January 2007

BUZZ N SHETTY

The Daily Mirror has an interview with Shilpa Shetty which takes up practically a third of the paper. I don’t think this will be the full stop on Shilpa’s story, but what is interesting for a media watcher is The Sun’s front page. The cover has been created as a response to losing the interview to The Mirror, and The Sun has cleverly developed the race debate structuring it in a way that its readers will connect to.

Jade Goodey has provided us with a well orchestrated photo, driving into the Priory. She’s obviously going for the sympathy vote - the tried and tested showbiz get out clause; check yourself into the Priory, out of circulation and buy some time. I suspect that there is a lot of plotting going on in the Goody camp at the moment, so expect a PR onslaught after the dust has settled.

Also, while looking at the press, I saw a feature in yesterday’s G2 of the Guardian, which was all about buzz marketing. I try not to be cynical, but a number of the ideas claimed to be thought up by modern guerrilla marketing companies have all been staged sometime before by more clever and creative operators. What is crucial with a great buzz marketing idea is that it has to generate word of mouth.

The greatest impact is gained if the idea connects with the media. You can often see the puppet master behind so many great ideas. A really good publicity stunt is where everyone is engaged and no one can define it as a medium built to generate buzz. With so many marketing communications companies trying to get at marketing budgets, and so many fooled by stunts, I predict a backlash soon.

SHILPA SET TO CASH IN AFTER SURVIVING BIG BROTHER ORDEAL

The Scotsman 29 Jan 2007

AS TELEVISION reality show Celebrity Big Brother finally ground to a
halt last night after nearly a month on air, Shilpa Shetty - the
Bollywood actress at the centre of alleged racist bullying by other
contestants - was poised to convert her ordeal into a string of
lucrative career deals.

One leading UK PR expert last night said Shetty clearly had breakthrough
potential outside Bollywood cinema, but queried whether it was worth the
actress's effort.

Mark Borkowski said: "Bollywood probably generates a lot more money than
mainstream television or film in this country. The question is whether
Shilpa Shetty can be bothered with this territory.

"Shilpa has got more riches than the average A-list Hollywood star so
the question is whether she wants to leave that cosseted life behind,
and less intrusive media, and come over here to be famous through a
reality TV show that hasn't given anyone who has won it any long-term
popularity.

Shilpa set to cash in after surviving Big Brother ordeal

FERGUS SHEPPARD MEDIA CORRESPONDENT
Edition or section: 4 Page number: 3 Word count: 664
The Scotsman 29 Jan 2007

AS TELEVISION reality show Celebrity Big Brother finally ground to a
halt last night after nearly a month on air, Shilpa Shetty - the
Bollywood actress at the centre of alleged racist bullying by other
contestants - was poised to convert her ordeal into a string of
lucrative career deals.

Before she became the subject of jibes over her accent and cooking
abilities, the star of Bollywood films had been a 14-1 outsider. But the
televised taunts of Jade Goody - dubbed the "dim reaper" by one tabloid
- have propelled her into an earnings winner.

The 5ft 10in Bollywood dancer is now one elegant step away from a
mainstream breakthrough. While Shetty was dabbing tears away inside the
camera-festooned Big Brother House, her mother Sunanda was busy hiring
legendary publicist Max Clifford to represent her daughter.

The cogs of the marketing machine are already running in high gear. The
first pay-off for her meteoric rise to UK recognition will be a GBP
100,000 interview deal with a tabloid newspaper. The actress - already
wealthy from a string of hit Bollywood films - pocketed a fee of GBP
345,000 just for entering the Big Brother house.

Celebrity Big Brother became embroiled in claims that Shetty had been on
the end of racist bullying from fellow housemates Jade Goody, the former
S Club 7 singer Jo O'Meara and model Danielle Lloyd. Even American actor
Dirk Benedict, famous for his role in the 1980s cult series The A-Team,
appeared to edge into controversial territory last Friday night when
questioned by Shetty on how many Indians lived in the UK. He replied:
"Millions, and they're breeding fast ... they're taking over."

Clifford, one of the PR world's shrewdest practitioners, believes
Shetty's much-publicised torment has been a PR coup that will
"comfortably" earn her GBP 1 million this year. "The sky's the limit
after that," he added.

One plank of that PR plan will be a campaign to expose Shetty to a
European - or, better yet, Hollywood - audience. While the actress has
worked solidly for the past 13 years, producing more than 40 movies, she
is not known outside the Bollywood arena and, at 31, is beginning to age
as a Bollywood pin-up.

One early project understood to be on the way is a compilation album of
Shetty's songs from her various films, titled A Bollywood Dream. A GBP
350,000 contract to make her the face of a cosmetics giant is also
reportedly in the pipeline and a lucrative book deal is a certainty.

Shetty is also being mooted as the UK face of Cricket Star, an X
Factor-style reality show popular in India, and may be in line to
promote India in adverts for the country's tourist board. Clifford's
office reportedly turned away 50 work propositions for Shetty in just
two days.

By contrast, Goody is fighting to rehabilitate her credentials and
earning power after on-air remarks, including dubbing Shetty "Shilpa
Poppadom". Danielle Lloyd has lost a modelling contract and, apparently,
her footballer boyfriend Teddy Sheringham, after voicing her desire for
Shetty to "f*** off home".

