Entertainment PR

By Smita Deshmukh Defining Entertainment PR

In Theory… This is just one more branch of public relations that professionals can take up as part of their career

Entertainment PR In reality… It is much much more than that What is it ? An entertainment PR professional is the eyes, ears, voice and often the thought behind what media and public knows, writes and talks about the business/celebrity

It is Power. It is Glamour. It is Drama. It is Back Breaking Hard work.

It is a world of its own and nothing like anything else.

A script, a story that you get to write…….

The Industry: Forever expanding

Both active Traditional New Age & vibrant

MOVIES CHANNELS CELEBRITIES NEW AGE OTHERS

Mainline GEC Individuals Web Content Theatre Offbeat News Writers YouTube Channels Radio Documentary Music Musicians Web series Awards Regional Sports Performers Stand Up Comedians Musicals International Movies Dancers Festivals Hollywood Kids Actors #Hotstar #Netflix Events Shopping Authors #Ditto #SonyLiv Clubs Factual Chefs Broadway Infotainment Talent Bands Fashion weeks / shows Charity galas

Add a layer of #LANGUAGE to this and the whole space simply explodes with opportunities and possibilities The Movie Makers & Sellers

Corporate / Studios Production houses family run

Corporate Desi International

Disney UTV Yash Raj Studios Paramount Studio 18 Dharma Productions CBS Eros Mukta Arts Sony Trinity Excel Entertainment BBC

Apart from Bollywood & Hollywood, Indian market has huge amount of #LANGUAGE and REGIONAL cinema like Tollywood, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Marathi, Gemini studios, Ramoji Rao studio, etc Media in India

• Number of registered publications (English and Regionals ) was 1,05,443 as of March 2015 • 101 languages and dialects • More than 813 TV channels in English and in several Regional languages like Doordarshan, ETV, Sun TV, Asianet. 400 news channels and 413 non news channels • Radio – AIR and private FM channels are catching on in the metros • Web – Growing exponentially Media conglomerates:

• • Dainik Bhaskar Group • Jagran Publications • Zee Network • Network18 • India Today • Malyala Manorma Group • Sun Network • ABP • Star India

Media Wheel: What makes news?

INTERPRETS

INFORMS AGENTS OF CHANGE

MOULDS MEDIA OPINION ENTERTAINS

ENABLES DECISION MAKING EMPOWERS

Entertainment PR

PR agencies with active Entertainment PR arms

PR structure in an organisation

The PR Structure: Typically it is a part of brand promotion & building CEO / MD

Communications Marketing Head Head

Brand Teams Promotion Teams Publicity team

Attitude You can never turn it off This is an always on business and so you have to be willing to give that kind of commitment and time to this space. Also, you are never off duty and not a guest at your event

Entertainment & its people excite you The latest movie to the latest show, a twist in a plot, a celebrities daily life…the world of entertainment should excite you. You can The Attitude pick up a niche maybe music but then the subject and everything about the business and the people have to be intriguing and exciting The skills and to be able to sustain and grow in this space. There has to be pride in your work mindset that is needed to be in Redefining BE COOL! Rubbing shoulders with celebrities and industry types isn’t always Entertainment fun. Demands of celebrity clients are often out of ordinary. Being a clever and calm trouble-shooter is essential. PR ROI Experts You need to understand budget implications. The ideas maybe fabulous but it will still be about optimum ROI. You have to be able to think out of box, creative and sometimes with no spends available

Storytellers Just being good at writing is not enough. It is mandatory but you also need to have the capability to find exciting 7 compelling stories in the daily mundane

What drives business?

1. What is media and how does it impact PR efforts: 1. Know your media 2. Understanding the impact and the need for media engagement

2. Mapping the media for entertainment space: 1. What works and what does not

The Media Mix

Mainline Financial Regional Channel Wires Trade Online Magazine

The Times of India Dainik Jagran PTI Hindustan Bloomberg TV The Hindu UNI Impact Tellchakkar Economic Times Rajasthan Patrika CNN IBN Business India Deccan Chronicle IANS Campaign India Indiaforums Business Standard Amar Ujala India Today Business World ANI Bollywoodnews Financial Express Jansatta NDTV 24x7 Business Today Indian Express Reuters E4m Times Business Line Punjab Kesari NDTV Profit Outlook Business Asian Age Bloomberg Indiantelevision.com Buzzfeed Financial Chronicle Purvanchal Prahari News9 India Today Free Press Journal Cogencis Televisionpost Scoopwhoop DNA Mint Prabhat Khabar NewsX AP Mirror Navbharat Times Times Now AFP Deccan Herald

Top 10 dailies in India

In ’000s

Wire agencies • Wide array of information and stories from across the globe, which they provide to publications • Highly credible sources of information • Has the potential to relay Indian news to a worldwide audience instantaneously

Remember Customers/Prospects (readers) buy stories that are interesting and contain:

• Controversy • Conflict • Drama • Characters • News and Spice • Facts •So we focus on change and news Creating PR plan

• Objective: Understanding the process & creating a professional media plan to achieve business and communication goals (promoting a company, a show, a star, a brand…) 1. Defining the goals 2. Creating a structure 3. The key elements that need to be a part of the plan 4. Creating content to drive media engagement

The 5 elements The client list

• The potential clients – TV show – series, reality show, Late night shows • A movie – art film, big budget film • Web series • A play – regional, English • Live show

TV is tough

• Create constant buzz about your TV shows – teasers, gossip • Keep close eye on ratings, listings in newspapers • Women’s magazines, digital and regional media will be key • Get media on sets for coverage, plan it well

Movies – long drawn buzz

• Movie promotions begin 1.5 month in advance • Teasers, launch press meets – expose the star cast • A massive outreach is created • Using stars for promotion is the new buzz – eg – Sui dhaga • Inter-city, intra-city media meets • Contests, meeting fans Ticketed events

• The PR plans are directly linked to ticket sales • Massive digital promotion • Outdoor will be key • PR teams have to work closely with the event management company • Pre-event buzz focussed on select media (for target audience) Crisis will come

• Hrithik Vs Kangana • #Nepotism • Padmavat • #Intolerance • Salman Khan To handle each crisis, the PR professionals need good understanding of business, law and public opinion that legal opinion