Publicity Officer

[Neill Cooper]

Unfortunately exposure to local newspapers won't hit the radar.

After one of my few articles a school contacted me to ask for a chess tutor. So it is read by some. This probably works better in the 'shires' than in cities. It is not much effort to write as short report with a photo you have taken and email it in.

[Steve Rooney]

Our league is fortunate in having two active players who are local journalists so we get a regular column in both the daily and weekly newspapers. It's a good way of keeping everyone informed and it certainly must have some benefit in letting people know that chess clubs exist and encouraging new players. Most local newspapers also put stories on their websites which makes them widely accessible. We are lucky to have two 'staffers' who do the work, often in their own time, but you can also achieve results with volunteers and we also have other local resources in terms of PR people and trade press journalists who know how to write and present a press release.

Promoting national events is obviously a different matter although I don't think I would waste much energy on getting into the tabloids. People reading a tabloid - I wouldn't use the term 'tabloid reader' as they may well read other things as well and just be delving into the red-tops for light entertainment - want something a bit more exciting and sensational. Unless you have a wonder child taking GM scalps or fisticuffs over the board, it's hardly going to excite the editors and in the case of the latter, won't be of much help in promoting chess.

[Louise Sinclair]

Promoting national events is obviously a different matter although I don't think I would waste much energy on getting into the tabloids. People reading a tabloid - I wouldn't use the term 'tabloid reader' as they may well read other things as well and just be delving into the red-tops for light entertainment - want something a bit more exciting and sensational. Unless you have a wonder child taking GM scalps or fisticuffs over the board, it's hardly going to excite the editors and in the case of the latter, won't be of much help in promoting chess.

Steve Rooney

Posts: 242
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:36 pm
Location: Church Stretton

Steve
I can see what you are saying but unfortunately tabloid journalism is reflecting modern day society - even the broad sheets are beginning to focus on lighter sensationalism.So where does one look for promoting events and getting publicity?

[Krishna Shiatis]

Always take the indirect approach - otherwise you have to pay for it...

[Steve Rooney]

Promoting national events is obviously a different matter although I don't think I would waste much energy on getting into the tabloids. People reading a tabloid - I wouldn't use the term 'tabloid reader' as they may well read other things as well and just be delving into the red-tops for light entertainment - want something a bit more exciting and sensational. Unless you have a wonder child taking GM scalps or fisticuffs over the board, it's hardly going to excite the editors and in the case of the latter, won't be of much help in promoting chess.

Steve Rooney

Posts: 242
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:36 pm
Location: Church Stretton

Steve
I can see what you are saying but unfortunately tabloid journalism is reflecting modern day society - even the broad sheets are beginning to focus on lighter sensationalism.So where does one look for promoting events and getting publicity?

To be fair, tabloids have been with us for a long time. And sensational may not always mean titillation. The Guardian's relentless pursuit of the hacking scandal was somewhat sensational, but it was undoubtedly also in the public interest.

Back on the subject of promoting the British Championship, a starting point might be to try and anticipate what a journalist might be looking for in terms of an angle. For instance: Is there, say, a 10 year old who is going to be in with a chance of winning? Are the top rated British players all there to slug it out? Is there evidence of a major increase in participation in chess? If the answers are negative, then it's probably not going to get their interest.

I am not in the least surprised about the reported reaction from the BBC but I also don't think it matters too much. There are good opportunities to get coverage in the host region and the internet offers a means of getting the event to the wider chess world, albeit for a global chess audience it may be judged by the relative strength of the top boards compared to other events being streamed live at this time.

I think it's much better to be realistic and capture local coverage and specialist chess media than expend a lot of energy chasing the nationals, particularly when we rely on the goodwill and time of volunteers.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Unfortunately exposure to local newspapers won't hit the radar - most people don't bother to read them. Todays focus is on the tabloids.

Want to get chess in the tabloids? What you need is a chess-playing, crime-fighting supersleuth. Step forard DCI Mondo: http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... thsay.html.


I tend to agree with you about the reach of today's local papers - isolated examples aside. Not that people should stop sending stories of their locals if they wish. Every little helps.

Given the potential readership of the internet, it's a pity the website isn't even better than it is. In particular it's a shame that the organsisers are deliberately with-holding the games for a day. I understand the financial reasons of trying to sell bulletins on site, but the downside for the spread of information is obvious.

None of this, btw, is meant as a criticism of the team in North Shields. I understand there was zero budget for it. If we really want to push chess to the public good websites are essential. Aside from anything else there are loads of people who play casually on the internet. It seems to me that trying to encourage a few of them to play club chess would be quite a profitable way to expand numbers.