One leading UK PR expert last night said Shetty clearly had breakthrough
potential outside Bollywood cinema, but queried whether it was worth the
actress's effort.

Mark Borkowski said: "Bollywood probably generates a lot more money than
mainstream television or film in this country. The question is whether
Shilpa Shetty can be bothered with this territory.

"Shilpa has got more riches than the average A-list Hollywood star so
the question is whether she wants to leave that cosseted life behind,
and less intrusive media, and come over here to be famous through a
reality TV show that hasn't given anyone who has won it any long-term
popularity."

The race row lifted ratings for what initially had proven to be a
lacklustre fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother. Audience figures rose
from a low 2.8 million to net 7.8 million viewers on the night Goody,
25, was evicted by public vote.

THE LAST NODDY ON SHILPA SHETTY FOR RADIO 5 LIVE

I did probably the last noddy on Shilpa Shetty for Radio 5 Live this
morning for the breakfast show. What more can be said about this woman
who came up with the spontaneous sound bite last night?

“This country has given me so much. I just want to thank all of Great
Britain for giving me this fantastic opportunity to make my country proud.”

Breakfast show on Radio 5 Live mp3

SHE SURVIVED JADE, JO AND CHANNEL 4. NOW SHILPA REAPS HER REWARD

From Guardian Unlimited - UK
She survived Jade, Jo and Channel 4. Now Shilpa reaps her reward

At 9.46am yesterday, Shilpa Shetty, a Bollywood actor, began applying make-up. Four minutes later she sat down at the kitchen table. At 9.54am she began brushing rubbish from the kitchen floor, before asking if anyone would like to share a banana.
Almost two weeks after incidents of allegedly racist bullying of Shetty on Celebrity Big Brother led to an international furore, events inside the reality TV studio may have slumped into soporific tedium. But outside the frenzy shows little sign of abating.

Tomorrow evening , the Channel 4 series will stagger to its close, with Shetty favourite to be voted its winner.

While Jade Goody, her chief tormentor, fights to save her career, and Channel 4’s beleaguered executives struggle to salvage their battered reputations over their handling of the controversy, Shetty will emerge to a blizzard of demands for her story and offers of lucrative endorsements.

“The big question for Shilpa is whether or not she can stomach what is likely to be put in front of her,” said Mr Borkowski.

“She’ll be pored over by the media, when she can nip back and have a very different lifestyle in India. In India, they put their celebrities on a pedestal, here we don’t have that reverential genuflection. Does she need a career here at all?”

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1999956,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER COMES TO A HEAD

There is a real head of steam building as Celebrity Big Brother comes to a head. Rumours are circulating that Max Clifford is going to be the representative of Shilpa Shetty. If this is the case then agent John Noel who represents: Chantelle Houghton, Dermot O’Leary, Russell Brand, Davina McCall and Jade Goody will have to watch his step.

Max had lost Chantelle to John Noel in acrimonious circumstances and it was only a matter of time before he would find his opportunity to get revenge.

Expect Shilpa to distance herself from Jade and talk about the horrors she suffered from Noel’s cash cow Goody.

There are a number of parties that require the continued success of the Big Brother format. One that has a lot to loose is John Noel.

I will take a grand stand seat to watch the spin and counter spin as he paints her brand picture across the media but expect a colourful three ring circus and watch the pyrotechnican Max Clifford at work.

THE PERILS OF HDTV

It’s shocking news for Hollywood http://media.guardian.co.uk/diary/ that Sky is going to screen the Oscars in high definition. I suspect this might have got a few famous Hollywood faces scared to death if they’ve undergone a bit of nip and tuck. If the Oscars are shot and shown in HD, then won’t every scar and crinkle on our beloved stars, be visible to the world?

Those who haven’t come clean about surgery might well worry. But as in everything, you get what you pay for. Clever celebrities hire great publicists who spend an inordinate amount of time looking for elephant traps. Those celebs who invested at the cheap end of PR might find their investment has not been well placed. If you don’t get the best advice, it can literally ruin your career.

PUBLICITY STUNT BEYOND ALL PUBLICITY STUNTS

This could be the publicity stunt beyond all publicity stunts - are we really to believe that Jade Goody is going to undergo a life changing experience after news that she will visit India to apologise for her supposed racist remarks against Shilpa Shetty.

An unattributable source has given this nuggest of information to the media, but is someone just testing the water? Something far more creative could have been thought up to cleanse the soiled image of Jade Goody. Another newspaper suggests that she's actually been invited to India. It's interesting to note that all this stemmed from The Matthew Wright show on Channel 5. I love Lovely Matthew whom I adore, just happens to be another client of John Noel. John Noel acts as representative for Jade Goody, Davina McCall, Russell Brand and Dermot O'Leary.

This is a classic old school studio stunt. In the Hollywood studio days, if a star got themselves into some trouble, all their fellow stable mates would rally around to give suport to the beleagured individual. If you have talent on your books, you can occupy the high ground. But I'd like to go to Ladbrokes to see what the real odds are for Jade going to the sub continent. Five minutes is a lifetime in the 24 hour news agenda, and judging by what's happened over the last week, anything could happen.

IT WAS A GOODY WEEKEND FOR ME

I did a total of 32 interviews on Jade and the best are posted up here. There’s the afternoon programme on Radio 4, Saturday’s breakfast show on Radio 5 Live and the Stephen Nolan programme from Saturday evening which turned into a debate on the state of British Television.

