For several years I was the Vendor Coordinator for the Urban Arts Festival in Tacoma. Usually a one-day event (although it eventually grew into two) somewhere in downtown Tacoma, the UAF showcased local art including crafts, graffiti, fashion, spoken word, music and dance. Since there are only so many nice weekends during Summer in the Northwest, we were often competing with other events such as Taste of Tacoma or Proctor Arts Fest. Our goal each year was to get a mention in The News Tribune and the Weekly Volcano so people knew where we were and what kind of featured entertainment we'd have. I sent out press releases to local media outlets and posted on Tacoma-centric blogs for a few weeks leading up to the event.
Two years ago I was contacted by a writer from the Weekly Volcano for an interview about the event. Knowing the interviewer, I spoke freely about how the event was progressing, some of the challenges we faced, and what some of our plans were for the next year.
When the article came out it was a great piece about the event but in the final paragraph I was quoted as saying "next year we're really going balls out."
Yikes.
Lesson: Ask to see the article before it runs, or make sure you specify what's "on the record" and what isn't. I strongly disagree with the saying "there's no such thing as bad press". My quote probably didn't hurt the festival, but I'm sure it won't do me any favors if someone does a Google search on my name in the future.
Certificate in Marketing Management Class Blog. Posts to the blog may only be made by students registered for this class.
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