Create ideas using: Media Happening
How do I create a media happening without needing a massive budget?
Think guerrilla, not corporate. Media happenings work because they're unexpected and newsworthy, not expensive. Hijack a news cycle, create a stunt that forces coverage, or time your action to when media is hungry for content. The media wants stories--give them one that's too good to ignore. Budget helps, but creativity and timing matter more.
What if the media doesn't cover my happening?
Then it wasn't interesting enough, timely enough, or you didn't pitch it right. Media coverage isn't owed to you--you have to earn it by creating something genuinely newsworthy. If you build it and they don't come, that's on you. Make it bigger, weirder, more relevant, or better timed. Or accept that some ideas only work in your head.
Example: How it could look
A new streaming service doesn't buy TV ads--they 'interrupt' a major awards show by having audience members simultaneously tweet plot spoilers for nominated shows with the hashtag #WatchItOurWayFirst. Chaos ensues. Media covers the controversy. The brand becomes part of the cultural conversation without buying a single ad slot.
Or like this:
Why is Media Happening a great technique?
Media happenings turn the media itself into your distribution channel by creating events too interesting to ignore.
Generates massive earned media and PR value
Creates buzz and conversation beyond paid reach
Positions brand as bold and culturally relevant
Makes your message the news itself
The best media happenings don't just get covered--they become the story everyone's talking about. You're not buying attention, you're creating an event that demands it. That's infinitely more valuable than any ad buy, and often cheaper if you're smart about it.
! When not to use the Media Happening Technique
When you don't have the balls to actually do something newsworthy. Tepid 'happenings' that play it safe get ignored and waste everyone's time.