Breakfast show on Radio 5 Live mp3

Stephen Nolan programme mp3

KRUSTY BART AND JADE GOODY- "WHO IS HEINZSTEIN?"

What more can be said about the Celebrity Big Brother chaos, the media world is all consumed by comment. I have found a quote from the Simpson's that at this time we need to jump too for some comic philosophy as we muse on the cult of celebrity.

In an episode called Bart the Fink, Bart inadvertently alerts the IRS to tax fraud by Krusty the Clown, who can't bear to live "like a schnook" after the government sells his possessions. The auction is complete, and Krusty sits by the curb. Bart comes by and asks if he can sit down.

Bart: I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, Krusty, but you
know, my mom says God never closes a door without opening a
window.
Krusty: No offense, kid, but your mom's a dingbat! There's no silver
lining here. I was a big cheese. A huge cheese! And now
look at me!
I got to ride the bus like a schnook.
I got to live in an apartment like an idiot!
I have to wait in line with a bunch of nobodies to buy
groceries from a failure!
Bart: It doesn't matter what you did wrong, though, as long as you're
on TV people will respect you.
Krusty: [spits] Bah. What good is respect without the moolah to back
it up. Everywhere I go I see teachers driving Ferraris,
research scientists drinking champagne.
I tried to drink a Coke on the bus, and they took away my
pass!
[breaks a bottle of scotch]
That's no life for a famous clown.

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER THE FALL OUT

Lets face it Channel 4 are guilty of revenue chasing. I am sure both Endermol and the channel are hoping the tornado will pass before they come up with a strategy rebuild. I think it's deeply ironic that the totemic Estuary bint that has plundered the post Big Brother universe for revenue should return to finish it off.

Mark discusses the PR implications with Eddie Mair on the BBC Radio 4 PM programme 18th January 2007

Download mp3 to listen

CCB THE DEBATE

Without a shadow of a doubt, Channel 4 is profiting from the latest interest in Big Brother. It opened to its usual ballyhoo and media frenzy; the contestants, or some may say freaks, walk onto the show and within 48 hours the audiences have made up their minds if they like it or not. This year’s casting has proved to be a bit of damp squid, with more people walking out than actually being evicted and the figures have slumped. In the last 24 hours, the media madness has given Channel 4 an early Christmas present. The viewing figures have shot up and there is a definite publicity spike. Front page news, radio phone ins, bloggers and the Houses of Parliament are all debating whether Shilpa Shetty is a victim of racial bullying.

Channel 4 played a masterful PR stunt by giving a limited response to the furore. The bosses at Channel 4 and the heads of the production company, Endemol, haven’t put their heads over the parapet. The non-engagement has resulted in even more debate and column inches. They are clearly in a position where they can see the flames being fanned, but will choose their moment when they either add petrol to the fire, or extinguish it.

Admittedly, comment articles like this only go to serve the PR purpose, but if any newspapers really wanted to create an impact, then the Daily Mail would lead a campaign for its viewers to switch off altogether. The real loser in all this could have been The Carphone Warehouse had they not pulled their sponsorship today. In the 24/7 media universe, predictions about whether any of the participants involved in the abuse will suffer from any backlash, the next ten days will open out some interesting issues. The ploy to put Shilpa into the house was a master stroke as it’s engaging not only a British / Asian audience and the fans of Bollywood, but it’s provided a life line in the coverage war. Reputations might be bruised and battered, but the full extent of the fall out will be a foot note in history and unfortunately, because of the nature of debate, a loud sounding nothing.

HOW SHOULD KATE DEAL WITH THESE PRYING EYES

How should Kate deal with these prying eyes?
The Observer Sunday January 14, 2007

The story that Prince William is about to propose to his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, sent some of the country's fiercest snappers on to London's streets last week in search of the perfect pic.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,,1989793,00.html

For Middleton, who turned 25 last Tuesday, the prospect of life in front of the lens must be daunting. The scrum outside her home led to a statement from William demanding the media respect her privacy, and prompted a surprising response from News International, which said it will no longer publish paparazzi shots of her.

The scenes of photographers pushing cameras into a young woman's face recalled events involving Princess Diana a generation ago. The fact that they took place days after the inquest into Diana's death began serve as a stark reminder of press intrusiveness. We asked some of Britain's top PR experts what advice they would offer Middleton.
Gary Farrow
The Corporation

She shouldn't do anything yet. The media is bigger now than it was when Diana was at her height: anyone who's in the right place at the right time can make money from it now. She needs to plan very carefully and seek professional advice.

First of all she should make it clear she isn't going to step into Diana's shoes. She will be self-elected by the media because that's what they want; she's glamorous, she's young and she's attractive.

James Herring
Taylor Herring

No interviews at all - not even one, or it's open season. Anything that looks like posing to the cameras and she'll have nowhere to go. She's got to act like its business as usual as much as possible. But if it looks like they're heading down the aisle she should take a leaf out of Camilla's book. A series of well-managed set pieces which mark a tentative introduction to public life, but nothing that looks like an audition to be the next Queen.

If she wants any sanctuary from the media in the future her behaviour now is very important. If she starts playing up to it, it's going to be very hard to complain about her treatment and use the various regulatory bodies or the law.

