LMPR Guest Speakers at SFU Communications Department
Following our successful wrap of the inaugural Indian Summer Festival media relations campaign in July, LMPR Principal Laura Murray and Marketing Director Brian Paterson were invited to speak to SFU’s fourth-year Communications and Publishing students about Publicity – in general terms – coupled with the strategy and implementation of a multi-faceted campaign. The course was aptly named ‘The Publicity Machine’ – a direct reference to the extensive amount of media coverage garnered for Indian Summer.
Using Indian Summer Festival as the main case study in which to reference, it proved to be a thoroughly engaging morning, discussing everything from timelines to materials required to support the pitch, to crafting the perfect pitch and story angles to which media respond, coupled with knowing your in-market competition, media training and much more. As is very common in these types of engagements, students were particularly drawn to the mishaps, challenges, and bumps in the road – all part of the ‘Publicity Machine.’
Being a good publicist means being a chameleon – capable of instantly adapting to any situation and responding with efficiency, accuracy, and professionalism. It can be a crazy juggling act – often high stress and wrought with emotion, but working as arts publicists is a career that is ultimately highly rewarding, completely inspiring, and thoroughly engrossing.
We want to extend out thanks to the course instructors, Laura and Sirish, and to the SFU students for their warm welcome and insightful questions.
Categories: MPMG