Yes if you are a showbiz celebrity, a sports or any other super star. You could also be a political heavyweight whose announcements have a bearing on the country. Otherwise the impact of most PCs is zilch. How many PCs have we slept through, where company spokespeople take you through dreary PPT presentations detailing facts about their products or services that ostensibly has no news value and therefore no chance of getting carried anywhere.
There is so much that is invested in terms of time, effort and money in PCs, that one really needs to take a serious look at the whole concept. PR agencies recognise this and if they agree to holding a PC, they do so with proviso that there be bankable celebrities present, whose pictures or footage could then be presented as coverage, even though it might not at all add value to the brand or even detract from it. If for example a multi national had decided to set up shop in India, and they decide to call a Bollywood A lister for the launch PC, all the news would be about the impending release of that person's next big budget movie, rather than the nitty gritty of the business model the company has in mind for India.
There are of course Press Conferences that are hugely successful and impactful. These usually have to so with momentous occasions. Like India signing the nuclear deal with the United States, or Apple launching its next product(that is momentous). Or you have Tom Cruise make his maiden trip to India(that is momentous for his fans). Alternatively it could be about dramatic or salacious revelations that appeal to vicarious sensibilities of lay readers( a closet homosexual celebrity coming out in the open).
The bottom line is that Press Conferences are useful if they are warranted. If there are reporters clamouring for information about your company's activities it is a good idea to collect them at one place and disseminate the information in an organised manner. For example if a hospital has been getting negative press consistently, and the hospital administration wants to set the record straight and give their side of the picture; then a press conference is just the thing to go for.
A stage managed or contrived press conference may get you some manner of coverage, but it will not do much good to the image of the company or organisation in the long run. It is far better to engage the media organically over a length of time, and get them to know your products, services or cause for what it is, and let them carry forward the message at the right time.
There is so much that is invested in terms of time, effort and money in PCs, that one really needs to take a serious look at the whole concept. PR agencies recognise this and if they agree to holding a PC, they do so with proviso that there be bankable celebrities present, whose pictures or footage could then be presented as coverage, even though it might not at all add value to the brand or even detract from it. If for example a multi national had decided to set up shop in India, and they decide to call a Bollywood A lister for the launch PC, all the news would be about the impending release of that person's next big budget movie, rather than the nitty gritty of the business model the company has in mind for India.
There are of course Press Conferences that are hugely successful and impactful. These usually have to so with momentous occasions. Like India signing the nuclear deal with the United States, or Apple launching its next product(that is momentous). Or you have Tom Cruise make his maiden trip to India(that is momentous for his fans). Alternatively it could be about dramatic or salacious revelations that appeal to vicarious sensibilities of lay readers( a closet homosexual celebrity coming out in the open).
The bottom line is that Press Conferences are useful if they are warranted. If there are reporters clamouring for information about your company's activities it is a good idea to collect them at one place and disseminate the information in an organised manner. For example if a hospital has been getting negative press consistently, and the hospital administration wants to set the record straight and give their side of the picture; then a press conference is just the thing to go for.
A stage managed or contrived press conference may get you some manner of coverage, but it will not do much good to the image of the company or organisation in the long run. It is far better to engage the media organically over a length of time, and get them to know your products, services or cause for what it is, and let them carry forward the message at the right time.
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