With an audience of over 2 billion people worldwide, the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has an overwhelming media presence. It is not just news; it is the human-interest story of the moment (and for years to come). And PR pros in Great Britain and beyond have been using the nuptials as a hook to create buzz, generate hits and sell stories, products, vacations, and more. Not only is the wedding timely, prominent and impactful, it also captures the hearts, eyes, and wallets of varied publics around the world as the most newsworthy story since, well, actual news.
Here’s a brief look at the different spins put onto Royal Wedding buzz to generate media attention:
From imitations of Kate’s engagement dress to “Kissed by a Prince” lip gloss and hand sanitizer, manufacturers all over are slapping a Royal Wedding sticker on their products to generate sales. Souvenirs are one thing, but one you find yourself adding a creepy cardboard Kate cutout to your online shopping cart, you know you’ve been spun by the Royal Wedding media masters.
For more, check out The 7 Most Ridiculous Royal Wedding Products, by Jen Doll of The Village Voice Blogs
Travel companies are another industry abuzz with Royal wedding frenzy. They’re mass-producing rates and packages for those who dare to venture into Britain for the affair. Yahoo News has accumulated the most outrageous offers into their article: Royally Ridiculous Royal Wedding Travel Packages.
News stations, obviously, are also using the story to attract audiences. Stations like CNN had about 50 journalists and producers on site around Buckingham Palace, while Youtube broadcast a live streaming of the ceremony. WEtv and Wedding Central allotted over 100 hours of show time to wedding-related programs. NBC Online also has a blog (The Windsor Knot) and twitter feed (@royalwedding) dedicated solely to wedding news. They’ve even launched a Royal Wedding iPad app that provided photos and reports of the ceremony. Music artists like George Michael and Colbie Callait also released exclusive wedding-inspired songs on news stations throughout last week. And how could we forget Lifetime’s made-for-TV movie “William and Kate,” which conducted a promotion offering viewers the chance to win a trip to London for the wedding day.
If all the spin on royal wedding buzz has you feeling dizzy, you’re not alone-check out this Philadelphia Daily News rant on the royal ruckus. If not, feel free to browse the plethora of products listed above to comfort you in your post-nuptial depression, although I’m sure we haven’t quite yet heard the last of this majestic match.
Written by: Gabriella Chiera
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