Taking over all five floors of 214 Lafayette on May 5th, MKG transformed the space to immerse guests in all of the WMX brands through musically charged activations and experiences. The agency also paired the presentation with a performance by A-List talent to keep the energy high.
Using the ‘Behind the Scenes’ creative wrapper MKG wanted guests to experience the power of WMX’s brands. The strategy was to create an experience where guests would walk away with an understanding of WMX’s unmatched offering and be excited to work with all of the WMX brands in the future.
The first thing guests saw was a motif of scaffolding and dramatic lighting creating a three- dimensional collage with a mix of WMX content showing 50 years of history. To showcase the huge variety and completeness of the Songkick site, MKG created a wheat pasted wallpaper along the staircase to display the coolest shows playing around the world. QR code brought guests straight to the songkick gateway for all of their favorite upcoming shows.
Another catching point of the event was transforming the pool room into a UPROXX photo moment for guests to explore and get the paparazzi treatment as they explored the space. Guests stopped by the second floor to get a WMX tote and create custom merch unique to the event. Surrounded by iconic merch from past concerts and shows, this reinforced our theme of ‘Behind the Scenes’ with great guest takeaways.
MKG created a wall display with a timeline plotting major milestones of some of WMX’s biggest artists. With digital content and dynamic graphics, the HipHopDX story came to life next to the stage. The team also built a [temporary] tattoo studio inspired by The Pit and created tattoos based on famous The Pit artists including Travis Barker and Corey Taylor.
The night wrapped up with an iconic performance of Megan Thee Stallion.
While public relations pros all speak a common language, there are nuances that make the job unique in different parts of the world. These cultural considerations inform and affect the ways we do everyday activities, from working with media to creating campaigns and hosting events. That means understanding the state of PR as an industry goes beyond just our home country or location of our HQ; it’s all about international perspective. We spoke with leaders around the globe to get the scoop on the worldwide state of public relations today.
PR and the pandemic
More than two years after the start of the pandemic, brands and agencies that successfully navigated through difficult times share a positive POV on the road ahead. Julietta Dexter, London based co-founder of ScienceMagic.Inc, notes that, “What the pandemic has done is hugely accelerate many changes that were very much needed, but without the impetus of a crisis, would have taken much, much longer. These include the evolution of DTC, our use of social media, our relationship with brands and the vital need for community around brands.”
Soneva client work: bringing the Maldives to audiences around the world through VR (ScienceMagic.Inc)
Clients have had to quickly adapt to these changes, as James Wright, the New York-based global CEO of Red Havas, explains. “The world of business has changed forever, and every client has had to transform to keep their wheels turning and be set up for success,” he says. “This is not just in terms of how they operate and provide their products and services, but evolving their approach to employee engagement and benefits and acting on their commitments to ESG and DEI in response to changing consumer expectations.”
We can’t talk about working during the pandemic without mentioning the digital tools that got us to this point, from video conferencing software to social media platforms. Our already digital-forward industry has doubled-down on this tech to meet those changing consumer needs. Chloe Reuter of Gusto Luxe in China highlights that, “the pandemic has led to enormous changes for the industry as a whole. It has created an opportunity to re-imagine and innovate which is very positive, though of course has been challenging. I think one of the most beneficial effects has been how to bring technology to the forefront in the PR industry. How can we leverage digital and tech tools to support the need for flexibility?”
Fostering relationships
Digital tools haven’t only changed the relationship between brand and consumer, but also altered the way PRs and media work together. Trish Varker-Miles of Australian agency TNA shares, “Ten years ago you could lean on relationships to call in favors, or articles would be written out of simple enthusiasm. Now, with digital, everything is instantly measurable. Media knows what stories attract clicks. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does mean that editorial placement, especially without supporting ad spend, really needs to be true ‘news’ and well developed pitches.” She continues, “Relationships with media are still important as I feel they are more likely to open your emails if you know them, but relationships don’t guarantee your story will get a placement just because you know them well.”
