How to Plan the Perfect PR Stunt

 

Public relations stunts can win gigantic amounts of publicity. They can also fall flat or even worse backfire and become catastrophes. A poorly conceived stunt can cause controversy, draw criticism and upset customers.

A company, or a nonprofit organization, can generate publicity by having someone sit on a flagpole for days on end, challenging people to dance until they drop, organizing strange contests, or hiring a skydiver to jump off a building. While people may talk about the stunt, they may not talk about or remember the sponsoring organization. That’s, then, a failed stunt.

These are the most important elements of a successful PR stunt.

Supports the message. The most common reason for PR stunts that flop is a failure to promote the sponsoring organization and its product. The challenge is to preserve the connection between the PR stunt and its message. The stunt must symbolize the sponsoring organization or its product. Walking across the Niagara Falls of standing on a telephone poll could apply to almost everyone. It’s sensible for Krispy Cream to bake the world’s largest donut, but not for an auto manufacturer. Naturally, some products lend themselves to stunts; others are too unpredictable, dangerous or controversial.

Visual. Most successful stunts are visual and entertaining, usually with an element of humor or daring. (Caution: Stunts of daring carry far more risk than humorous stunts.) The sponsor should arrange for video recording of the stunt for use on social media and distribution to TV stations that did not cover the event. High-quality video recording and editing will increase likelihood of use.

Unique news value. Repeating a stunt performed just a few months ago – or even a few years ago — will not draw much attention. The public and the news media crave the new and unusual. Originality and creativity are key.

Results. Establishing goals at the outset and measuring results can help assess the impact of the stunt. Quantifying publicity is one measure of success. Analyzing results against an established goal like increasing positive brand awareness is the more important measurement.

These are factors to take into consideration when planning a PR stunt.

Location. The more public, the better. Not everyone can get to Times Square, but the town’s Main Street is preferable to a private driveway.

Timing. The best time for the media is early drive time when TV or radio morning shows are on the air and when reporters can write stories and easily meet their deadlines. Timing your event to coincide with another major event improves chances of news coverage, especially at the event’s opening when media is likely to be present. Example: Activists often schedule demonstrations at major public events.

Celebrities. Involving a well-known person, especially a celebrity, improves chances of obtaining publicity. However, poor use of celebrities can waste both time and money if the stunt does not support the brand’s message.

News value. The best stunts have high news value and low costs. The less news value it has, the more creativity it needs.

Practicality. Some ideas for stunts are impractical or simply unfeasible. They may be too dangerous, too complicated, or too costly.

Honesty. The PR event should be true to the organization’s values and commitments. Stunts designed to distract media attention from a negative issue can make the situation worse.

Social media. Traditional news media is no longer the only way to promote a PR stunt. The activity may be shared across social media, possibly taking on a life of its own and becoming viral. Creating a social media strategy beforehand will jump-start social media activity and, in the event of problems, prepare PR to respond. Social media success is outside the brand’s full control – but an effective social media campaign can stimulate attention and extend the value of the stunt through video sharing.

Replicability. The one-time, big-time stunt aimed at gaining attention of national media has given way to stunts that can be replicated locally, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge, to promote awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and fund research on the disease. Local publicity featuring local personalities accumulate enormous readership/viewership, especially through social media. National publicity then often follows local publicity.

Negative feedback. Pondering any possible questions or negative comments will help PR representatives prepare responses. Being cognizant of any issues the company faces helps PR prepare responses.

Outside opinions. Asking trusted friends or colleagues for their opinions about ideas for publicity stunts can provide realistic and honest perspectives that may help avoid disasters.

Do you have any additional suggestions for planning a PR stunt? Please add your comments below.