How to cover 99% of the population with one blog post, or how the Sturges exhibition scandal dictates new network PR rules

At conferences devoted to PR and marketing, in communities of social networks, in the departments of universities, disputes do not subside: what is the main influence on sales of products and ideas - advertising or PR? All this sometimes reminds an argument: who is stronger - “Superman or Batman”?



As examples of advertising campaigns, as a rule, the placement of modules, banners, commercials, contextual ads that increase brand awareness and cause brand loyalty are given. Of the benefits: a guaranteed result of views, calls, accurate statistics.



Standard PR campaigns, as a rule, consist of writing press releases, their “carpet” distribution and publication in the media. Of the benefits - their relative free. Wrote a press release, sent to the media. You sit waiting for free publications. And a rare client is concerned about the issue that material placed in the media gains a maximum of 300 views. “Because it’s difficult to link PR and sales,” all PR agencies explained to their customers. “Or maybe your call center is sleeping? Or maybe the product is of poor quality? How do we answer for this? ”

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So, imagine that you are promoting an exhibition of the photographer. What can you do with a classic marketing competence and specialized education?



1) Organize an exhibition.

2) Place contextual advertising in Yandex on request “Foreign photographers” and “Photo exhibitions”.

3) SEO site: the site of the 23rd photographer on request "Foreign photographers."

4) Write a press release and send it to the media. The result -12 publications.

5) Invoice the client for the campaign with 5 zeros ...



And you can do everything a little different ... let's just take a look at the scandal with the exhibition of the photographer Jock Sturges.



Access to the heart of the audience lies through Elena Mizulin



First, the popular blogger Lena Mira publishes the post “Exhibition for pedophiles in Moscow”. Social networks are outraged with indignation: how is it - who in the center of Moscow allowed the pedophile to hold their exhibitions? In her post, Lena shows pedophotographs, publishing the most (!) Scandalous photos that Sturges did not dare to exhibit in Moscow.



Of course, without the post of the top blogger, the exhibition definitely would not have gained such popularity. Post scored tens of thousands of views. According to Yandex.News, more than a thousand messages have been published in the media. The entire country knows about the “scandalous” photographer: on September 26, Russia 1 broadcast the talk show about Sturges with the maximum possible coverage of 99% of the population.



But without the post Miro, who initiated the scandal, a couple of “cultural” media would most likely have drawn attention to the exhibition, and would have visited five thousand Muscovites. By the way, the exhibition has been going on for more than two weeks in Moscow.



Second phase. The post responds to those for whom the reaction to such exhibitions and the further unwinding of public outrage is work and a sacred duty. A few hours later, Elena Mizulina demanded the closure of the “pedophile” exhibition, adding to the Roskomnadzor scandal, thereby reinforcing public outrage at the government agency’s act that allegedly banned Sturges' photos, and (as some media reported) the exhibition itself. As it turned out, in fact , the MKN did not look at the exhibition, and indeed the exhibition was not its competence, but it banned several specific photos that could not be distributed on the Internet.



In general, the RKN was in the whole story the most reasonable position:

Artificially attracting wide public attention to this topic, both with a plus sign and a minus sign, works to destroy the social and cultural taboos regarding child pornography and pedophilia, which has evolved in world culture over the centuries of its existence.

The sofa-public was sharply polarized: one half spoke out against the intervention of the state and public organizations in holding cultural events, the other demanded that the exhibition be closed, the photographer should be expelled from the country and never again allowed.



The people are against, the state has banned - demonization of the photographer OK. Further, the initiators of the campaign "pedophiles against Russia" are invited to relax and have fun.



Who is the winner in this story and who is the loser?



The social networks, on which such high hopes for the cleansing of the universe from evil were pinned, once again proved their manipulative essence. People are interested in: what kind of photographer is this, you need to read about him, look at the photos - why are they accused. Photographer calculates profit. Most of those millions who watched the talk show on “Russia 1” of course, will frown disgustingly, but the photographer will definitely get a couple of thousand new loyal fans. Sales of photo albums will grow. And further exhibitions, which the organizers will already hold quietly, without displaying posters on the “Billboard” and the website of the Ministry of Culture, will definitely find their client.



Do you want in a society oversaturated with information, to sniff the next “exhibition of the genius photographer” - arrange a scandal.