Hardy Brothers Jewellers Store Grand Opening, Australia (TNA)
While at this point, digital is a cornerstone of media, Dexter is sure that tech won’t take away the need for – and power of – human connection. “The power of PR will never go away. PR is: what you do, what you say you do and what other people say you do. That is called ‘word of mouth,’” she says. “Whatever technologies we have at our fingertips, however much AI and robotics [affect our work], we still want to know what other people think. So I believe the power of credible endorsement from powerful media brands still carries weight. Many brands are relying on increasingly expensive paid strategies, and this is great, but brand building is a long-term exercise, and the power of key titles that communities also believe in still carry huge weight. It is purely that we now have different technologies to use too.”
Why a global POV is paramount
These technologies, like social, serve content to users all around the world, which means there’s a very large, very critical, audience for every campaign, post and PR effort out there.
At a local level, PR pros must have awareness around the intricacies that make each market unique. Wright shares his strategy: “Whichever media you are speaking with, you need to ensure the story is relevant to that outlet and its audience. We ask, ‘why is this story going to interest this audience?,’ and are very clear about it when we pitch the story to journalists. There is an old adage that a story needs to speak to the heart, head or wallet, and so you need to pull out the key points as it relates to these categories to really pique the interest of the journalist.”
The Global Climate Action Summit (Red Havas)
While market-specific intel is important, so is the ability to see beyond the borders of a city or country. Silvia Negri Firman, founder of the eponymous Milan HQ’d agency shares, “we like to craft tailor made strategies for our clients and give value to their uniqueness on a global scale regardless of where they are based. I believe that nowadays, we should always consider the global market while preserving and taking into account local ways of doing.”
She continues, “Many small agencies, often made up of one or two people, are born every day; the large powerhouses have lost effectiveness and look weak and too traditional. The market needs new realities with an international vocation capable of interpreting market and consumer changes and designing effective strategies in life in the post-pandemic world.”
Events: in-person, digital or hybrid?
The appetite for in-person events versus digital or hybrid varies around the world, and of course has to do with the lingering COVID-19 virus. There’s also the fact that taking a forced break from so much IRL made people realize they were quite burnt out from the go-go-go.
In Australia, events are back, but with lower attendance rates. “Ten years ago, influencers would attend events free of charge. Now it’s all paid attendance, so you need to set aside budget for this. Some print and digital media also won’t attend unless you are an advertiser,” says Varker-Miles. “As much as people prefer to stay at home and watch what’s happening at events on social, I really do feel you miss out on relationship building and life’s spontaneity by staying home in your pjs participating in and watching a virtual event. I can see the appeal as everyone is exhausted, but in person events can create some magic that behind the screen does not.”
Wright echoes that, saying, “You can’t beat the relationships you can build in-person, and so we are seeing more events return live, though they may be smaller than they were before with increased virtual flexibility. I expect that shorter online events that are between 30 minutes and an hour will continue, as for many media outlets and clients they have been very successful.”
Chiara Ferragni at the About You Awards 2022 in Milan (Negri Firman)
As we crave connection yet have more awareness around constant commitments, all signs point to a search for balance. “I believe that the pandemic has fast-forwarded a good hybrid world for us all,” says Dexter. “In person is vital. Humans are social creatures, we need each other and the power of a face-to-face meeting cannot yet be fully achieved virtually. There is huge benefit in being together for brainstorming, spontaneous conversation, serendipitous happenings that occur as if by chance when we are together. This does not happen on zoom. Personally, I also find the fact that I am not in a car, on a train, on a plane each and every single day better for my wellbeing, better for the planet and also better for everyone else too. We are encouraging our teams to suggest that out of four client meetings, say, one should be in person, and be really carefully thought about (nice coffee and pastries, etc.) to really welcome them and look forward to seeing them, and then other meetings can be efficiently run on zoom.”
The PR industry is nothing if not resilient, and industry leaders have shifted their capabilities to reflect the needs and expectations of today’s consumer. While each market has its nuances to be considered, the consensus is in: think globally, get together mindfully and never stop innovating.
