'Spin Doctor' - a Guide to Dance Music P.R. by Stuart Evans

I want to drink pink champagne, talk crap and get paid for it.

So you wanna be a spin doctor- You've seen copious episodes of the BBC sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous' and fancy yourself as a player- You've studied hard (ish) and can write a bit. You know the difference between affect and effect and think you're a people's person. You like music, clubs, drinking and have been known to enjoy the company of the opposite sex...so the murky world of public relations (PR) seems like your destiny.

Now, before I come down from my moral high horse I'll give you a bit of background about myself and PR. Firstly, I've been working in PR for a number of years. I can write (a bit) and understand the importance of saying 'thank-you' and 'are you on deadline-" when dealing with journalists or editors.

I also know that PR can be useless unless it's used correctly. For example, the stories/editorial you see you in street press magazines didn't just appear there because of space restrictions. They are there for a reason and would have been planned for a while.

Editorial is what we're talking about and the people behind getting the stories into journalists and editor's grubby hands.

Who remembers when hardcore rapper cum Law & Order personality Ice T was over here- Who remembers seeing him in street press- What about on Channel 31 and Channel 10- What about his article in the Herald Sun- Who was behind it….- Sing it loud party people… THE PR PROFESSIONAL!

Yes folks, welcome to the role of the PR professional (or publicist as they can be called). You see, public relations has a reputation for being champagne and cocktail sausages; sadly it's not. Working in the media has its rewards, don't get me wrong, but it's a hard slog of a job. It's not all business lunches with extra servings of lobster filled dumplings. More often than not it's long hours and making yourself available when most people have retreated for the night.

Perhaps I've been watching too much Australian Idol and have become disheartened with the media, or perhaps I want to tell it like it is and shed some light into your world. Try not to become focused on the negative aspects of my words, more focus on the reality. I love PR. I love the vibrancy and the energy of it and the growing role it is playing in today's ever changing landscape. Every time you see your favourite nightclub or DJ in the news, chances are it was a PR professional who got them there.

What's the purpose of this column- Well, every month I'll be sharing the myths and discussing the poignant ethical dilemmas in PR and media relations with the focus on dance music. Hopefully you'll be able to relate to my words and take note. If you're contemplating a career in the media then hopefully this will assist you. You'll find that you'll be screaming for a career in PR or you'll be thinking to yourself that a career in waste disposal really isn't that bad.

And just to clarify matters...I don't like pink champagne.

Until next time,

Stuart Evans runs the highly acclaimed Vibe Communications. A marketing, PR and communications agency dedicated to the 18-35 year old demographic.


Tags