Multimedia production company Maverick Media has hired Fodor Wyllie to
lead its assault on the PR market with the latest thing in hi-tech
publicity - the digital press kit.
Maverick, a subsidiary of post-production facilities company TSI, was
set up by producer Will Jeffrey last month to ‘bridge the gap between
classic film production and software development’.
Using techniques developed for the computer game and music industries,
the company is now targeting the PR industry with a CD-ROM-based
interactive press kit and has hired ‘consumer technology’ firm Fodor
Wyllie to launch it.
Jeffrey claimed the kit is a cost-effective alternative to the
traditional hard-copy press release with transparencies or photographs.
It is claimed to be able to carry thousands of high quality images,
together with text, audio and even film clips - all indexed to maximise
its value to journalists.
Other companies have been experimenting with press releases and
brochures on both floppy disc and CD-ROM, and Jeffrey said he was aware
people in the US were doing similar things. ‘What we’ve done is take the
idea and look at how it can be applied. For instance providing different
levels of access to the information so you can give journalists their
own exclusives - all on the same disc,’ he said.
‘The exciting thing is you can have fun with it, you have to hunt for
clues, look out the buttons. Interactive means fun.’
The company is initially targeting the entertainment industry and
Maverick’s first mock-up is a press kit for cult movie Reservoir Dogs.
However, Jeffrey stressed ‘that doesn’t mean to say if you are a
financial services company you have to go out and shoot loads of film.
Once you’re aware of this type of item, you can plan for it and
incorporate other things like brochures or TV ads into your CD-ROM.’