Given that she's got her whole life ahead of her she doesn't need to be ticking the box marked 'publicity' at this stage; she should be hiring the publicity prevention unit. She might feel like she's got no privacy now but that's nothing compared with what will happen if there's a public announcement [about an engageement]. That's when the gloves will come off.

Mark Borkowski
Borkowski PR

She should have her own private council. People in the family have turned to people on the QT for advice but sometimes the decisions are made for the benefit of the brand rather than for the benefit of the individual. Don't make the mistake of developing relationships [with journalists], stay above it all and recognise that you're public property.

She should choose her charitable activities and the organisations she gets involved with carefully, and be the antithesis of what Diana was. You don't want to create the Kate Middleton roadshow.

Max Clifford
Max Clifford Associates

She needs professional help, professional guidance and professional protection. The biggest part of PR these days is protection. The whole thing last Tuesday was avoidable. She didn't suddenly become 25 and anyone who knows anything about the media would know there would be a barrage of TV reporters and cameras waiting outside. Did no one from the Palace know that? Either they are incompetent or they wanted to cause trouble. They could have set up a photo shoot five minutes from her house and everyone would have got their picture.

You can work with the press rather than against them and it's not too difficult to control. Prince William was left alone when he was at university.

Ian Monk
Ian Monk Associates

She needs to take advantage of the truce she's been offered by the Sun, which places huge moral pressure on everyone else, keep smiling for the cameras and keep her head down.

Julian Henry
Henry's House

She's someone who doesn't need PR advice. She's played a blinder so far. Her relationship with her boyfriend gives her an infrastructure, resources, experience and perspective. I think she's got a good profile. People expect celebrities to disgrace themselves, and historically some royals have. Some of the coverage has been quite nasty, implying that because she's a 25-year-old girl she can't cope and she needs help. It's insulting and it's bullshit. If you've grown up laughing at Big Brother and reading Heat you know how it works.

Lynne Franks
PR guru

She's handled it incredibly well. She's natural and she's friendly. She can't engage with the media - nor should she. But she seems to have a very nice personality that comes across regardless. We've seen from Princess Diana that trying to manipulate the media is not a very clever thing to do. William has asked the media to leave her alone and that will have an effect because it will elicit a certain amount of sympathy from the public and the editors.

Brian MacLaurin
Brian MacLaurin Associates

My assessment is that a marriage or an engagement is miles away, if indeed it ever comes by at all. The media could find itself playing a very long cat-and-mouse game with this young lady. In the meantime she's got to get on with her life, ignore it and start shutting down all her friends. It becomes a very isolated life, but that's what Sophie [Wessex] did. She didn't know it was going to lead to an engagement either, but she became very secretive. It's not a nice life. The media will try very hard to find her - I've been reading about how much a picture of her in a bikini would be worth. She shouldn't tell anyone anything, and should trust no one.

DIANA ALL OVER AGAIN?

Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia

[The royals] are much more controlled, in the same way a Hollywood studio would control the production of a film," says Mark Borkowski, a British public ...
See all stories on this topic

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/12/1168105179260.html?from=top5

BECKHAM AND MIDDLETON

From the USA to Australia Borkowski quoted on the issues of the day

A royal romance that's hardly a fairytale The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
But she manipulated the press to sell her image and unhappy message, a prominent British public-relations consultant, Mark Borkowski,

http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/a-royal-romance-thats-hardly-a-fairytale/2007/01/12/1168105181424.html?page=2

Britain Reacts to Posh and Becks's U.S. Move

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20008333,00.html

A royal romance that's hardly a fairytale

Their family's press office has modernised since Diana's death. "Charles' office, Clarence House, has brought in more commercially minded people … (The royals) are much more controlled, in the same way a Hollywood studio would control the production of a film," he says.

Ms Middleton is seven years older than Diana was at the same point; she has a university degree, a fledgling career in fashion and an earthy sense of humour. Early indications are that her stable background and level head will prevent the isolation and paranoia that Diana was susceptible to.

In Ms Middleton we see less of Diana and more of Princess Mary — formerly Mary Donaldson of Hobart. She had an established career in advertising and was 31 when she became engaged to Crown Prince Frederik. Support from the Danish establishment was crucial for Mary's seemingly smooth transition from Aussie girl to royal consort. She learned Danish and was comprehensively tutored in royal life; from deportment and public speaking to the all-important media management.

Mr Wober says such preparation for Ms Middleton is vital. Clarence House did not respond to questions on whether she is receiving training, even though she and William are not engaged.

But Mr Borkowski is adamant that it is under way. "She would be going through a huge amount of training. Of course. Anybody who comes in (does), yes, absolutely."

But no matter how much preparation Ms Middleton undertakes, Britain's media is notoriously aggressive and it will have a huge bearing over her future. Ms Middleton's lawyers have urged editors to exercise restraint. They are liaising with the Press Complaints Commission but have not launched a formal complaint.

On Tuesday, Rupert Murdoch's News International — owner of The News of the World and The Sun — announced that it would stop buying intrusive paparazzi pictures of Ms Middleton. One News International photographer told the BBC: "This girl is very young, very, very stressed … on her own walking out of that house every morning. She's had no experience, no training for it, she's just fallen in love with a prince and she shouldn't be punished for it."

William's spokesman issued a statement, saying: "We are pleased that News International has agreed to stop using the paparazzi pictures. What Prince William wants more than anything is for the paparazzi to stop hassling (Middleton)."

BECKHAM FOLLOWS THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.

