Art of the PR consultant
What is it with modern artists? Around 100 years ago - painters such as van Gogh went unrepresented by agents and PR people, and as a result their work would stand or fall on its artistic merit.
Today most artists prefer to attach an attitude or a marketing ploy to their art.
One such artist, a conceptualist called Tino Sehgal, in 2006, hit on an idea that had particular resonance for the PR industry. The artist decreed - to ICA curators - that no physical objects should be used in the marketing of his show. No press release, pack of press cuttings or photography available to journalists, leaving PROs with a huge challenge. How exactly are you supposed to whip up hype for a show when you can't write a press release or send out invitations to a launch event? Tino’s concept is interesting because it forces us to consider our core function as PR people.
Most of the major PR agencies in the UK construct their business around writing strategies, drawing up Q&As, drafting statements, collating briefing, printing press kits and countless other bits of waffle. This process gets charged to clients, who have been told that these are necessary building blocks in the delivery of a ‘great’ PR launch.
Get rid of all this stuff and you would demolish half the industry at a single sweep.
If you were to reduce the role of the PR consultant to its most basic function what do you have?
2 comments:
There should have been some good reasons for Tino Sehgal's decision, but he is an exception. Having said that, PR needs all its basic tools to deliver good results. These include all that Tino didn't use, like press release, pack of press cuttings, sending invites, making publicity materials like flyers,etc. If I may ask, how did he finally generate publicity and interest in his show? Did he use the new media like You Tube, Face book and Viral marketing or what? How successful was his show? In my opinion,for PR programmes to be successful they need to use most, if not all, the basic PR tools and also intergrate some new media techniques. I disagree with you Victoria, get rid of the basic PR tools and you will instantly kill the PR industry.
I like the debate of modern art without PR.
I personally think that art cannot be marked as an essay or cannot say it is right or wrong.
Media, PR make the artist and his/her works more visible to the public and somehow more commercial. And as there is a blur line between a true creation and a bullshit work, people will spend more time to debate about it. Thanks to that, the artists make money.
There are some artists who have great influence to other artists and being respected by them do not really need PR. But the wise use of PR will help to enhance their works.
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