Over the holidays, I got a chance to see the remake of a 1991 classic, Point Break. Although the film has been met by critical reviews, I thought the jaw-dropping action scenes made for an incredible afternoon of cinema.
The movie centers around Johnny Utah, an extreme athlete turned FBI rookie, on his quest to help solve a series of incredible heists. Along his search, he learns the crimes are being committed by other extreme athletes looking to fulfill a challenge called the Osaki 8 Ordeals. A series of physical and mental hurdles one must complete to reach enlightenment, or balance within themselves, I thought about how this applies to the world of public relations.
Read on to learn the 8 Ordeals of PR, as based on the challenges in Point Break.
PR Lessons from Point Break: The 8 Ordeals of Public Relations
- Emerging Force
The first Osaki 8 Ordeal the criminals committed was called Emerging Force. In public relations, this first hurdle is the beginning of your campaign. Start strong and with a solid plan in mind and you will emerge victorious.
- Birth of Sky
The sky in the world of public relations is vast, large and mostly yours for painting with your own vision. The openness of the sky should be seen as an opportunity for growth and the ability to reach as many people possible. Social media marketing is a great way to harness this power.
- Awakening Earth
Once you’ve set out to reach your audience, you’ll need to awaken them and encourage engagement. Use social media marketing tactics to entice your audience with images, capture their attention with questions or hold contests.
- Life of Water
An epic surf scene marked the Life of Water Ordeal. Water is an essential to life and this lesson can be applied to public relations by taking a few tips from rain. Inclement weather can be bad, but a light rain shower can nourish your plans and help your goals grow.
- Life of Wind
The Life of Wind Ordeal was illustrated with an amazing action scene involving wingsuits and incredible heights. The Life of Wind also applies to public relations, because like PR, winds change and move quickly and without notice. Public relations is an ever-changing field, and PR pros should watch the trends as they ebb and flow like wind.
- Life of Ice
According to Point Break, “The only law is gravity.” This was shown as the criminals hijacked an airplane carrying money to the U.S. and instead airdropped it over poorer countries. Although this happened during the Birth of Sky Ordeal, this applies to public relations in the form of crisis communications. Negative publicity can be ice cold, making it necessary for you to brush up on crisis tactics and prepare for the worst.
- Master of Six Lives
An interview with Edgar Ramirez, who played Johnny Utah, shows us that the Master of Six Lives Ordeal means taking responsibility for more than oneself. Not making it all about you is essential to this lesson and also to public relations. Journalists and the media will rarely be interested in news that isn’t helpful to their readers or widely applicable.
- Act of Ultimate Trust
This public relations ordeal is a tough one, as it can be hard to trust in your methods to fulfill your goals for the future. Public relations can take at least 6-12 months of steady work to see measureable results, so it’s important you ultimately trust in your actions and wait to see them out until your goals are complete.
Have you seen the new Point Break? What other public relations lessons can you gather from the film?
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