CelebVM scored a MAJOR PR success this week!
For TWO days it was the topic of extensive discussions by Radio 1 stars Scott Mills and Chris Stark!
How did it happen? Like the best PR wins, this monumental publicity splash didn’t happen because of a well executed plan. Instead it was a matter of getting the word out about Celebrity Video Messages generally, and letting Scott and Chris do the work for us.
Although Scott normally fronts the afternoon show on Radio 1, this week he’s been filling in for morning host Nick Grimshaw while he’s on holiday. Soon after Wednesday’s show kicked off, producer Chris Stark led into a segment saying, ‘I’ve found a decent opportunity for you Mills. I think you might want to get in on this one…’
BBC rules prevented mentioning the video service by name, but it became immediately clear who the pair were talking about. As CelebVM is such a unique service, listeners could easily find the website with simple search, celebvm.com’s traffic spiked terrifically.
Who wouldn’t pay that?!
Describing CelebVM as repeatedly as ‘amazing’ the duo went on to play the audio of several celebrity videos. When Millsy found out a video from Sinitta was only £15 he responded, ‘Who wouldn’t pay that?!’
But wait, the coverage kept on coming…
After nearly ten minutes of coverage on one of the UK’s top rated radio programme’s we weren’t expecting Scott and Chris to mention Celebrity Video Messages ever again, but the next day the picked up where they left off with another three minutes of discussion. By this time the sound of Sinitta singing happy birthday to a CelebVM client in one of her videos had become a running gag on the show.
This PR triumph is a perfect example of the unpredictability of PR, something that can be a frustration, but as we can see, can bring unexpected, huge windfalls.
“If you create a compelling enough story,” our Head Imp Ned Vaught says, “coverage can spread to all sorts of unexpected, amazing places. Aim high and see where the story goes.”