Since
the New Year, my Sunday evenings have been brightened by the arrival Mr
Selfridge. For the uninitiated, this is
the latest offering from ITV, a heady mix of fashion, flirtation and drama, all
set against the eye-achingly beautiful backdrop of the freshly opened
Selfridge’s store. The programme fills the hole left by Downton Abby but, with
its partial focus on Selfridge’s battle to drive people to his store, it is
also teaching me something.
Harry
Selfridge is a PR and marketing mastermind and every week his activities
highlight fundamental rules of our profession to be forgotten at our peril.
1. Get to know the press- Selfridge
understands the power of the press to influence the public’s reception of his
new store. One of the first things he does upon arrival in London is befriend
the editor of the London Evening Standard. Unfortunately for us in 21st
century PR world, things are not so simple (taking Sarah Sands out for an evening
of show tunes and light gambling seem somewhat improbable), but basic theory is
the same. Be good to the press; take the time to get to know what client-relevant
journalists want because they have the last say in what gets published.
2. Be a news hound- Today’s news is tomorrow’s
fish paper so if you’re going to contribute to a current conversation, you have
to do it fast. When Mr Selfridge hears news of Louis Bleriot’s inaugural
cross-channel flight, he is quick to connect the Selfridges brand with the
discussion. Upon the plane’s arrival and in front of the congregated media,
Selfridge commandeers the plane for exhibition in store and by the next day has
a full range of red, white and blue scarves made up for sale alongside it. Selfridge’s
speed and decisiveness is key to his success here. His approach is similar to
modern guerilla advertising campaigns (see below example), which succeed due to
their quick-witted connection of brand and news.
3. Choose a brand ambassador- Selfridge wants
his store to be viewed as cutting edge, daring and sexy. In order to project
this to the public he appoints beautiful and independent showgirl, Ellen Love,
to be the ‘Spirit of Selfridges’. The
Selfridges, Ellen, agreement works in exactly the same way as modern celebrity
endorsement; Heston Blumenthal and Waitrose for example. By associating a brand
with an aspirational figure, which its target market wishes to emulate, the
brand becomes more appealing.
4. … But take care in doing so- Although publicly
an object of admiration, Ellen is privately a bit of a train-wreck, (with her
alcoholism and drug addiction looking to become an increasing embarrassment for
Selfridge in the coming weeks). The predicament is a familiar one: When an ambassador
no longer represents brand values, the association turns from beneficial to blighting.
Modern examples include Kate Moss, who was dropped by Burberry, Rimmel and
Chanel following the exposure of her drug taking, and Lance Armstrong, ditched
by Nike, Anheuser-Busch and Giro due to his
use of performance enhancing drugs. The lesson is clear: Ambassadors can bring
negative as well as positive press so take care when choosing them.
5. Put on a show- Mr Selfridge
understands the power of an event to make news and grasps any opportunity to
generate exciting activity in-store. When
Anna Pavlova, arrives in London, people are desperate to see her and experience
the glamour and grace she represents. Selfridge’s answer is to host a reception
for Pavolva, where members of the public may come in-store and do just this. The
stunt woks well as a PR campaign because the underlying message; that ‘every
woman should have a Pavlova moment’, applies equally well to the event and the
store famed for bringing high-end fashion to the masses.
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