The acres of space dedicated to David Beckham’s move to the US is staggering even by his own standards of hype. Make no mistake Beckham has a very clever and astute team behind him that has brokered this decision and deal. The simple fact is that for Golden Balls it’s a new beginning and not a new start. If he returned to Blighty wouldn’t he have to prove himself, in the land of the free it’s the new era?

IS THE GAME UP FOR THE PAPARAZZI?

Independent 10 01 2007

PR Mark Borkowski says there has been an exponential increase in "bounty hunters". "The number of old-school paparazzi, those who have a good relationship ...

"The number of old-school paparazzi, those who have a good relationship with PRs and their clients, is very small indeed. Now we have people who seek a quarry. These are people with no photographic skills. It's all about getting the picture. Digital technology has changed things for people. Now everyone can be a photographer. Last year, Noel Edmonds had his picture taken by guys who had been hiding up a tree in camouflage in mid-winter for days

http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2141635.ece

Is the game up for the paparazzi?

They hunt in packs. They shoot to thrill. They strike terror into the hearts of their quarry. The paparazzi may be the fiercest beasts in the celebrity jungle, but are they facing extinction? Ed Caesar investigates
Published: 10 January 2007
The scene outside Kate Middleton's flat in Chelsea yesterday morning was a predictable one. At 6am, dozens of tenacious journalists - TV crews and photographers - jostled with one another for position. What they wanted was a picture or clip of Prince William's girlfriend on her 25th birthday, leaving for work. And hours later, those unspectacular pictures were splashed across newspapers and websites all over the world.
Unpleasant, you might think, for an amiable girl such as Middleton. Prince William certainly does. He begged for the paparazzi to "stop harassing her". Stop the paparazzi? Impossible, surely. But William found an unlikely ally in Les Hinton, the executive chairman of News International, who announced a self-imposed ban on "paparazzi images" of Middleton in all the group's publications: The Sun, the News of the World, The Times, The Sunday Times, and thelondonpaper. The group, for whose red-top titles paparazzi pictures have been like oxygen, no longer wished to be part of the "media circus" outside her door.
News International, it seemed, had decided to be merciful. It was surprising, then, that on the day of the announcement, The Times featured a full-length picture of Middleton on its front page. Of course, The Times would contend that the picture, which was taken by an Associated Press photographer, could hardly be described as a "paparazzi image". Indeed, its two-page story - "Royal lawyers demand privacy crackdown" - details the legal measures Miss Middleton's lawyers are willing to use to protect their client's privacy.
But the front-page picture showed Middleton, looking less than happy, walking towards the camera. Is that a paparazzi image? It does not look like a portrait worked out by prior agreement. Then again, it was shot by a photographer from a reputable news agency, and was also taken in a public place. The main story on pages six and seven of the newspaper, meanwhile, was adorned by another full-length picture of Middleton and her royal boyfriend stepping into a car to the flash of paparazzi lenses. The same questions apply.
So what are "paparazzi images"? And who are these nefarious photographers lumped together under that seamy title of "the paparazzi"? News International was no help. When asked to expand on its definition of "paparazzi images" a spokesman said the company had decided to "carry out a ban on paparazzi images as they are understood in the generic sense - as generally understood by everyone".
The trouble is, not everyone understands. Is it the destination that defines the picture's status? Does it make any difference if I am looking at an unsolicited photograph of Drew Barrymore in Heat, or in Vanity Fair? Or is it the origin of the photograph that counts? Is it a paparazzi shot only if taken by a freelancer? Or do pictures taken by staff photographers count? Or is it about the chase? For every photographer who takes a punch from Chris Martin, there's one who's making a tidy sum with a pre-arranged "chance encounter" between star and snapper.

