Lead times matter for PR

No. Don't tell the media about your new film the day it comes out and expect coverage. TOO LATE!!!

Photo by Alexander Park on Unsplash

Over my career, some people have wanted to promote their films or project after the fact. Or on the day of release. Unless you have a PR stunt or something happening that day to warrant immediate coverage, which usually means NEWS CYCLE. Then you just affected your coverage results dramatically with poor planning and preparation. I'm sorry to be so direct; it's true.

The media have timelines. Coverage doesn't just magically appear out of dust instantly. It takes work on the media's behalf. And it takes effort to get their attention in a busy world. Therefore, planning and preparation are essential to set you up for success!!

I understand that sometimes actors are told last minute OR not at all about their film or tv show release. BOOM. It's available!

Whether the filmmakers or producers care or not, they are affecting the marketing and PR for their project by doing this. Even any manager or agent is affecting the value of their client by not getting this information within a reasonable time.

"The actors actually want to help market and promote their projects. Especially the actors working hard to establish themself. And there are many of these actors in every cast."

Obviously, there are deals and understanding when you're working with an A/B actor. But if you're working on a film with a moderate budget, there are actors on your cast eager to help promote. And the odd stories they can achieve in addition to others add up. Suddenly, it'll feel like the coverage is "everywhere you turn."

These actors are willing to invest in PR and help promote. Or better yet, if you have a PR team for the project, these actors could be utilized for interviews. More people doing interviews means more coverage of your creative work!!

Marketing and PR are often an afterthought for many creatives, but it's important

"If you want to keep creating more cool stuff, then you need as much exposure as possible."

It'll help with: distribution, viewers and numbers, and future investments for future projects. And for an actor it helps build their profile and therefore "value" increases as their brand and reputation does.

At times it can be challenging to quantify the positive effects of positive PR. People read online articles before meetings, which could help establish confidence in you. This could lead to producing more projects or an investor taking the plunge with you. It could lead to the right person reading about your creative work, and you get featured on another media outlet, or something positive happens to your work as a result. With infinite possibilities in this world, it can be hard to quantify. But these are some of the effects I've heard from clients over the years.

Remember to keep your cast and crew informed about release/screening dates. And make sure you have considered marketing and PR before your creative work is released.