Sony’s movie, ‘The Interview,’ has drawn quite a bit of controversy and conversation with its’ recent debut. Despite North Korea’s threats against those who saw the film, I was one of the more than 750,000 people who have watched ‘The Interview’ in the brief time it has been bouncing around the Internet. Despite the threats of international violence, Sony pictures gave in and released the film online, much to most of America’s glee. Here are 3 PR lessons from the release of ‘The Interview.’
Photo Courtesy of: Ian Muttoo
3 PR Lessons from ‘The Interview’
1. Stick to Interviews
PR practitioners who have a crisis communications plan in place for their campaigns know you never cancel your scheduled interviews for fear of creating negative attention on yourself and your brand. A few days before ‘The Interview’ was scheduled to release, the American public watched as Seth Rogen and James Franco dodged the media and cancelled their interviews. We wondered, enthralled, if we were going to get to view a film with such controversy.
2. Don’t Give In To Online Bullies
Sony may have damaged their reputation in the short term by giving into initial threats from North Korea to halt release of the film. When other countries such as the Czech Republic received the same warning, they immediately cited their democratic structure as a reason to release the film without a hitch. Remember who you are when making decision about your public relations campaign, and don’t give in if you’ll compromise your values.
3. Create a Controversy
A film about the most secretive nation in the world? Canceled interviews and online pirating? ‘The Interview’ was one of the most followed movie releases of all time. By creating a film with such a large possibility for error, both at the theatre and on a global scale, ‘The Interview’ managed to grab our attention and hold it for much longer than the hour and 52 minutes run time.
The conversation surrounding The Interview includes a lot of speculation. Is North Korea really responsible for the cyber attacks against Sony? Yes. Is America responsible for shutting down North Korea’s Internet in retaliation? Maybe. What do you think?
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