The term "paparazzo" was popularised in Federico Fellini's 1960 masterpiece La Dolce Vita. Fellini had remembered a school friend whose fidgety movements and constant energy had earned him the nickname "paparazzo" ("mosquito"), and the character of Signore Paparazzo, a news photographer, was born.
But the romantic associations of its inception have not endured. In the past 15 years, there can have been no species on earth more reviled than the paparazzi. Indeed, when Earl Spencer made a eulogy at the funeral of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, he talked about her wish to leave the country because of "the newspapers", and complained of a media plot to "bring her down".
"My explanation," said Spencer, "is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum... [Diana] was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age."
There - in that ferocious and most public of accusations - was the popular definition of the paparazzi: they are, in the public's eye at least, hunters.
It was not always so. Dave Bennett, who styles himself as a "showbiz photographer", and stopped being an on-the-street hunter in 1994, remembers the 1980s, the golden early years of the British freelance celebrity photographer, as a more innocent time. "The [paparazzi] industry has grown so much in the past 15 years that there are now dangerous numbers of people out there," he says. "When I was doing the paparazzi stuff, it was pretty jovial. Because there were only a few of us, we'd get a coffee in Langan's or San Lorenzo. When the star came out of the restaurant, there'd be a bit of banter, they'd have their picture taken, and they'd get in the car. If Kate Middleton's coming out of Boujis tonight, there will be 30 guys there. No wonder she needs the police."
Why the surge in numbers? "Well, the numbers always swell when there's the expectation of a big announcement, as there is now," says Bennett. "What many people don't know is that when you see a big crowd of photographers outside Kate Middleton's door, some of them are Fleet Street's finest. Their papers send them down there so that they don't have to pay for agency pictures.
"Generally, the industry has grown because the marketplace demands it. And because of the agencies. In the past few years, freelancers have relied on the agencies to sell their wares, and the agencies have seen the financial potential. They've employed their own staff photographers, too, and that's multiplied the numbers."
Bennett describes the life of a modern-day paparazzo as being "all about the chase and the money".
"These guys aren't interested in photography," he says. "In my day, most paparazzi had wanted to be on Fleet Street, but had been forced to do the paparazzi stuff because they didn't get an opportunity. It's just not like that any more. Anyone can do it. The streets are very rough now. And I hear that in LA a lot of the guys who are doing this are what they call gangbangers. That will probably head here too."
PR Mark Borkowski says there has been an exponential increase in "bounty hunters".
"The number of old-school paparazzi, those who have a good relationship with PRs and their clients, is very small indeed. Now we have people who seek a quarry. These are people with no photographic skills. It's all about getting the picture. Digital technology has changed things for people. Now everyone can be a photographer. Last year, Noel Edmonds had his picture taken by guys who had been hiding up a tree in camouflage in mid-winter for days."
What digital technology has also created, is the so-called Waparazzi - the camera-phone-toting Joes who take pictures of celebrities and send them to agencies. For most celebrities, this is wonderful news. Never have there been more opportunities to have one's knickerlessness displayed in so many formats. But for retiring types - such as Middleton - it is a precarious environment in which to protect one's privacy.
***
The relationship between the paparazzi and the privacy laws has always been a tricky one. Unlike in Germany, where photographers must ask permission from their subjects to take shots, British law is fuzzy. And the Press Complaints Commission's code on invasion of privacy, admits the organisation's assistant director, Stephen Abell, contains some grey areas. While it is "unacceptable to photograph individuals in a private place without their consent", the definition of a "private place" is moot. Just ask Britney Spears.
"A private place," says Abell, "is public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. So, the commission has considered public places where one would have a reasonable expectation of privacy to be a church, inside a restaurant, or one's place of work." But not on the street?
"It depends on the circumstance. Issues can be raised over the conduct of the photographer. For instance, the code talks about "persistent pursuit" being forbidden - so following someone is a contravention of the code."
Antony White QC, a specialist in privacy law at Matrix Chambers, says the devil is in the detail. "It's absolutely all about context," he says. One is not, for instance, fair game, as soon as one steps foot outside the house.
"If you're standing in the doorway, you're in the 'tidal zone' between private and public. Likewise if you're leaving the doctor's - even if you're leaving on to a public street. That might be called being 'in the aftermath of a private situation'. Parks and beaches are especially difficult, because they tend to contain both open spaces and secluded corners. Where one places oneself may have implications as to whether you consider yourself in public or in private."
Three of the most valuable news images of the past two years - Kate Moss taking cocaine; survivors finding their way out of Aldgate station on 7 July; and Saddam Hussein's execution - have been taken on mobile phones. But White is adamant that it doesn't matter whether you are a professional photographer or a bystander with a mobile phone camera. Everyone is subject to the same regulations.
"It all depends on the nature of the photograph and the context in which it is taken," White says. "And, critically, what you do with it."
***
It's what you do with it that counts. In the aftermath of Diana's death in 1997, a number of vituperative recriminations landed at the media's door. In this environment, some of the editors of Britain's national newspapers agreed a temporary armistice on using paparazzi images in their publications.
But the truce did not last. Before a year had passed, newspapers that had spoken out about the use of paparazzi images were back in the saddle. And they were there because they believed the paparazzi images made their newspapers more entertaining. They were probably correct.
So before we damn the paps to hell, it is worth reflecting that most of us today will consume one of their images. Early in 2006 I spent a day at Matrix Pictures, one of London's bigger paparazzi agencies, and two things struck me. The first was that, despite a certain swagger surrounding the major photographers - Stephen Walters, for instance, described himself as one of those "nasty celebrity photographers who likes to catch celebs at exactly the wrong moment - most of the employees were un-demonic.
The second was that, as each of the pictures dropped on to the agency's screens, the editors were able to work out precisely how much each image was worth and where they would be able to place it. When Marco Deidda and Jon Bushell caught Elton John kissing a friend in a bookshop, the editors immediately said it would make two red-tops - and thus it came to pass.
The experience showed the industry as a highly evolved business where every celebrity had a market worth. And, as Bennett says, it's not about the quality. When the mobile phone footage of Kate Moss snorting cocaine hit the front page of the Sunday Mirror, its rival, The Daily Mail, surmised that it had paid £150,000 for the images.
So, everybody has the potential to become seriously rich at the touch of a button. The paparazzi only continue to exist because they happen to be the most committed, and the most ruthless at collecting the images. The number of publications that document every last kiss and pratfall of the world's VIPs have increased exponentially over the past decade. And the money available to photographers with an exclusive has only matched the public's appetite to see those pictures. When Darryn Lyons, an Australian photographer who set up London's biggest paparazzi agency, Big Pictures, boasted that he had "made" magazines such as Heat and Closer in the 1990s, he was only half-exaggerating. Supply met demand.
So, if you are appalled at the intrusion into an ordinary girl's life, think on this - you wanted to see those pictures. I have a neuron in my brain devoted to Kate Middleton, and, if you have picked up a British newspaper in the past week, so do you. A study, carried out in 2005 by neuroscientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, claimed that the human brain contains neurons reserved for individual celebrities. So, when the boffins showed their guinea pigs a picture of Halle Berry, one neuron lit up. We all have a Julia Roberts neuron, a Tom Cruise neuron, even a Jade Goody one.
And we all now have a Kate Middleton neuron. For the past few days, as pundits predicted her engagement to the future King of England, the British public have been subject to an avalanche of Middleton pictures. Even News International's publications will publish pictures of our Queen-to-be (though they broke their own rule last night when thelondonpaper published a paparazzi picture of her). So we have a part of our brain whose purpose is to be satisfied by a pretty brunette in a Topshop dress. And for that, we can blame the paparazzi, or, if we are really brave, ourselves.
Who's who in 'celebrity photography'?
* DARRYN LYONS
Australian-born founder of the Big Pictures agency, and the biggest player in the world of "snatched" celebrity pictures. His work fills the pages of celebrity magazines such as Heat and Closer, which, he claims, would not have existed without him.
* JAMES PELTEKIAN
Long-established freelance, whose current online gallery includes shots of Prince William. Specialises in parties and other events, at which he has once photographed Kate Middleton (with her permission). Says he never gatecrashes. Refuses to do pavement or snatched shots.
* DAVE HOGAN
Award-winning snapper who now works for Getty Images. Says that he's a celebrity photographer, not a paparazzo. Specialises in big celebrity shoots, such as Mariah Carey, and says he has no desire to photograph Big Brother winners.
* REX FEATURES
Agency whose best-known photographer is Richard Young (pictured right) does both standard showbiz photocalls - premieres, parties and the like - as well as more unofficial shots. Its website is currently offering photographs of actors Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen out shopping in London, seemingly unaware that they were being pictured.
* RETNA
Long-established, major British agency that specialises in fashion, music and "red-carpet" photography, as well as staged and studio shots of celebrities. Admits to undertaking a certain amount of paparazzi work.
* JASON FRASER
Considered king of the "set-up" pap shot, he is believed to have been used by many celebrities to get the photographs they are happy with in the media. Estimated to have made more than £1.5m from shots of the Princess of Wales kissing Dodi Fayed shortly before they died.
* MATRIX
Established in 1999, Matrix has prospered in the boom in "informal" celebrity snapping, but, like Fraser, says it works closely with celebrities and their agents. Has taken decision not to doorstep Kate Middleton, but

