Preventing overexposure

[stevemacdonald]

While most of us fans can't get enough of Hayley in the papers, magazines, radio, telly and concert halls, her publicity machine seems unusually keen to get her back story out this year at all costs.

When I saw her on the cover of Classic FM (for the second time) I was hoping I would finally read something that treated her as an established star, but, sadly, there they went again recapping her busking story like we haven't already read it a thousand times.

Too much repeating of what is already well-known is a form of overexposure which ultimately trivialises its subject. Even people moderately acquainted with Hayley will surely be saying under their breath, "Where have I read this before?"

It's time they stopped re-telling the cute story of her being discovered and moved her into the position of a fully-arrived presence on the music scene. Then her press exposure will mean something more, both to her and her fans.

[grant]

Hi Steve

You certainly make a valid point and, although those early days make wonderful stories, I agree that interviewers should perhaps be looking for new material.

If I'm right, these sort of 'celebrity' interviews are based on a pre-agreed structure, so that the interviewee is not suddenly faced with embarassing or unanswerable questions. If that is the case, should her management be looking at a different structure?

Maybe they are such cute stories and with Hayley still being very young they believe there is still plenty of mileage in them.

Best wishes
Grant

[roger]

Hi Steve and Grant,

I think Grant is right in saying there is still mileage in those stories. I suspect they are targeting the millions of people who do not yet know about Hayley. Of course, for people like us who have followed her career for years, these stories are becoming extremely repetative but, for everyone else, they will still be of interest.

Roger

[Dave]

Hi Steve, Grant, Roger... and everyone!

I think what Steve wrote is probably true for New Zealand where Hayley is very well known and there, most people probably know her career history from its very beginnings. However, I think reminding her compatriots of her NZ upbringing and early career does no harm at all as she is so rarely there these days! I wonder what our NZ members think about this?

In the rest of the World, even the in UK, I think most record buyers either haven't heard of Hayley or they don't know much about her. The UK music industry, media and CD sales distributors/shops certainly know all about Hayley now and in that respect, I think she is becoming established here and to them, the content of the promo is irrelevant as long as it gets an audience or sells CDs. But as most record buyers don't know the stories about her early life and career they are, I think, still worth repeating and this must also be the case in the rest of the World.

The "never heard of her" or "don't know much about her" brigade are being targeted, not the fans like us, who admittedly know most of it already.

Cheers, Dave

[milewalker]

I think I can see both sides to this, though I must admit that my leanings are with Steve's position.

The problem I see is this - while there are certainly many people in the UK who havent heard of Hayley, I do have to wonder about the degree to which this would apply to the readership of Classic FM. Please correct me if I am wrong, but isnt this the one audience in the UK where Hayley should
already be a household name?

It is interesting to note however, that they do try to tailor the story to the audience when the perception is that she is stronger - at least that was the impression I got in NZ, where the bigger story was that Hayley has grown up, along with a comment or two stating that she has "Arrived" as a presence on the music scene. I think that something can be inferred from the fact that her handlers are still trying to push this old news in the UK - but I seem to be in enough trouble around here already....

Jon