Advance just means ahead of time, right?

Not with multi-day events

By Andy Wilson

The Super Bowl Host Committee hired Bohlsen Group to handle the PR and publicity for the artists performing on the Verizon and Pepsi stages in the Super Bowl Village. This includes performances that started Jan. 27 through game day Feb. 5.

Yes, a 10-day event. With nearly 80 bands.

Handling publicity for multi-day, multi-featured events can be tricky. It is all about advance media and continually educating the public about what’s happening.

With multi-day events, “advance” media continues throughout the run of the event. This is much different than a one-night engagement, where there is a clear difference between advance and day-of-show media.

‘Give us Bret Michaels’

Naturally, the media want to focus on and interview the biggest-name artists. As the event publicist, though, you have to be creative to spread the wealth and maximize the coverage.

We worked with artists’ publicists to secure nearly 50 advance stories through print, online, TV and radio coverage in all corners of Indiana, the Midwest and beyond with representatives from the Host Committee and performers Darius Rucker, Bret Michaels (pictured), Fitz and the Tantrums, O.A.R., Dierks Bentley, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and many more.

Then, once the Super Village opened, Bohlsen Group was busy lining up artists for media outlets to interview on-site within a 30- to 60-minute window each day.

These opportunities fueled advance coverage throughout the event, adding to the excitement of the Super Bowl Village for the days ahead. We secured on-site interviews for Bret Michaels, Will Hoge, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Healing Sixes, Stereo Deluxe, Hunter Smith Band, Morris Day, O.A.R., Edwin McCain, Fuel, Jon McLaughlin and more.

The advance and multi-day event media coverage is all rooted in relationships with the media, the artists and the artists’ representatives, and never focusing just on the obvious names and stories, but brainstorming continued news items for the media to consider.

P.S. Leverage your other relationships, too

We brought another, seemingly unrelated, great relationship into the mix for everyone’s benefit. Bohlsen Group arranged for the bands Fuel and Big Head Todd and the Monsters to be seated courtside at an Indiana Pacers game. The announcer then introduced the bands – featured on the big screen – and told the crowd about their Super Bowl Village performances. A great treat for basketball fans, and a perfect cross-promotional opportunity!