Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 173 Make the News Big

If a piece of news wants to achieve good publicity effects, in addition to the highlights of the news material itself, it is also related to the way of publicity.

Just like the "oolong murder" of the "Forensic Qin Ming" crew, if they just found a few media outlets to tell the story in a straightforward manner, the netizens who saw the news would at most talk about it at the time and forget about it as soon as they turned around.

However, if you can leave everyone in suspense and then reveal the truth, the popularity will last longer.

After the search operation was over, Captain Li took the police back to the station and prepared to report the situation to his superiors and also tell them about the publicity the crew was planning.

On the other hand, that same evening, a video shot with a mobile phone began to circulate in the WeChat groups and friend circles of many local people of Landao.

In the picture, you can see four or five police cars surrounding a building, and more than a dozen police officers are searching for something with police dogs.

At the same time, outside the screen, there is the voice of a middle-aged man with a local accent, who introduces that a murder seems to have occurred on a film crew in Blue Island Oriental Movie Metropolis and the police are searching the scene.

Eating melons is an activity that is popular among the general public, so it didn’t take long for this video to spread quickly with the help of social networks.

However, this video is too short. Not only is it unclear whether it is true or false, but it also does not provide any specific information, leaving many "spectators" confused.

But as the saying goes, there is never a shortage of recorders in the Internet age, and soon, a video from another perspective at the scene also "circulated".

The "filmer" this time seemed to have some connections with the crew and had "heard" some "inside information": "Guys, it is said that a thief went to the crew to steal something, but saw a dead body. After he was done, he turned himself in to the police and reported it."

The simple language, coupled with the dangling mobile phone video, immediately gives people a real sense of the scene.

"A thief turned himself in to report a murder." This kind of curious news is perfect for this era of developed self-media and traffic.

Within one night, the news about "a murder occurred on a film crew in Blue Island" spread all over the Internet.

The entry #Thief turns himself in to report murder# also directly became a hot search on Weibo.

Early the next morning, the West Coast Police Station, which was in charge of the incident, was still pondering which angle would be more appropriate for publicity and reporting, and then it received more than a dozen "public opinion risk warnings" forwarded from the branch.

"Boss Meng, were those videos leaked by our crew? You've put us in a passive position."

Listening to Captain Li's complaining voice on the phone, Meng Bai said sincerely, "Don't worry, Captain Li, we will definitely not make it difficult for us. Just follow the standard process, report what needs to be reported, and refute rumors when necessary. Our crew will also explain the situation together."

That being said, he did not mention where the video came from.

Captain Li has also been a "civil servant" for many years. He savored the meaning of Meng's words and understood what he meant.

"Okay, then we will report the situation to our superiors." Captain Li said, "According to the procedure, we will release the police report and related rumor refutation tomorrow. If you have any plans, you'd better hurry up."

"Understood, understood. We will definitely cooperate." Meng Bai said repeatedly.

After hanging up the phone, Liu Zhi asked curiously, "Brother Meng, didn't you talk to Captain Li about promoting together yesterday? Why do you want us to do this separately?"

Meng Bai shook his head. "What means can the official propaganda use? It's nothing more than issuing press releases, filming interview videos, and the like. Not to mention how effective the propaganda is, even if it spreads, everyone will forget it after watching it."

"But now, this matter is spread in the form of personal 'revelations', which will make netizens who see the news want to explore. With exploration, there is a sense of participation, which can mobilize the subjective initiative of the public and make them want to share, so the spread of the news will increase."

Liu Zhi suddenly realized that, indeed, people always have a deeper impression of events in which they have personally participated.

The gossip you ate last week may be forgotten this week, but the things you personally participated in and experienced ten years ago will still be the must-have topic of conversation at the dinner table ten years later.

"Then why didn't you tell the police station in advance?" Liu Zhi asked again.

"The police station is a public institution, how could they possibly engage in this kind of propaganda with us?" Meng Bai said, "Strictly speaking, this is actually skirting the law. If we don't mention it, at most they will be considered to have failed to give adequate warnings, and they won't be held responsible. But if we do mention it, we can only follow the rules."

This is just like Meng Bai's friend who organizes concert activities. It doesn't matter if fans buy "scalper tickets", they can just check in normally, it's not a hard and fast real-name system. But if they have to come and ask the staff "Can I get in with the scalper ticket I bought", how do you expect them to answer?

Although it was only one day, it was enough. With the "in-depth digging" of many netizens, more and more details were revealed.

"The accident happened at Blue Island Oriental Movie Metropolis, on a crew called Forensic Qin Ming. I have a friend who works nearby, and he did see a lot of police officers at the scene that afternoon."

"Hey, isn't this crew from Arclight Films? They're the team that specializes in making online dramas about criminal investigations and suspense."

"Ha, a criminal investigation crew encountered a real case. This is a bit of black humor."