HELP REQUIRED

How many public relations executives does it take to change a light bulb?

Anyone?

Please email the answer to sarahb@borkowski.co.uk

POLICE GUARD SPARKS KATE ENGAGEMENT TALK

Police guard sparks Kate engagement talk

The Scotsman 6th January
FERGUS SHEPPARD - Media Correspondent

SECURITY around Kate Middleton, girlfriend of Prince William, is believed to have been tightened within the past 48 hours.

Mark Borkowski said: "Many newspapers have cut back on their picture desks over the years and there are more very clever freelancers.

"Some of them, with the right impromptu picture of Kate Middleton syndicated - even if it is not taken up by a publication here - would earn enough to keep the average man, woman and child in this country in a life of luxury for the next year."

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=27772007

The increased police presence has prompted speculation that either the couple are set to announce their engagement or that she has been the victim of a threat.

What is known for certain is that the former St Andrews' student has been receiving growing attention from the paparazzi - something the Royal Family is understood to be keen to protect her from.

Despite the fact that as a private citizen she is not entitled to a police guard, two officers were posted outside Miss Middleton's Chelsea home on Thursday, and her VW Golf received a police escort as she drove to her job at the Jigsaw fashion chain in Kew, West London.

Then at 3am yesterday, a group of ten police officers were called to a London nightclub after 24-year-olds Kate and William became aware of photographers outside.

The presence of high-profile security support, marks a clear change in attitude towards safety arrangements regarding Miss Middleton, whose habit of travelling to work by public transport has been hailed as a sign of her "down-to-earth" attitude.

However, up to a dozen paparazzi photographers now routinely tail Miss Middleton in the hope of securing a lucrative snap - an all too familiar scenario for William, whose mother Diana died in a car crash while being chased by photographers in Paris in 1997.

William has reportedly been told by aides that he should make a decision on the couple's future before becoming a serving army officer prompting rumours of an imminent engagement announcement which would put Kate in line to become Queen.

One Fleet Street insider said: "Kate is seen as a more serious girlfriend than others so there is inevitably a lot of interest in what she does."

Ms Middleton has voiced her concern over media behaviour ever since her relationship with William became public. In 2005, her legal team asked newspaper editors for privacy.

The Press Complaints commission yesterday told The Scotsman that lawyers for Miss Middleton had recently been in contact expressing concern about how some photographers were behaving.

A spokesman for the press watchdog said: "Kate Middleton's lawyers have been in touch with us over the last few months.

"They have drawn to our attention a number of instances where they have had concerns."

Newspapers would be potentially in breach of the PCC's rules if they published paparazzi pictures that were obtained by subterfuge, harassment or other underhand methods.

However, one leading public relations expert last night warned that Miss Middleton was at the centre of a "long dirty war" driven by circulation and a global market for royal photos.

Mark Borkowski said: "Many newspapers have cut back on their picture desks over the years and there are more very clever freelancers.

