Inspired by Lady Gaga’s entrance at the Grammy Awards, in her latest column, Mia wrote about the delicate art of the PR stunt.

“For those of you who haven’t heard about it – and I’m sure there aren’t many – she arrived in an egg, before emerging from “incubation” on stage to perform her new song Born This Way,” Mia writes.

“That Lady Gaga would make an incredible fashion statement at this awards show was a given, and it is always exciting to see what she and her designers will come up with next. But this time, something was different: chatter was focused not only on what she did, but why she did it. Everyone was asking the same question: ‘Why an egg?’” Mia writes. “In a crowded news cycle focused on red carpet outfits and award winners, Lady Gaga succeeded in making sure that all eyes were on her, cleverly carving out a space to talk about the meaning behind her new chart-topping song. What she and her team did was successfully pull off a brilliant PR stunt: not only do I have Born This Way stuck in my head, but I (and people across the globe) now know all about the message and the intent of the music.”

But Mia says that you don’t have to be a superstar to execute a great PR stunt – with the right tactics, a focused strategy and a creative approach, stunts can be amazing tools for businesses of any size that are looking to inspire a crowd and create a buzz around their brand.

Mia then asks businesses to consider five key questions before committing to a PR stunt:

1. Does your plan clearly map back to your communications objectives? 
2. Is it newsworthy? 
3. Will it be accessible? 
4. Does it pack a visual punch?
5. Do you have a social media strategy to back it up? 

Click here to read the full column and Mia’s full insights on each of these key questions. Her column every Thursday in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.