contributors
17. Early stunts
were very
literal. Jim
Moran famously
led a bull
through an NYC
china shop (the
bull did no
damage, but the
nervous
shopkeeper is
said to have!
24. What has the pandemic meant for PR stunts?
- Reduced and shifted budgets
- Client uncertainty
- Furloughing and redundancies -
clients, agencies, media and
suppliers
- Out of home less of an option
- Creative meetings over Zoom
30. On which note - stunts aren’t always well
perceived
● ‘Just for B2C’
● Many rushed to use for the sake of ‘looking’ creative and doing a stunt
● Agencies and brands rush to use shiny tech just because
● Sometimes idea-first, brand fit and strategy an afterthought
● Negative political and celebrity news connotations
34. ‘Digital PR’ then
Earning (follow) links through PR
has always been encouraged by
search engines vs ‘black hat’
SEO practises - link farms,
keyword stuffing, buying links.
My first agency, 10 Yetis, led in
this in 2008 when I joined. It
ranked #1 for the term ‘PR
agency’ and we mostly kept link
earning tactics to ourselves. It
was the secret sauce to tip a
potential client over the edge.
For ecomms, being page 1 no 1
on search vs page 1 no 3 could
mean millions of pounds of
revenue.
Digital PR now
In a pandemic where the majority
of shopping goes online, it’s a
race to the client to help them
rank better.
The seeming explosion of digital
PR agencies is a reaction to
market demand: reduced
budgets, increased insistence on
measurement and a tighter
alliance with onsite SEO = what
we’ve seen. Noisier agencies
using tried and tested tactics.
Creativity has had to change.
35. I think we need
to redefine what
a PR stunt IS
36. Real World PR stunts
Outdoor activation - what
most people think of when
they think of stunts
Budgets skew higher
Can get enormous
awareness
Generally very visual -
which is great for social
Often done by bigger,
better known brands
Rarely a call-to-action
(hashtags don’t count!)
Extends to billboard stunts
37. Digital PR stunt
Tends to focus on a product or service
(often new products, weird collaborations &
odd services/requests)
Often data-backed
Usually has a created visual element
Typically lower budget
Easy to be more reactive
All about getting links back to the brand’s
site (typically some onsite content)
Brands big and small can do them
Tend to share well - traffic can be low
converting, but can be remarketed to
Can be used as a tactic to grab visitor data
38. Digital x Real World
Usually begins online first, then
either moves to real world or has
real world impact
Low-mid budget
Partnerships work well and add
weight
Still predominantly comes from a
place of earning links
Brands big and small can do
them
Digital-first approach means you
can test public interest
Great for relevant traffic and
opted-in visitors
41. In opposal to Betteridge’s Law - YES.
It’s for us to assess the needs of clients,
advise and execute accordingly. Let’s not
just answer a marketing problem with a PR
stunt, or digital PR solution.
I think we’ll see fewer taking a punt on
stunts - and what real life stunts do get
through will be much higher quality
42. PR stunts should be
part of your thinking
BECAUSE they can
and should be:
Measurable
High impact
Shareable
Memorable
FUN
43. Read more case studies on our blog at RadioactivePR.com
Tweet us @Radioactive_PR
Tweet me @RichLeighPR