Public relations strategy for promoting "12 Years a Slave" film

PR Advertising

The film 12 Years a Slave is promoted using a multitude of tools. There are several objectives of the public relations campaign. The first is to gain as much exposure for the film as possible, so that as many potential consumers are aware of its release. The second is to create interest in the film. This is done through a campaign that emphasizes education about the film's content and the relevance of its story. Lastly, the quality of the film needs to be projected by the public relations.

Public relations is defined as the "strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics" (PRSA, 2012). This definition identifies that public relations has two components -- the sender of the information and the receiver. The role of the public relations is also defined here as one of relationship-building, which implies something greater than one-way communication. Through this lens, we can examine the public relations efforts related to 12 Years a Slave.

The actors and others involved in the production of the film have gone on talk shows to discuss the film. This is a common public relations tactic or a new film release. Essentially, the talk shows in particular exist to serve as an outlet for media content providers to push a message. The talk show benefits from having a topical guest -- new release movies are always big draws with the public -- and the film's producers and public relations team gets the opportunity to increase the exposure of the film. The actors speak to the talk show host, and this gives them by way of proxy an opportunity to communicate things to the audience., for example about the subject matter of the movie and to define the relevance of the movie for the modern-day audience.

Another element of the movie's public relations has been the awards and nominations. The film has thus far garnered significant praise, something that is promoted in the public relations. These awards help to generate buzz about the film. The awards serve as media talking points and prompts, especially when the film in question is still in release. For example, Friedman (2013) notes some major awards that the film has recently one, which helps to establish a premium marketing position for the film. The positioning establishes not only that this is a film about slavery but that it is also a very good film.

The movie's success has also prompted considerable debate about the role the movie plays in promoting discussion about slavery and its legacy today. McKinney (2013) notes that the movie has sparked discussion about the fictional construct of race and that the movie challenges the notion of the free black man, in a society where race is still an important determining factor in the opportunities that are presented. The debate about race and social class coming up as the result of the movie shows that the public relations of the movie has gone beyond merely recounting the issues of racial constructs in the time of slavery but how those constructs still manifest in society today. This is a public relations coup, because it underscores the relevance of the movie. For the public relations department, this is the two-way communication element, the dialogue between the intended audience and the public relations department.

Normally a film release might generate a little bit of buzz and then fade away, so the ongoing attention paid to this film would constitute a successful public relations campaign, one that highlights the importance of driving public dialogue. Where such dialogue exists, the film increases in its relevance. Thus we arrive at the condition today where the movie is one of the most talked-about releases, because of is has the component of a great public relations campaign. There is high exposure of the name, there are specific quality traits associated with the name and because there is a dialogue surrounding the name as well.

Public relations for the movie also includes the advertising. A successful public relations campaign will features a seamless interplay between the advertising/marketing component of the public relations component. The message in particular needs to be consistent, such that the public relations constitutes the opening of the dialogue between the sender and the recipient.