Introduction to Public Relations Event management Publicity Plan Paper Hearts Live show The Boileroom, Guildford 13 th March 2011 Word count: 1,597 Samantha May Lawrence 1
Contents Page 1 Title Page Page 2 Contents Page Page 3 Introduction Page 4 How to approach the local media Page 5 Press Release Page 6 Media briefing presentation Page 7-8 Evaluation of the organisational role of public relations 2
Introduction Event management is the creation, organisation and planning of an event. A publicity plan is the way in which the event is promoted and how the media are alerted about the event. The event that I have planned to manage and create a publicity plan for is for a concert for an up and coming unsigned indie band Paper Hearts. They will promote their music in their local area with this live show debuting the new album Can t explain the sunlight at The Boileroom in Guildford, Surrey hoping to impress the locals and music insiders so that they can build up a fan base. 3
How to approach the local media Paper Hearts will approach the local media through their manager, Robert Timms. He will alert the media of the event through a Press Release so the event can be exposed and get press coverage, while targeting the correct audience for the band. He will send the Press Release to the radio station 96.4 Eagle, local newspaper the Surrey Advertiser and local music magazine Fresh. Flyers, leaflets, listings and internet advertisements will also be used by the venue, The Boileroom so that music fans and avid gig-goers will find out about the event and the audience that are most likely to be interested in the band, i.e indie, rock music fans, will become aware of the gig. 96.4 Eagle feature a Gig Guide, the band will post the event details on the radio station s website then it will be broadcast on the radio so that listeners are aware of the event, this will attract the local fans as Eagle Radio operate in Surrey and Hampshire. The Surrey Advertiser will read the press release and if they find that the event is suitable for them to advertise in the What s on insert, which is a leaflet of local up an coming events then a print advert for the event will feature in here and also Fresh the local music magazine. A local audience are needed to build up a strong fan base, without some sort of a following the band will not be able to get started in the music industry. Approaching the local media independently from the venue where the event is going to be held will attract a different audience and hopefully create a lot of awareness through different mediums, also a Facebook event for the gig will attract a different audience; teenagers. And teenagers spread information by word of mouth so this is a successful way of news for the event spreading to people who wouldn t have originally heard about it. 4
Press Release New band set to steal your hearts 20 th December 2010 Up and coming band Paper Hearts are performing their first live gig at The Boileroom on Stokefields Road, Guildford on Saturday 13 th March 2011. This debut is to promote their new album and showcase their indie/ folk/ acoustic music from their upcoming album Can t explain the sunshine which is due for release on the 15 th March. Paper Hearts consist of 4 lads from Surrey, who wear their hearts on their sleeves with their romantic lyrics and soulful tones, with an industry insider dubbing them the new Bombay Bicycle Club, they are sure to impress. The band formed 6 months ago and wrote, recorded and produced the album themselves. This is their first chance to play live It s so great to be back with the guys, and we are now focused on the band 100%, we are now ready to tour and just get our music out there. We are so excited for this show! Barnaby Timms, lead singer, shows his enthusiasm. Joanne Hery, from Fresh magazine gives a nod of approval to the band I got goose bumps after listening to the debut album for the first time, the folksy acoustics and dulcet tones are simply beautiful. Paper Hearts are going to be the next big thing Tickets for the event are on sale now at a price of 5 from www.wegottickets.com, www.theboileroom.net or call 01483 440022 also available from the Box Office at The Boileroom, Guildford. Doors open at the Boileroom at 6pm, with the show scheduled to start at 7pm. For more information, contact: Felicity Smithson 01483 456398 Notes for editors: This event will need to be published 3 weeks prior to the event taking place. Because of the small size of the venue, if the tickets do sell out then this will be made known on the links given for where to purchase the tickets. 5
Media Briefing Presentation Paper Hearts are a new band; they are showcasing their album Can t explain the sunshine. It is their first ever live show at The Boileroom, Guildford on the 13 th March 2011.They are professional music players who have been playing for over 5 years now, but only recently formed together as a band. The band are planning on finding their fan base, they already have a Myspace page and have put their music on the site, but as they haven t played any live shows yet they haven t got a proper fan following, by doing this show this is what they hope to achieve. The album is being released on the 15 th March, so the hope is that the gig will promote the band enough for their debut album to be a success. The primary location for the event is The Boileroom, Guildford as this is the most local music venue and is very supportive of up and coming local bands. The event is scheduled to start at 7pm, with no support bands so that the main attraction can get started straight away. The band sent their demo to the venue through their Booking Agent 1, Cassie Green, and they were extremely impressed with what they heard, the band went to play to the owner, Mark Stafford, and booked the band in for this live slot straight away. Two professional photographers have been booked for the event, all the pictures that are taken of the band are copyright to the photographers, and if you wish to use these pictures for any reviews or articles then you will have to contact them directly. Due to the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry, the event may be cancelled at short notice or the time schedule may change. If this does happen we plan on contacting everyone immediately involved in the event as soon as possible, this includes ticket holders who will get a full refund if the event is cancelled. 1 Roos How booking agents work [online] http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/bookingagent.htm/printable [accessed 26 th December] 6
Evaluation of the organisational role of public relations Public relations is maintaining an organisation s relations with its various publics the groups of people who are important to it 2 The people behind public relations (PR) have to organise themselves in order for the event to go ahead effortlessly and so that the business can run without glitches. There are lots of individuals behind the whole process and for a business or event to function properly and for the company to look good, as The main goal of a public relations department is to enhance a company s reputation. 3 PR is used so that the individual or business doesn t have to promote themselves, it is done for them. This is beneficial as a known professional is taking care of the promotional work for you, but going through someone else may also have its downside as it s likely that mistakes can be made. The individuals within the company may not know what the client is asking for and promote the brand, individual or company in the wrong way. To overcome this good communication is needed to the PR firm so that all the small details are covered and nothing is likely to go wrong. Communication is key in PR and will contribute to a successful company and workplace. Everything that contributes to PR is based around people and their understanding of what other people s wants and needs are. PR is important in keeping people in touch with each other and up to date with their clients, this is done through Press Releases, interviews and briefings. All of these mediums are used so that a successful rapport can be built up between the public and the individual client via the PR company, this is mainly used in the Media when an event is needed to be promoted or a DVD is due for release. When it is in the public eye so much the communication needs to be very clear and successful, but PR is also used with 2 McLaughlin, LM (2004) Public relations; theory and practice 2 nd Ed. Australia, Allen & Ewin 3 Crystal (2010) What is public relations? [online] http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-publicrelations.htm [Accessed 27th December 2010] 7
much smaller matters and even then it s important for the company to successfully publicise as they are working with someone else s reputation. PR is useful for when a client doesn t have the time or knowledge to publicise themselves, and then they can go via a company to help them out and hopefully retain a successful reputation and image. It s important for the PR company to understand and communicate properly as this is crucial for the clients to promote themselves in a way in which they want. If PR cannot organise themselves properly then they will be making their client look bad, so every precaution needs to be taken to ensure that the client is exposed to their publics in the best way possible. 8