[EDIT]: Talking of the internet, it's my impression that the coverage is more reliable than early rounds of pervious years. Again this is very much not meant as a criticism of those invovled who I know were working on a shoe-string budget or less, but obviously a realiable live feed and quick and easy access to games after the round has concluded are essentials for good coverage.

[Louise Sinclair]

Aside from anything else there are loads of people who play casually on the internet. It seems to me that trying to encourage a few of them to play club chess would be quite a profitable way to expand numbers.

Most internet chess players are not interested in leaving the comfort of their homes to play club chess. This is why club chess is dying a slow death. I used to be a senior administrator on a site and we attracted some strong players but they were quite happy just to sit indoors with their feet up and a beer idling away online. The internet has destroyed a great deal of social interaction.
Louise

[JustinHorton]

Most internet chess players are not interested in leaving the comfort of their homes to play club chess.

No doubt. But some are, and I have on occasion managed to get them to play club chess. in fact, in my experience the biggest obstacle was that they thought club chess was full of really strong players and they'd get smashed every time - which is not a completely groundless fear, not because club chess is so strong, but because most inline players are relatively weak.

But it's something that should be seriously looked into.

[Roger de Coverly]

[ in fact, in my experience the biggest obstacle was that they thought club chess was full of really strong players and they'd get smashed every time - which is not a completely groundless fear, not because club chess is so strong, but because most inline players are relatively weak.
But it's something that should be seriously looked into.

Many chess federations have national membership structures which make it difficult, expensive or both to offer any sort of trial club membership which would include taking part in "proper" rated chess.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Most internet chess players are not interested in leaving the comfort of their homes to play club chess.

I'm quite sure that this is true, but I reckon the proportion of people who will ever play club chess is probably higher amongst people already playing on line than it is for a random sample of the general population.

I used to be a member of one site, btw, which had a number of players who'd taken up the game on becoming involved in chess boxing. I bet some of these folk - if not many - would dip their toe in face-to-face chess if they were given information about how to join a club/play in tournaments etc and encouraged to do so.

[Louise Sinclair]

In our league we have seen chess clubs folding either due to low membership or because they cannot find a reasonably priced venue.

[Paul Cooksey]

I put off another post in this thread until I had time to reply to some of the interesting points made. Unfortunately there are now too many! So sorry about the very long post, I'll look into getting a blog and turning off comments.

Sport
Going back a long way:

The BBC informed Lara (twice just to rub salt in the wounds) that they wouldn't cover the event since they were concentrating on sports this summer. They stated that officially chess was not recognised as a sport.

provoked some discussion on chess as a sport. But I suspect even if chess were a sport the bbc would not be interested this summer. It is just a convenient indisputable response. I'm reminded of the BBC sport documentary that found young footballers were often told "you're not big enough", because it was easier for the coach to say than "you're not good enough".

I understand Paolo's enquiry about chess as a sport. But I was happy to see Andrew said the ECF is not currently actively pursuing it, since I think it would be wasted effort. We had friends in government recently, David Robertson gave us some interesting insights. Our problem was not winning the moral argument to be a sport, it was winning the practical one. The time and effort to change the law defining sport, which does affect things like lottery funding, was more than our political importance could justify. We have to keep our eyes open for an opportunity, if a bigger group wants changes.

I do think it is relevant that the government has given us something, possible charity status. It is a bit more complex to use than funding or status as a sport. But the nature of politics is that we are unlikely to get another gift if we ignore the one we've already been given.

The British
I'm not sure how the Marketing Director could promote the British well nationally. It is one of the reasons I'm in favour of reform, in the hope we can find a format that is easier to promote.

In passing I don't want to defend the DoM. I've been accused at various times of being an apologist for CJ, the CEO, and the Home Director (admittedly, not the last one today). I'm also apparently dazzled by the FIDE delegates charisma and celebrity. So I don't have have the time to time to help Tim too. Although I could imagine a coherent marketing strategy that did not include the British, because I'm not sure it is a flagship event, I'm doubtful it was treated as it was for strategic reasons.

Local Press
The local press will indeed cover anything, even chess, if you give them content. But marketing has to have an aim. It seems to me the most sensible use of loacl media is to get people into chess clubs, so it is chess clubs not the ECF who should be using it.

