Oh hi 6am, I love seeing you after less than four hours sleep! 😂😂😂
Despite the total lack of sleep, and three long drives the day before, the lure of Record Store Day 2019 [RSD] was one I couldn’t resist.
This year Henry (the better, more numerically minded, other half) and I headed to his home town of Manningtree to an amazing independent record shop called Winyl.
Come and take a look around this absolute gem of a record store and the limited edition records we managed to buy.
The beginning of my year was spent in Australia and it was bliss. But, when I came home I realised we just don’t have the cool cafe culture the Aussies do.
On Friday I’ll be seeing Don Giovanni, an opera based on Don Juan, the fictional libertine and legendary seducer. Â It’s a classic story that’s been told in many ways since 1787. Lovers, murder and vengeance, highs and lows, comedy and tragedy. I’ve been assured it is a classic.
As you might be able to tell, opera isn’t my normal night out. But, as you know by now, I’m one for getting out of my comfort zone and challenging perceptions and stereotypes. Opera is extremely popular, and it’s about time I gave it a second chance.
Ahead of the show I spoke to Gavan Ring, an Irish tenor, who will be playing Don Giovanni, about his love for the opera, and how it’s becoming more accessible to millennials like me.
Last night Madonna at the 2015 Brit Awards had a ‘wardrobe malfunction’. But rather than expose herself, which she does anyway as a regular fashion statement, she got caught in her cape. The tumble saw her tugged by the neck down a flight of stairs.
I was watching it live and noted two things. She struggled to undo the cape in the first place and after the fall I took an audible intake of breath, but then I quickly realised that the crowd at the O2 did not have the same reaction. No one made a peep. Silence reigned. Which made me wonder if everyone had just witnessed what I had? Was that real? Thank god for the rewind button.
Visibly shaken, she powered through her big finale. A true professional.
Today, the day after rumours have been flying left, right and centre that this was in fact a PR stunt.
Will we ever know if this is true? Probably not.
But it raises a really good question…
In PR, how far is too far?
There can be a lot of grey areas in PR. For me, risking someones health in any way is most definitely a step too far. I’m sure most people would agree with me.
Would the material girl, Queen of pop, risk falling from a height to establish headlines? Surely not?
No doubt it has secured her virtually every post-Brit headline, lit up social media and set tongues wagging round the office water coolers of the western world.
‘Someones getting fired’ and ‘Where there’s a blame, there’s a claim’ have certainly done the rounds today.
It also drew attention to the cape’s designer, Armani, with the sketch going out in every news article as well as being used by Madonna herself (well her PR team) on Instagram…
Does the reward outweigh the risk?
When Red Bull sponsored a man jumping from the edge of space and broadcast it live they were taking the biggest risk in their brand history, in fact in any brands history. If anything had gone wrong it would have destroyed Red Bulls reputation. But the risk paid off and secured their notoriety.
If this was a PR stunt, then it is similar to Red Bull. Someone’s life was risked for PR. It only works if if is successful. Otherwise the reputation of the brand, service or person is damaged beyond belief.
Everyone today is commenting on Madonna’s professionalism. That will be her legacy from last night. It’s also done an excellent job in introducing her to a whole new generation of music fans.
So it’s clear to see why it was called in to question that this was a ‘PR stunt’. But like I said…we’ll never know!
