Shining a light on the murky world of Public Relations

Polygon PR’s campaign to find Britain’s Manliest Man for The Bluebeards Revenge premium shaving cream, is talked about in this week’s Marketing Week.

Check it out here if you don’t believe us!

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/briefings/how-to-extend-shelf-life-of-your-next-campaign/3022227.article

This week we expected to be talking about charity singles vying for the coveted Christmas number one, but the anticipated backlash against the reality show acts hasn’t gained as much coordinated support as last year, and it looks like the best effort will be by X Factor reject, Gamu Nhengu, which could place in the top ten.

Instead, the Celebrity Charity of the Week award once again goes to last week’s winner, the Dogs Trust, for their annual ‘A Dog is for Life’ campaign.

This year’s campaign features Alexandra Burke, John Barrowman and Carol Smilie plus eight other famous faces, talking about how important their dogs are to them. However, to ensure the important message doesn’t become tiresome, the real stars of the video are the celebrities’ pets, providing real-life furry faces to illustrate the bond between owner and dog.

As often happens with such campaigns, this sometimes veers a little too close to mawkishness, but the genuine warmth the celebs have for their pets is clear to see, and the sentiment hits home strongly.

Summary

A warm, feel-good campaign with good use of a selection of celebrities to get across a seasonal message.

Campaign Rating

• Relevance – 8/10
• Development – 6/10
• Media appeal – 7/10
• Inspiration – 7/10
• TOTAL – 28/40

The inaugural winner of the Celebrity Charity of the Week Award goes to not one, but three dogs’ charities, the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, the Dogs Trust and the Oldies Club, for their PUP AID appeal, featuring a host of rock legends.

Music stars including Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Queen’s Brian May are amongst many more who have all signed a Epiphone guitar donated by Liam Gallagher, with the instrument set to be auctioned for the dogs’ charities mid-December.

The project was put together by TV vet Marc Abraham who said, “I’m so thankful to Epiphone for starting what’s been quite a mad journey, and truly honoured to have met some of the most influential musicians and heroes in rock history who have supported this camp”.

Abraham continued, “Puppy farming is a horrific practice that must be stopped. Sadly local authorities and dog welfare organizations are often unable to prevent this battery farming of dogs and so the responsibility lies with the British dog-loving public to stop buying these farmed pups altogether and end the demand forever.

For more info on PUP AID visit www.marcthevet.com or to see the signed guitar visit www.bonhams.com.

Summary

Proof that a charity doesn’t have to be a behemoth to attract genuine A-list support. The media appeal is limited due to the high number of other similar celebrity auctions, but what this campaign does, it does well.

Campaign Rating

• Relevance – 7/10
• Development – 8/10
• Media appeal – 5/10
• Inspiration – 8/10
• TOTAL – 28/40

In today’s media age, where showbiz sells, a charity’s media presence is almost always defined by its celebrity. An A-list supported charity becomes the cause de jour and guarantees its message gets across the media’s agenda.

As Polygon PR’s award-winning Charity Celebrity Getting service continues to win plaudits, we’re keen to recognise the very best celebrity-charity link-ups out there.   

As such, every week we’re going to be celebrating the most outstanding use of celebrity by a charity with our Celebrity Charity of the Week Award. The award will recognise the charity that best utilises its celeb connections by marking it out of ten in the following categories:

• Relevance – How the charity connects with its audience using its celebrity
• Development – How the charity develops its appeal / cause through its celebrity
• Media Appeal – How the charity has tailored its celebrity message to meet the need / appeal of the media
• Inspiration – Overall, how inspiring is the link-up

At the end of the year, we’ll be choosing our Celebrity Charity of the Year based on our scores, and donating a sum to their cause.

To be considered for the Celebrity Charity of the Week Award, simply email us on info@polygonpr,com telling us about your campaign and why you should win.

In the build up to the 2010 election, Polygon PR’s Mark Southern was invited onto the BBC1 Politics Show to explain how prospective candidates should interact with the media.

Using Polygon PR’s award-winning media training, Mark gave the reporter an introduction to media interviews, after which she was pitched into action in a mock interview scenario.

Check out the video here and let us know what you think.

Last night saw the National Television Awards take place at the O2, where the glitterati of British showbiz gathered to out tan each other and practice their fake smiles.

Amid the conveyor belt of predictable award wins – Ant and Dec’s ninth consecutive win must be losing its appeal by now – the most interesting category for UK charities should have been the Best Newcomer, which was won by Coronation Street new-boy, Craig Gazey.

Gazey follows in the footsteps of some notable former winners, including Jessie Wallace, Nigel Harman and Kym Ryder, who all went on to become tabloid sensations, and still are likely to pop up in Heat Magazine a decade on. Crucially, all would still provide good value to any charity they lend their name to.

It’s tempting for charities to focus all of their efforts on the handful of A-listers out there, but it’s a crowded market place and, by monitoring the best up-and-coming talent, charities can recruit early and let the relationship blossom. Then, when the celebrity peaks in popularity, the charity can cash in with a targeted campaign to build the profile of both parties.

So, charities should still keep an eye on the blue ribbon award winners, but shouldn’t forget the stars of tomorrow.

If you’re a UK charity looking for a celeb to support your organisation, contact Polygon PR today.

Today’s news that X Factor judge, Dannii Minogue is pregnant should have every kids’ charity dashing to be the first to have flowers delivered to the Aussie mum-to-be, and make themselves relevant when Ms Minogue has her new arrival in nine months.

Whilst she’s unlikely to ever have the same credibility as her sister, and her position as a judge in the nation’s biggest TV show must now look doubtful, her previous involvement means she will get great coverage for whichever charity she endorses – particularly when the show returns in the Autumn.

This is precisely why a charity that thinks long term with its celeb recruitment can begin to build a dialogue with her now, placing themselves at the front of the queue when Ms Minogue starts to understand the problems and concerns of motherhood.

Most charities think too short term with their celeb recruitment, but a little effort (and sometimes expense) at this stage will often be rewarded with bumper results for charities brave enough to think long term.

To take the hassle out of celebrity recruitment, take advantage of Polygon PR’s Starfinder service today by calling 01256 880913.

A quick flick through any magazine, newspaper or TV schedule will reveal one constantly recurring sight – celebrity.

It’s simple, showbiz sells an idea or product more effectively than any other method, and it’s no different for charities. Those that can secure great celeb support are those who secure the best coverage and, critically, convert this into the most income.

One only has to look at the phenomenal rise of Help For Heroes, and how it became an A-Lister magnet seemingly overnight, with great support from The Sun, admittedly.

However, there’s over 200,000 charities out there and for every H4H there are tens of thousands of charities who struggle to benefit from the right celeb support, and therefore lose their place in the media.

Polygon PR’s new Starfinder service sees award-winning Charity Celebrity publicist, Mark Southern giving all charities the opportunity to be touched with a showbiz glow.

Mark’s has outstanding charity sector experience, working with hundreds of celebrities, and this new, unique service will make use of his unprecedented celeb access to hook your charity up with the right star.

It’s also risk-free as if we don’t secure you the right celeb then you’ll pay nothing.

To find out more about this incredible new service call Polygon PR on 01256 88913.

The new Polygon PR website has been officially lanched. The site has been designed to improve the user journey and to offer a better understanding of what Polygon PR stands for.

Welcome to the PolygonPR blog. I will be using this blog to talk about the ever changing world of PR, how PR can work for you, and offering insider tips.