Are you planning to watch The Oscars on Sunday night? If years of long-winded thank-you speeches and stuffed shirts have turned you off, you might want to give Oscar another shot. Don’t look now, but it looks like Hollywood’s biggest award ceremony may have just joined us in the second decade of the 21st century.
Let’s have a laugh. The Oscars are no stranger to humor, but it is usually reserved for the hosts’ on-stage jokes and it rarely ever makes light of the awards ceremony itself. One look at the promo spots for this year’s show tells you that outdated approach is going by the wayside — this year’s organizers clearly know the value of having a laugh at your own expense. If co-hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco are able to bring that same fresh humor to Sunday’s show we could all be in for a good laugh.
One screen is not enough. More people are watching TV with a laptop, iPad or smartphone in hand and using it to offer their own live commentary via Facebook or Twitter. This is a perfect fit since making snarky comments about the evening’s fashion choices is usually at least half the fun. The Oscars are taking full advantage of viewers’ connectivity this year, offering a variety of online and mobile options to supplement the live broadcast.
Who’s asking the questions? The Oscars aren’t just using social media to promote the show; they’re also using it to let the audience’s voice be heard. On The Oscar Facebook page, fans can submit questions for award nominees to answer on the red carpet.
Now for the PR/marketing tie-in. (Come on, you knew there had to be one.) Are you taking yourself too seriously? Has your marketing approach gotten so stale that you’re in danger of being “played off the stage” like an unknown award recipient who dares to give a speech longer than 30 seconds? Are you using a variety of channels to meet your audience where they are and when they are most open to hearing from you? Are you letting your customers’ voice be heard?
If not, Oscar might have a few lessons in store for you.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman specializes in building and maintaining relationships with the media and has an excellent track record of landing significant placements in print and broadcast media including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Money Magazine.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Matt helps organizations protect and advance their reputations and bottom lines through strategic communications programs. Using creativity, planning and flawless execution, he works with a team to deliver compelling public relations campaigns that produce results and support clients’ business objectives.