What is it about the Titanic? People to this day, a century after the
tragedy of 1912, remain in awe of this event. In a recent article published in
the Metro, Una Riley MBE of the Belfast Titanic Society theorised this
international obsession, describing the event as the “greatest story never
written.”
Stories are told all over the world, every
minute of every day. Here at Wordville we help businesses tell those stories
and make them known to the masses.
But there’s something about the mystery of
that fateful day that makes us all sit up and take notice every time a little
more information rises to the surface. Artefacts are still being recovered from
the wreckage, survivors’ stories are still being traced and now a 3D film
graces our cinemas.
I think that the draw for many people lies
in the emotion of the event. There’s the heartbreak of love and loss, the
division of rich and the poor and evidence of tragedy and hope.
I also think this is what makes it so
compelling to the press – it strikes a chord. There’s conflict and pain, which
as a nation, we seem to thrive on.
Unsurprisingly, one of a kind stories are
hard to come by but every business has a ‘Titanic moment’ at some point.
Something that was unexpected and emotive but (we hope) avoids the tragedy and
heartbreak.
Stunts such as T-mobile’s flash mobs and
Honda’s live sky dive have all had great PR campaigns behind them, building them
as moments to remember and creating competition amongst industry peers eager to
outdo one another.
Other memorable media events include BP’s
oil spill and the hacking frenzy at the News of the World. These by contrast,
have had a shocking effect on the public, negatively marking the brands
involved. Needless to say, the execution of PR activity surrounding both
scandals left much to be desired.
Detrimental or inspirational, it’s moments
like these that shape companies and build reputations, becoming an indelible
moment in their brand’s stories for years to come – maybe even forever.
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