When it comes to PR a celebrity endorsement can be a powerful thing (providing of course the celeb is right for the product). But celebs command huge fees making an endorsement beyond the means of most small and medium sized businesses.
A company like smart phone brand Blackberry spends a fortune on marketing but last week the guys in their PR team must have been doing cartwheels around the office when the biggest celeb endorsement of the year seemingly fell into their laps without them even having to spend a penny.
Newly inaugurated US President Barack Obama - truly the man of the moment on the world stage - was revealed to be an avid Blackberry user. So avid in fact that it seems he cannot live without his phone, reportedly causing his security advisers a major headache. According to the news coverage that followed (the kind of free publicity for Blackberry that money can not buy) it seems the President’s bodyguards were worried about people reading his emails on the device. In the end (of course) he was allowed to keep it - as his staff seemingly realised it was truly indispensible!
If this story was just good fortune then truly Blackberry’s marketing staff should be thanking their lucky stars. If it was a well orchestrated piece of PR then my heartfelt congrats on pulling off the stunt of the year (I know it’s only January but this will take some beating).
If you missed the story click here to read it on the BBC’s website.
Archive for January, 2009
Internet Craze Sweeps Nation’s Children
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
More youngsters at Ab Kettleby Community Primary School, in Melton Mowbray, have joined new social networking website http://www.schooltogethernow.com/ than any other school in the whole of the UK.
The website, dubbed “Facebook for Five Year Olds” by the media, offers primary school age children the opportunity to post photos, play games and chat with their friends outside of school hours.
It was founded by Surrey based mum of three Esther Guy following a request from her seven year old daughter Holly.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Surrey based schools feature highly on the site’s league table of users.
But after Holly and her mum were featured in the press pupils from all over the UK began joining the website.
A Lancashire primary - Burnley Ightenhill is second on the list and schools in St Albans, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, and Wiltshire also feature in the top ten.
Seven year old Holly Guy said: “It’s brilliant that so many other boys and girls are joining our website. It’s about time we had something for our age group.”
The site’s top ten in full:
1. Ab Kettleby Community Primary School, Melton Mowbray.
2. Burnley Ightenhill Primary School, Burnley.
3. Danetree Junior School, Epsom.
4. Downsend School - Epsom Lodge, Epsom.
5. Epsom And Ewell High School, Epsom.
6. St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary School, St Albans.
7. St Aelred’s Catholic Technology College, Newton-Le-Willows.
8. Thames Ditton Infant School, Thames Ditton.
9. Warminster Kingdown, Warminster.
10. Woodmansterne Primary School, Banstead.
For One Day Only - Designer Handbags At Unbeatable Prices
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009The website, which offers women the chance to purchase desirable handbags at amazing discount prices, is offering a series of one-off sales next month focusing on a different label every Friday.
Each sale will last just 24 hours and will see the already discounted prices slashed by an incredible further 25 per cent on each and every stocked item in a particular designer’s range.
This amazing designer sale will start on Friday February 6 with Fendi. A week later on February 13 Gucci bags will have their prices slashed. The following Friday, February 20, will be the turn of Chloe and the sale will end a week later on Friday February 27 when all Prada bags will be 25% lower than Bagnificent’s already rock bottom regular prices.
Bagnificent sells handbags by fashion houses such as Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Fendi, Chloe, Furla, Katharine Hamnett, Mulberry and Louis Vuitton. But as the stock is sourced in bulk and the website lacks the overheads of High Street retailers, the bags are available for a fraction of the recommended retail price so you don’t have to be Victoria Beckham or Cheryl Cole to afford one.
It also sells fashion bags which give the same look as the designer bags at prices as low as £30.
Bagnificent supremo Gerry Campbell said: “What better way to start the New Year than to treat yourself to one of the most beautiful handbags in the world? Or, even better, get someone else to buy one for you?
“At Bagnificent we get a buzz out of offering women unbeatable value on highly desirable handbags. This designer sale will see our lowest prices yet. We’re really excited about it.”
She added that http://www.bagnificent.co.uk/ currently offered husbands and boyfriends opportunities to make their loved ones feel special while allowing them to save hundreds of pounds at the same time with bargain bags priced from just £30 to £695.
Pressman PR Ltd Relaunches Website
Thursday, January 8th, 2009
Our fab new website is now live! Click here to view. Many thanks to Helena at Little Black Dog design for her hard work and patience over the past few weeks and for somehow making my often impossible requests come true. Helena, you’re a creative genius and I’m loving your work.
On other matters I will be a guest on BBC Radio Nottingham’s Breakfast Show tomorrow morning where I will be commenting on Nottingham’s potential as a tourism destination and how the city can make more of it’s Robin Hood associations.
Grab A WAG’s Bag
Monday, January 5th, 2009
Designer and fashion handbag specialist Bagnificent.co.uk offers ladies the opportunity to pick up bags just like those sported by some of the world’s most famous WAGS.
The site sells handbags by fashion houses such as Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Fendi, Chloe, Furla, Katharine Hamnett, Mulberry and Louis Vuitton.
But as the stock is sourced in bulk and the website lacks the overheads of High Street retailers, the bags are available for a fraction of the recommended retail price so you don’t have to be Victoria Beckham or Cheryl Cole (pictured above) to afford one.
It also sells fashion bags which give the same look as the designer bags at much cheaper prices (from £30).
Bagnificent supremo Gerry Campbell said: “We are all used to seeing WAGS like
Abigail Clancey, Coleen Rooney, and Carly Zucker pictured in magazines with their fabulous handbags.
“Most girls probably think such wonderful items are out of their reach but that’s exactly why I started Bagnificent.
“Why should it just be the likes of Alex Curran, Louise Redknapp, Danielle Lloyd
and Nicola Mclean who have all the fun?
“Thanks to our site ordinary women can now afford to purchase the most exclusive fashion accessories even if their partner does lack a Premiership-sized pay packet.”
She added that http://www.bagnificent.co.uk/ currently offered husbands and boyfriends opportunities to make their loved ones feel like a WAG and allow them to save hundreds of pounds at the same time with bargain bags priced from just £30 to £695.