Branding in photocalls
Published May 24th, 2006 in GeneralOne of the most frustrating aspects for clients about photocalls is that you can’t prominently feature your branding in the pictures, except for those for trade media.
Flick through the papers any day of the week and look at the photos in the general news sections, specifically those that look staged or feature models. You’ll rarely see branding.
PR is not advertising, the images you see in the papers everyday are not paid placements. As such, picture editors don’t want lifestyle shots looking like advertisements. The client name and whatever you’re trying to promote gets mentioned in the caption, and there’s no guarantee that those will be used either. Whatever you submit can be used whatever way they see fit, whether it’s on the front page or in a column mocking it.
The reality of the situation is that photocalls are a gamble. They can go spectacularly right or miserably wrong. The challenge for PR professionals is to come up with innovative ideas at a reasonable cost. While we all hope that they land in the papers, if they don’t we have to use our skills to place them appropriately.
Technorati Tags: Photography, Piaras Kelly, PR
Search
Categories
- Books (4)
- Buzz (6)
- E-PR (208)
- General (415)
- Ideas (8)
- Personal (109)
- PR in Ireland (160)
- Resources (12)
- Technology & PR (8)
Archives
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
An exception is if you are handling a major news story. A few years ago I handled PR for a large UK law firm specialising in personal injury. They had lots of cases regularly featured in the national press and TV news but only occasionally got a firm mention (even with an interview it would just be the lawyer’s name not the firm).
The other problem was that the media would crowd the plaintiff and try to get them to give interviews on the court steps - which is fine for someone with media training but very distressing for a plaintiff in a traumatic court case.
Mainly to protect the plantiff we started to organise mini-news conferences immediately after the court judgment was announced. You can always get a room in a hotel, empty office, borrow a board room next to a court. We then found alternative exits from the court to get the plantiffs there before going to the entrance and asking the media to follow us for an interview/pictures.
The client wanted to stand in front of backdrop with a massive company logo and freephone telephone number. I wouldn’t let him. Instead we stole an idea from football sponsorship and studded the pop-up with dozens of tiny logos and tiny phone numbers. Result was that no matter what angle you shot the photo or TV pics from you always got them in shot.
It only worked because they were major news stories so the media had to play with us, they need the quote/interview/picture and this was the only way they would get it.
On one occasion (the world’s first CJD relatated court case) we hired a mini-bus with blacked out windows so that the press would think the 18 plaintiffs were in it. All eyes were on it, giving us an opportunity to walk the plaintiffs out in full site - but ignored by every single photographer!
this is a real bugbear of mine - if i see one more photocall featuring glenda gilson and her wobbly eyebrows, i’ll scream. surely irish PRs (the worst offenders) can come up with better ideas? or is down to the picture editors simply wanting pics of some totty to fill the pages?
Rock,
I reckon it’s a combination. Picture editors like attractive women, scantily clad if possible. They also love kids or animals. PR people who want to get a picture placed will use these elements because they know they work.
Of course, that leads to a lack of incentive for PR people to get truly imaginative with their photo shoots, which leads to a bit of a vicious cycle. It’s frustrating, especially for some smaller clients who can’t afford Glenda’s eyebrows, let alone the rest of her.
Sorry about the delay in replying.
Stuart - I’ve got extremely lucky with branding in photocalls also. This year one of my client announced a major sporting assocaition with a sporting association. When we were setting up the room that day we got lucky when the sporting association’s cheif exec happened to sit directly in front of the clientt’s logo. The image was carried in one of Ireland’s leading papers. You couldn’t ask for better publicity.
The situation did highlight how you can control situations in major news situations to get your branding featured prominently. The same launch afforded us other opportunities to feature our branding and spokespeople because of how we handled the photocall.
Rock chicklet - Tom hits the nail on the head with his reply.
I will be putting together a photocall for the launch of a new product for a financial institution. Any wacky ideas welcomed to get the picture desk’s notice?!!!
I was a full time press photographer for 11 years, firstly working in Ireland then in Australia for 5 years. I am now working as a PR photographer in Dublin for Mac Innes photography.
When I worked as a press photographer I tried my best not to get any branding into a photograph and found the concept of the staged PR photo with the lovely girl really silly. My editors always wanted candid non staged images from events.
Now that I am working as PR photographer I have come full circle. I am hired by clients to get their image with branding into national papers including having to shoot the lovey girl. To my own suprise I am enjoying the change of tactics and see it as a challenge to get my PR images published in the national media. Yesterday I got 4 hits including front page of the Herald am.
My press photography portfolio is at http://www.jameshoran.com.au
and now I work for http://www.mip.ie