"Speaking of which, why do I feel like something might not really have happened? Didn't the thief get in in the middle of the night? Maybe he mistook some prop from the crew."

"The one upstairs, don't tell me, it might really be the case!"

"..."

Propaganda cannot be carried out in a radical way. While spreading the propaganda, we must also grasp the direction of public opinion.

Not to mention that rumors may go astray in the process of spreading, the more critical thing is that if the rumors are too strong at the beginning, a reversal later will stimulate everyone's rebellious psychology, which will not be worth the loss.

So it’s actually not a bad thing that the official Blue Island has given it a short time. It not only ensures a certain amount of dissemination, but also avoids too many outrageous rumors arising from too long a time.

Many netizens left messages on the official accounts of Landao Police on various platforms, hoping to get the truth of the case out as soon as possible. Other departments don’t know, but the publicity department of Landao Police is now surprised and happy.

If the usual publicity could have such high enthusiasm, then the year-end assessment ranking would be far ahead in the city, no, the province.

However, the high popularity also brought a lot of pressure. The notice that was rushed out after working overtime was reviewed several times by leaders at all levels before it was finally finalized.

On the third day after the "incident", under the strong attention of many netizens, Landao Public Security finally issued an official announcement.

The notice first dispelled various rumors about "murder" circulating on the Internet, and then, without using any official language, introduced the whole incident in a serious and detailed manner.

At the same time, the official Weibo account of Arc Light Films also forwarded the official announcement, and expressed gratitude to the Blue Island Public Security System and the West Coast Police Station separately. A photo of the crew presenting a banner to the police station was also posted below.

In the comment section and discussions in related communities, online commentators from the official Internet Information Office, together with the "online account" of Arc Light Films, monitored netizens' comments while guiding public opinion in a relaxed direction.

The guidance effect is also good. Basically, most netizens who have read the notice simply regard this matter as a "silly news".

"The thief finally climbed in in the dark, and saw a 'corpse' in front of him. What is the area of the shadow in his heart?"

"It's so funny! This thief thought he was doing good deeds to redeem himself, but he ended up walking into a trap."

"I'm the only one who's curious, how realistic are the props used by this crew to be able to create such a lot of fun?"

"Does anyone know when this drama will be aired? I must give it a try then."

"I think it was said before that it will be broadcast in July."

"July? Doesn't that coincide with the release of "Grave Robbers' Chronicles"?!"

"Alright! The two dramas are fighting!"

"..."

After knowing that there was no "murder" and it was just a "silly news", netizens immediately relaxed.

Under some "intentional guidance", many people shifted their attention to the protagonist of this "oolong murder", that is, the drama "Forensic Qin Ming".

The subsequent competition with the big IP drama "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" aroused the curiosity of many online drama viewers.

Even many "pen-stealing" community groups have mentioned this "competitor" to some extent.

Although there are still several months before the broadcast, the "seeds" of competition have been planted in advance, and there will inevitably be another wave of comparisons at that time.

The official announcement explained the matter clearly, but the heat of this incident will not die down in a day or two.

Many netizens have even begun to compile and collect various similar "silly cases" that have been exposed by the authorities in the past.

Meng Bai is naturally happy to see this free popularity.

Of course, he did not forget the "help" from the police station.

The crew sent a banner and then wrote a thank-you letter to the Municipal Bureau, emphasizing that "it is precisely because of the safe security atmosphere that Arc Light is willing to open a branch in Blue Island."

This is equivalent to putting the whole thing back on the point of "investment environment". For the city, this is much more outstanding than a simple "case", and they even plan to report it to the province as a classic case.

The person who benefited the most here was naturally Captain Li. Not only did he receive praise from his leaders, but he also became a "model".

He generously said that if Arc Light Films has any problems with filming here in the future, just contact him and he will definitely help if he can.

"Haha, Captain Li, don't worry, I'm never polite...Okay, let's get in touch later."

After hanging up the phone, Meng Bai breathed a sigh of relief. After thinking for a while, he dialed another number.

"Hey, Senior Brother, this time it's all thanks to the publicity channel you provided."

"It's okay, that's what I do. Besides, Arclight Films is our strategic partner, so we are half family members."

Yang Ming's voice came from the other side of the phone.

Most of Arclight’s previous promotional needs were handled through Leshi.com’s channels.

But it was not appropriate to always rely on one channel, so this time, Meng Bai asked Yang Ming for help. He was an artist agent and had his own network of connections in this area.

"By the way, I have something to tell you." Yang Ming said, "You are filming in Blue Island right now, right? I will go to talk to you about the situation of the agency in a couple of days. Someone asked me to help him get to know you."

"Do you know me?" Meng Bai asked doubtfully, "Who?"

"Your fellow villager, Brother Xiao Ming."

(End of this chapter)