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Front Page Headlines
Arranged by Lee Kolozsy
On many modern shows
the post of Press Agent often goes unfilled, since it seems to
be somewhat of a lost art today…
As an experienced publicist for many
show productions over the years, I can confidently state, that
in the world of Show Biz, there exists only two kinds of
publicity.
There is GOOD
publicity, and then there is GREAT publicity…
Any mention of an event, such as a
show in town, in the papers, or on the air, is bound to benefit
the management of the production. Publicity is simply
advertising for which there is no charge. Furthermore, it is
better than mere advertising. A mention in a column carries with
it the impression of an editorial endorsement, by a well-known
and trusted, familiar and reliable friend, the writer. A feature
article is even more valuable. If you were to walk in the office
of any small town paper, and ask about advertising rates for the
front page above the fold, you would probably be laughed out of
the office. You would probably never make it past the reception
desk at a major newspaper office.
You can’t buy the
front page with a million dollars…
However, they’ll give it to you
free, if you have a good story. A good show publicist can get it
for free, with a well told story, and a bit of know how.
I once got thousands
of dollars worth of airtime on the news with a simple bit of
chicanery…
I was strolling down the midway on
the first day of the New York State Fair, and I spotted a TV
news crew setting up for a live broadcast. There were a number
of grips manhandling gear from the truck, a talking head with
enough makeup on to star in a funeral, and a front office suit
with a secretary. I noticed that the cameras were emblazoned
with the channel five logo, as I made a beeline for the suit.
I grabbed his hand and pumped it as I introduced myself. “They
sent me down here from the Midway Director’s office to help you
with the story you guys want to do about the sideshows.” He
mumbled something and turned to his sec and asked her what was
on the list. She consulted her clipboard and responded that she
had nothing on the assignment sheet about sideshows. I did an
Emmy worthy bit of acting bewildered, glanced at the camera, and
said… “My mistake partner, you guys are channel five, I was
looking for channel nine, must be my disexlia…can you tell me
where to find the channel nine crew?” Well, I didn’t make it two
steps before he grabbed me and said… “Wait a minute, tell me
about these sideshows.” He never did tell me how to find the
channel nine people.
We led the five,
six, and eleven, with a hook, and a live feed, all leading into
a taped feature that made us an instant sensation at the event…
One of my former students, who now
works as a political strategist, viewed the tape and said, “If
you had hired a Madison Avenue ad agency to produce a slick
commercial for your show, you couldn’t have gotten a better
piece.” Then…“What would you have done if they hadn’t
taken the bait?” I replied without a bit of hesitation… “I would
have played it in reverse at channel nine.”
My good friend the
lion trainer was getting married…
He was also developing a new show
and needed some publicity to help book it. His idea was to stage
a legitimate wedding in the steel arena with the lions as the
bridesmaids and guests. He consulted me as to how to arrange the
coverage. My advice was to call the local paper at the very next
performance date and invite them to the wedding, and wait for it
to hit the wire services. His question was “What if it doesn’t
make the national news?” My answer, … “There is no legal limit
to how often a couple can have a marriage ceremony. Simply keep
doing it in every new town until it does.” It was less than six
months later that I clipped the piece in a small town I was
playing in Michigan. It had made the AP. I later asked him how
often they had to make the play before it worked. He told me he
had lost count, but that he was the most married sob in Show
Biz.
At an early age, I
was reading about Houdini, and I realized that he had arranged
virtually all of his greatest bookings with a book of clippings…
People through the ages don’t change
much, and most people are terribly insecure. They generally hide
it quite well behind a façade of legitimacy and social position.
If you ask them to exercise any original thinking, the great
majority are quite lost. Ask them to act decisively and
they will stall you and beg off. They are usually incapable of
much abstract thought, and therefore are uncomfortable with
ideas that are unfamiliar.
To sell an idea, you
must be able to prove that it is a good one, and will benefit
your prospect…
In the case of Harry Houdini, he had
a number of things going for him. He had an act that was no less
than sensational. Thousands of people turned out for his heavily
publicized escapes, which were presented free. This would result
in packed theatres for his performances, which were by now the
talk of the town. It was easy to sell, because the theatre
manager’s greed helped make it happen, once he pulled it off,
the press coverage gave his pitch the credibility to sell it
again.
The media coverage
gained momentum and took on a life of it’s own…
Once you make the news, you can make
it again. The more you do it, the easier it is. People in media
work are no different from others, they like new ideas, they
simply don’t want to risk a disaster. They will gladly try
something new, once they are confident that it will work.
To start the ball
rolling…you need a ballsy approach…
Faint heart never won fair lady, and
fear is an indicator of weakness. When you go for it, remember
that much as a doctor can bury his mistakes, if you bungle it,
you will be no worse off than if you hadn’t tried. Let them
write what they want and don’t worry about how they spell your
name. Even misspelled is preferable to ignored. News editors are
in the story business and a good story is what they’re looking
for.
So give them a great
one…
Remember, one hand washes the other
and both hands wash the face. Both you and the media come out
ahead when it clicks.
See you in the funny
papers…
All stories are the property of
Sideshow World & their respective authors. Any republication in
part or in whole is strictly prohibited. For more information
please
contact us here.
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