"Some of them, with the right impromptu picture of Kate Middleton syndicated - even if it is not taken up by a publication here - would earn enough to keep the average man, woman and child in this country in a life of luxury for the next year."

The value of royal pictures was spectacularly demonstrated by the photo of Princess Diana kissing Dodi al-Fayed on board a yacht in 1997. Taken off the Italian Riviera village of Portofino, the image earned celebrity photographer Jason Fraser - dubbed "king of the paparazzi" - a reported £1.3 million.

Scotland Yard and Clarence House last night refused to comment on security arrangements or suggestions that Ms Middleton had received threats.

THE RETURN OF THE MONKEY

Two paths that come together on one journey shape a new dimension of meaning and possibility, a co-creation of power and passion. This isn’t a half baked, hippy Eastern Mantra, but a communication paradigm. When an advertising idea shapes up into brilliant opportunism, we all turn and chuckle and wish we had had the same idea. Thus the comedy duo, Johnny Vegas and his sidekick Monkey, return to our screens as the new faces of PG Tips.

The pair was created for the adverts for the now defunct ITV Digital. Those who can remember must agree that the ad campaign was far better than the ITV proposition itself.

The media is obsessed with comebacks and gawd knows we have had a few, and perhaps the most potent has been my own client, Noel Edmonds. So twisting the arm of PG to see sense and rebirth the Vegas Monkey is genius, and the media space it has generated has been as prolific. More interesting than Britney Spears without any knickers on a blind date with Justin Timberlake

PG Tips has been struggling since the PC brigade killed off the performing chimps that first graced our screens, coinciding with lions leaping through hoops during the Chipperfields Christmas Circus TV special. Commercials featuring PG Tips chimps first hit screens in 1956 and were finally dropped in 2002 as part of a bid to make the brand more "contemporary”.

The woolly puppet will become not only a mascot for the brand but also the toy business, with doubtless new additions of the monkey to its shelves. When ITV digital croaked, a custody battle over Monkey ensued between administrators, Deloitte & Touche and Mother, the ad agency that created him. But that didn’t hinder Monkey’s return. A truly great idea never dies, and will always generate publicity. Not all ideas take off or last, and advertising companies are all too often reminding clients of this. It’s common knowledge that PG has high hopes for this campaign, and need it to succeed and the Monkey proves that a great piece of content will always stand the test of time.

THE PREY OF THE PAPARAZZI

The hysteria that is surrounding Kate Middleton today has resulted in various PR’s connected to the Palace asking for her to be taken out of the centre of this tornado. She has been pursued by avaricious photographers who are capturing her every move. Unless someone has actually been in the centre of something so news worthy, they can’t understand how horrific it is to be chased by so many photographers. Starlets crave it, but when it covers every part of their lives, it becomes a cancerous sore.

Good photographers who have been thrown out by newspapers in cost cutting exercises now find themselves trudging celebrity land, like bounty hunters in search of prey. They are on the street, eating what they kill. Certain papers will publicly claim that they allow privacy, but they’re all hungry for front page pictures. The Royal Family is a global brand and so there’s a global market for pictures. Even if the Uk papers say they will allow privacy, they may decide to publish pictures that have already been shown abroad. If every day people understood the pressures, perhaps they might take a stance on whether they would buy a paper that procured pictures in an underhand way. But I doubt it. We are all like those old women knitting by the guillotine.

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER

So the craziness of Celebrity Big Brother begins again, with last night’s first instalment introducing the contestants. My ex client Leo Sayer finds himself in the house alongside a good friend of mine, Carole Malone. Both are extremely lovely company, so write them off at your peril! Leo is a somewhat eccentric and starstruck man due to the heights of his fame in the 1970’s and I hope the Big Brother cameras capture some of his great stories, one being a three day stint with Keith Moon. Carole Malone has one of the most acerbic pens in Fleet Street but she’s a warm and generous human being who I’m sure will convey that, unless she is completely fucked off with everyone in the house.

FAREWELL TO 2006 THE YEAR OF THE PANTY FLASH

It is a strange day and age when a panty flash courtesy of Playboy pin-up Pamela Anderson is considered modest by all accounts. But yes, move over leaked sex tape, the paparazzi crotch shot is here. If 2006 signified anything in the world of the chav celebrity, this is it. It has become the boldest career-boosting trend to date, with contestants for the best shots going to Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. The first crotch shots ignited a flurry of bloggers around the world to debate their authenticity. Posted comments included a number of photoshop experts who claimed the shots of Lindsay Lohan were definitely fake, leg and vag being merged together via photoshop. This could explain the "deformity" argument. However, when Lindsay Lohan had been caught for the fourth time in a month wearing very short skirts and no knickers, authenticity was not the topic of debate, the question was why.

It's a new phenomenon. It involves showing your crotch to the cameras on purpose to get maximum publicity. Doesn't seem to matter that it's merely fuelling comments such as "maybe she didn’t have a caesarean after all!" But why this kind of stunt when all three are already always plastered over the tabloids? Is this meant to give these girls some kind of new image? Paris Hilton became infamous for exposed nether regions, and new best celebrity friend Britney Spears had to follow suit with some of the most unappealing shots of her own vag. Obviously if the pictures are intended to look "accidental", they can't be in perfect porn mag style, but does Britney have no pride? Some of the shots of her nether regions were downright gruesome. If you are trying to create some kind of "dirty party girl" image, don't have a car crash for a ...