Orcs Need Publicists, too

Social media company Social Text has announced a press conference to be held in World of Warcraft.

Let the jockeying for position begin. The rules are simple: No ninjas allowed. Keep your amour on. Do not dance unless you are an orc. If the spokesperson is not forthcoming, you may duel for information.

It’s good to see a company pushing the boundaries of how to engage the media, and trying something fun. Journalists can attend on their own, or get some hand-holding around World of Warcraft from Social Text staff to attend the virtual news conference in the world’s most popular “massively multiplayer” online role-playing game.

Says company CEO Ross Mayfield: “This could be a cheap PR stunt around some good news from Socialtext, but it could also just be fun.”

Will someone complain that a company is trying to intrude on gamers’ sacred turf? No doubt.

Will that sort of humourless response deter Social Text from pushing the boundaries? I hope not.

My take: PR people take themselves way too seriously. I think it comes from working in the shadows year in, year out, pushing the company’s message in a semi-anonymous capacity. Sometimes you have to let your hair down and dance (but only if you’re an orc).

Image courtesy Blizzard Entertainment.