The Blog Aesthetic will always stand up for public relations and the communications profession. Everyone has the right to be heard, and every day great PR professionals make that happen with eloquence and honesty. That’s why we won’t hesitate to call out those who savage our industry irrationally just to make themselves feel better.
Fairness also requires us to criticize unscrupulous PR practitioners. Just like any complex industry, ours produces its share of bad actors who should be avoided at all costs. If you’re looking to hire a great PR firm, run far away from these jokers:
• “You, my client, are ALWAYS right, and I ALWAYS agree with everything you say.” This is the absolute worst thing a PR pro can ever tell a client, period. The most derelict publicists are the ones who refuse to speak their minds and apply their actual experience to client needs. More often than not, the PR relationship is about managing expectations (as discussed in the next bullet), and just like any other professional service, those expectations can at times be unrealistic. As the client, if your PR agency never questions your objectives or subjects them to rigorous examination, then you’re getting suckered out of your PR budget.
• “Of course I can get your op-ed in the New York Times.” We can’t all get ice cream for every meal. As exciting as your viewpoint might be to you, it’s a tall order to get your op-ed in the Times. Sometimes not even this guy makes the cut. So beware the publicist who guarantees 100% they’ll score you that fancy media placement. No decent PR pro would ever make such a foolish promise.
• “Our logistical paradigm is to incentivize positive optics for your verticals.” At some ugly point in the history of PR, a bunch of fools started spitting ridiculous, nonsensical mumbo jumbo to inflate their egos and intimidate clients. If you ever hear a PR business pitch that includes words you wouldn’t speak in casual conversation, tell the agency thanks-but-no-thanks. Steer clear from these jerks, they literally don’t speak your language.
• “We no te powr oaf grate PEE r.” Amazing that in the era of spell check and search engine auto-complete, some PR firms still blast press releases with typos and narrative nightmares. Even worse are PR firms whose counsel and creative materials are littered with errors. If the agency can’t take care to ensure quality presentation on their own behalf, how do you think they treat clients?
• “Good news – I told that reporter to go #^&* himself.” PR pros are supposed to respond artfully to media inquiries, and never lose their temper – doing so bites the very hand that may offer the client positive publicity. Just as bad is arguing about a reporter’s legitimate characterizations of a news story. If the PR firm insists on becoming the story, stop paying them.
To your point #1 (“You, my client, are ALWAYS right, and I ALWAYS agree with everything you say.”), the last thing a client needs is another YES man especially in this super competitive world. A true PR agency positions itself as a partner & collaborator to the client, and that means having the client’s best interest and raising issues that the client should pay attention to even if it’s not within the scope of the project. You definitely can’t be afraid to take a stand and don’t hesitate to tell the client that he’s wrong.
To your point #2 (“Of course I can get your op-ed in the New York Times.”)- I think may PR pros are pressured by their clients to offer media placement guarantees. I don’t care if you’re the top PR agency in the country and have the biggest celebrity or personality as a client, media is never guaranteed. Never!
Thank you, Blueprint! Very good points you raise, in particular the notion of good PR being more of a partner and collaborator, and less yes-man in the equation. Our industry hurts itself quite a bit by not understanding the importance of saying “no” or “wait a minute” when necessary.
[...] Em resposta a esta mensagem escrita no The New York Times (e que mereceu já um comentário que pode ser lido aqui), o The Blog Aesthetic escreve sobre os cinco tipos de agências de PR a evitar. [...]