It is around this time of year the internet goes into overdrive as football fans are on the hunt for a peek at next year’s kit and film fans want a snippet of next summer’s blockbuster.
Mysteriously, and without anyone being held to account, images/footage is conveniently leaked which has Twitter, Facebook and Instagram ablaze with rumour.
It’s great PR for the product. I mean there it is being retweeted thousands of times, a suspected Man United football shirt activates a thirst for authenticity from the club.
It leads itself to its question. Is ‘the leak’ now an essential tool in PR and marketing?
Let’s stick with the football example.
If Man United decide one day to unveil their new shirt, thousands of re-tweets would follow and shares on Facebook would go through the roof.
But it’s a one punch wonder.
It won’t escape the attention of those running the PR machines of United, Arsenal, Barcelona etc that a picture of ‘the suspected new shirt’ is doing the rounds on the internet.
And so by letting ‘the leak’ gather momentum demand is created for not only the shirt but also confirmation from an official source.
Likes on Facebook increase as do follows on Twitter as fans watch for the news ready to pounce.
It’s a smart move. The club is receiving more brand awareness (as are sponsors) through re-tweets of the shirt and now the football team is more popular than ever as people have to subscribe in some form to find out the official news.
The benefits far outweigh the negatives and it is why ‘the leak’ seems too good an opportunity to miss for it not be manufactured in some way.
A film that fans demand more information for is Suicide Squad starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Gerard Leto.
It is currently under production and a year away from hitting the silverscreen.
But yet so much hype as been created from leaked footage on the internet.
The trailer has now been released but not before it was shown to a select few at Comic Con in San Diego.
Within hours, poorly filmed footage of the trailer taken by a fan was shared around the internet even though knowledge of the official launch was pending.
As movie-buffs are drip fed information it whets the appetite for the film which is already set to be next summer’s record-breaking movie.
But just how is this information getting out? You can’t so much visit an office without signing in and out and stating your business.
So I’d be surprised that I’d be able to stroll on a film set surrounded by multi-millionaire actors and actresses, take a cheeky video and walk off down the street without having my collar felt.
It defies logic but the PR around film can only benefit as message boards are alive with chatter and gossip before the film has been wrapped up.
The leak is, in a sense, the new A-board outside the paper shop, it’s the shot of information that doesn’t quite quench your thirst and thus leaves you wanting more.