Public relations photography is, or at least should be, much more advanced today.
Today I received an unwanted press release from a Toronto public relations company. It was a good example of what not to do especially if you’re claiming to be a professional communications company.
The emailed press release was for a recent fashion event in Toronto.
1) I have never given any expressed or implied consent to be on this mailing list. My only guess is that this PR company got my email address from an unrelated entertainment event I photographed in 2018.
2) That 2018 entertainment event should not have given out email addresses without prior permission. Organizations cannot collect email addresses for one purpose and then use or distribute them for other purposes.
3) Repurposing emails from past unrelated events is not particularly good business because it’s unethical. Organizations cannot collect email addresses for one purpose and then use or distribute them for other purposes.
4) The email had no unsubscribe link. I’ve replied to previous emails from this PR agency and asked to be removed from its mailing list but nothing ever happened.
All of the above violate Canada’s anti-spam law and/or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
But wait, there’s more.
Useless Public Relations Photos
The emailed press release contained three links to download video and pictures of the fashion event.
1) It was amateur cellphone video with horrible audio. It made the event look cheap and amateurish.
2) A link to bulk download 989 photos (4.8 GB). Who is going to waste their time downloading 4.8 GB of unknown images and then waste more time sorting through 989 pictures?
This screams dump and run which is the sign of an amateur photographer and amateur public relations.
3) Another link to 342 more images (370 MB) shot by another photographer. These images were posted on an online gallery service so you could see the images before downloading. But the unedited images had no captions, no names, no information whatsoever.
Be A Good Example
A responsible and experienced public relations agency would:
• Review and verify its mailing list on a regular basis. Determine where the addresses came from and how and when consent was obtained.
• Carefully select which images or video to deliver so it can control its client’s message and make the client look good. Ensure that photos meet news media standards.
• Respect its media contacts by not wasting their time with hundreds or even thousands of useless photos.
