MANAGE AND LEAD
Public Relations: Imperative for Success Time for executives to improve their public relation skills by Chrissey Breault
P
ublic relations nightmares have taken over our social feeds and media com-
mentaries. In doing so, it has proven there is a huge gap between chief executive officers and their public relations people – whether on
staff or hired from an outside agency. A clear
majority of those in leadership positions don’t understand what PR people do and how it directly impacts them or their business.
There are several movies or shows that poorly
illustrate public relations or public relation pro-
gle/Microsoft/Amazon/Apple deal tomorrow,”
because they know that big account involves long, carefully managed sales cycles. It is those same
leaders who - more often than not - think the PR team can flip a switch and get immediate coverage in any media outlet. It’s because they don’t
understand that PR is based on relationships and skilled, relevant storytelling, they demand practices like mass-pitching that will cast the team -and the brand – in a negative light.
By now, the Pepsi commercial fiasco is old
fessionals: The West Wing, Designated Survivor,
news but let’s break down the short-lived com-
Candidate, Mad Men, Scandal, HBO’s Silicon Val-
many it recalled images from the Vietnam Era
Contagion, The Social Network, Jersey Girl, The
ley are a few that might hit close to home for you.
Most of these shows entertain us with a clear
illustration of the disasters that can happen
when a team doesn’t do the difficult parts of
their job – telling their leader something un-
pleasant or moving forward with bad direction from someone in a leadership role. It applies
to both the in-house teams and agencies, espe-
mercial featuring model Kendall Jenner. For
and unoriginally repurposed Coca Cola’s “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” ad. For others, it was a crass replication of Black Lives Matter protester and the movement. What was the inspiration
for this ad? Not only did they demonstrate they don’t have a relationship with their audience, it demonstrated how they don’t even know who
their audience is. Pepsi Co. made it abundantly
cially when it comes to media relations.
clear it’s (still) failing to define its own identity.
who reports to a sales-driven leader or clients
PR team is obligated to push back and say, “Actual-
relations! These leaders have no idea the nuances
has almost become mandatory for many, if not all
Surely many of you have witnessed a PR team
It’s when you arrive in critical junctures that the
who don’t understand people; forget public
ly that’s a bad idea and here’s why.” Pushing back
and diplomacy involved in dealing with the me-
PR professionals to help protect the brand image
dia, so they hand out ridiculous instructions like,
“Go get us in the Bloomberg report by next week.
and the team’s own careers and reputations.
United Airlines and the Federal Department of
Send out 30 press releases this month. Tell them
Transportation forced a passenger from flight 3411
These are the same leaders who would never
don’t respond to a crisis. The CEO himself should
the passenger was re-accommodated.”
dream of telling a salesperson “Go get that Goo70 PRIVATE LENDER
in April. The initial response was exactly how you have quickly offered a statement of empathy after