When something is well known and has a body of fans, the creator of that thing can use publicity sparingly as a tease. This is what author J.K. Rowling is doing with her Harry Potter franchise. She lets her fans know now and again some interesting point or facts not in the book series. She builds dimensions of her characters on her web site and in public speeches. She has a play coming out that examines the grown Harry and his family. Each action is designed to keep her fans wanting more, which they unfailingly do. There are not many products or creations that have the fan base and marketplace pull to make the tease successful. Movie production companies use it with film trailers that sometimes work. Companies will use the “coming soon” announcement to gain interest. But, for the most part, there is too much noise in the marketplace for people to care. Rowling is in a privileged position, and she is using it well.
All Too Common
Journalists falling for fake news is all too common and growing more so by the day. Reporters are suckers for what appears to be a good story and they run with it before making a phone call to verify the facts. It is the job of PR practitioners to save members of the media from themselves by correcting false reports as soon as possible and preventing the spread of error. The challenge is that PR practitioners cannot watch all of the news and fake news sites at the same time. There is a time lag, albeit small, between spotting an error and responding. In that gap, reports can circle the world. One wishes that journalists do the basic job of reporting. But, the human desire to be first with a scoop is too much for some of them. They become transmitters, not reporters, and as a result, add to the noise of the marketplace. With the internet and the proliferation of news and news sites, the job of the PR practitioner is more important than ever.