Popular Media
Similarly, I see Krishna's vision of promoting youngish titled players, but I want to ask the fundamental marketing question - what are we selling to who? It sounds to me like part of the secondary school junior chess strategy, not something that would appeal to a man reading a newspaper on a Clapham omnibus. That said, thinking about target demographics, maybe Krishna is a person we should think about. Potential chess parents read magazines, which are hungry for human interest content. I'm not sure how you would pitch a story at a parent that encourages them to introduce their children to chess. But maybe someone does see it. (Unfortunately Gawain and Sue have missed the chance to sell their wedding pictures to Hello. )

The concept of a "media darling" is an interesting one, and I think crosses into the discussion about popular media. Professor Brian Cox is maybe an example, a physicist who somehow quickly became the tabloids face of science. The trouble here is finding the group of activities that are in the popular media that link with chess. I don't see them. Simon Spivak made an excellent point in another thread about a conversation with a poet. Even taking away what we see as our main image problems - the middle aged man factor - we would probably still struggle to get popular coverage, because we are an intellectual activity. Poetry is not dominated by middle aged men, but receives similar disparaging coverage from the popular media. We have an anti-intellectual strand in our popular culture which will unfortunately outlive us all.

I am far more optimistic chess may benefit from a slightly higher brow approach. It would be premature to describe Jonathan Rowson as a media darling. But he has appeared on radio 4's Today a couple of times. The first time giving a think tank view on something unrelated to chess. However his return, when they had a chess story, was very encouraging. Editorially, they did not need to cover it, but wanted to and knew someone they could go to. He noted 40% of people are now attending university, and referenced Melvyn Bragg's concept of the mass intelligentsia. These days being clever doesn't mean being small.

It seems to me 10 million chess players, and the ECF working with ITV1 is unrealistic. But a hundred thousand, and the ECF working with Radio 4 would be a bright future. Even if we are relying on a Scot to lead the way

[Andrew Zigmond]

Local Press
The local press will indeed cover anything, even chess, if you give them content. But marketing has to have an aim. It seems to me the most sensible use of loacl media is to get people into chess clubs, so it is chess clubs not the ECF who should be using it.

Surely the ECF does benefit from people joining local chess clubs as the minute they get involved in competitive chess (even if they just get drafted into a local league match as a last minute reserve) the odds are they'll have to either join the ECF or pay game fee?

I've laboured this point a few times but we are not going to find a quick win anywhere. It's going to have to be hundreds of tiny initiatives that may only yield one new player, if that. However I think some interesting ideas have been put forward on this thread and it would be nice to think that somebody (ie the Director of Marketing) was taking notice.

[Paul Cooksey]

Surely the ECF does benefit from people joining local chess clubs as the minute they get involved in competitive chess (even if they just get drafted into a local league match as a last minute reserve) the odds are they'll have to either join the ECF or pay game fee?

Sure, the ECF benefits. I could argue that the ECF exists as a Federation to do what the individual chess organisations cannot, unlike the centralised FFE structure for example. But really my point was practical, the clubs can do it better, because they are locally based.

I've laboured this point a few times but we are not going to find a quick win anywhere. It's going to have to be hundreds of tiny initiatives that may only yield one new player, if that. However I think some interesting ideas have been put forward on this thread and it would be nice to think that somebody (ed ie the Director of Marketing) was taking notice.

I agree that it is good to have different strategies to try to attract different types of player. But for the DoM, although the more ideas the better, I think there needs to be a strategy to use the resources available most efficiently. That means deciding what will work best, and focusing on it. For example, better to use Ben to promote one event well, so it gets coverage, than the spread him thinly across many things, and potentially have no impact.

I'm doubtful the DoM is listening. Some jobs can be done well behind closed doors, but marketing is probably not one of them.

[Geoff Chandler]

It's not fair to single out anyone for the lack of national publicity.

It would not matter if you hired the best PR company in the world to promote
the 2012 British Chess Championship, nothing and I repeat nothing is going to
stop a determined media from shoveling the Olympic Games down our throats.

I'm doing my utmost to avoid it all. I've no need to see any of it, we all know what will happen.

Suddenly the whole nation will be forced to become huge rowing and sailing fans
even though most of us cannot tell our port from our starboard. (Port is Queenside, Starboard is Kingside).

Unknown Ethiopians will win all the running events except for the 100 meteres.
(that event will be run in approx 9 secs which is great TV because the attention span
of the average viewer is 9 seconds.)

Not forgetting the gut wrenching medal ceremony which guarentees the
British winner a lifetime seat on breakfast televisions shows.

Union Jacks fluttering in the breeze, the national anthem playing,
the camera zooming in to catch the tears of the gold medal winner.......Unbeatable.