Cosmetic Surgery-It's Your Funeral?

Sometimes you are watching Television,relaxing after seeing the children safely off to school,when you realise that your free time is being impinged upon by the pushers of Public Relations.

And so it was this morning.I was idly watching BBC Breakfast when I woke up to the fact that two stories had been "planted" by PR Agencies hawking their clients wares.

The first obvious PR stunt was an item on Cosmetic Surgery.The industry has released figures showing a double-digit increase in 2013 in the number of cosmetic procedures carried out.

If you were naive,you might imagine that such an announcement is purely to keep the public informed.Don't be.

The Cosmetic Surgery Industry has very limited opportunities to do main stream advertising.They therefore use PR extensively.Laughably, their spokesman on BBC1 this morning noted they were not allowed to advertise,disguishing the fact that he was doing just that by appearing on television.

You might think that such publicity might put many people off having cosmetic surgery.However,the industry has a target market of only the relatively small perentage of the total population who are pychologically vulnerable.The PR gurus know some of this group will be influenced to believe surgery is acceptable by seeing it discussed on the BBC.Hey presto-more gullible customers.

The other blatant bit of PR hype this morning was by the National Association Of Funeral Directors.Once again,the story was lightly disguised as being purely for public information but basically was targeting those who want to be famous for 15 minutes in death by participating in silly themed funerals.Clearly,the funeral industry isn't making enough money from conventional funerals,so rather than allow this story to be buried,they paid  PR agents to make sure it is going to be "Showtime" in hundreds in churches and crematoriums around the UK.Theatre with a very final curtain.

The only good thing about both of these "stories" being hyped together is that if you are really silly enough to waste your money on purely cosmetic surgery,you need to realise it is definitely your own funeral.

 

Monday, 3rd February 2014

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