Everyone is worried that the press is going to 'get' him. It's
funny. Suddenly people in powerful jobs are so-o afraid
peccadilloes will come whooshing out of the closet. If you hired a
nanny without taxing him, or accidentally used corporate funds to
pay for your mistress' boat, you probably aren't having an easy
time of it.
It is time then to proffer a primer on press and behavior during
scary times for all you corporate types who forgot. And for
dessert, let's talk about crook du jour Jayson Blair.
Your preparation for the unexpected - bad news - is a Plan B you
need ready. It's for every company's worst PR nightmare, when you
accidentally distribute contaminated food, or a delivery truck
crashes or you sink Greenpeace's boat. The goal is to be nimble and
proactive and get your positive message out quickly.
People tend to hide during this juncture, or put out dull
statements that make people in the media roll their collective
eyes.
But someone other than the CEO can address negative situations.
Set up a better-speaking SVP to explain what's up. If what appears
like defensive maneuvering from the CEO comes out, it deteriorates
branding among investors and other crucial audiences.
Do people lose their abilities to think normally during a
crisis? For instance, when the story first makes news, don't hide,
but don't be so quick to take the blame either. Recall when Tony
Soprano told Ralphie "Do not apologize!" when on the phone with
John denying he called his wife's butt fat. People need to say what
they're doing right now -- then let it out: 'We are looking into
the situation.' 'We will keep you informed as we learn more.'
Since you can never predict bad news, it's crucial to have
messages prepped. Know it's coming - imagine the yucky info is
going to spill - be prepared to come clean.
Which is why The New York Times and Jayson Blair have been on my
mind. Blair, the putz who made PR people's lives hell, is again all
over the news because he had the gall to write a book about pure
lying.
All the hullabaloo-ness made me wonder if the Times did do a
lousy job spilling the beans after the bad man ran away. Even
though they deployed troops to cover every single move Blair made,
it doesn't make sense why they never came clean as to "how" he got
away with it. So it never happens again. The Times never gave us
the full scoop in which readers were given the gist of the scam. So
now I look for obvious mistakes in the "paper of record."
Blair handed PR execs at RLM PR truckloads of crap: fake leads
and sources, calls he swore he returned. He stood me up for
breakfast twice.
If I were covering the story I would want to know how this
company ensures no other editor has this kind of sloppy hold over
their charges. They put Dan Okrent in as Public Editor, but that
doesn't mean another fair-haired ink-stainer won't hoodwink us
tomorrow.
The New York Times Company got a sweet ride from the press.
Sure, it was brought down a serious notch - and still no one has
shouted for them to come clean the way everyone mutters about Kenny
Boy, Bernie, or those high-level chumps on the front page.
What is it about the current times that makes corporate
responsibility a steamy-button issue? Could it be our CEO-in-Chief
is such a fabulous fibber that everyone is wondering who beneath
his league tells the best all-round untruths?
Corporations experiencing troubles need to "scrub" with honesty
now. Why can't everyone try a little spontaneity? Give the folks
who write about you a little off-the-cuff derived from your
mind.
Spontaneous composition is crucial. Discuss facts and figures
with the media instead of hiding from them, show candor instead of
evasiveness, and wow, know what? Reporters will want to know you,
cover you, give you benefit of doubt. Facts work in your favor. It
shows you're there, effortlessly allowing media folks in.
Now I read comic articles about PR folks working tirelessly to
keep clients 'off the page' and yet, come on, the best foot is one
pushed forward. The whole point of dealing with the media and the
public is to be able to say it before they know it, not hiding
behind no comment and waiting for dark-colored chips to fall
down.
In Full Frontal PR - my book - there's a section about the
revival of a 'front page rule:' If you can't bear to see your
actions reported on the front page of a daily, then you should
rethink what you're doing now. I am sure all our Mommies taught us
that. Coming on the heels of fiascos of Ebbers and Co., Martha Inc,
The Fabulous Rigas Brothers and the like is one thing: You tell
people one thing internally, another to the investors and press and
the result is going to be disaster.
Finally, be on the lookout for potential PR problems and gee,
maybe avert them. Just be proactive about the faulty tires, the
questionable accounting, the badly realized customer service that
somehow led to customer fallout, and then cease practice, change
product, make changes, go public with facts.
Disastrous moments take place when you hide from hungry or
time-constrained (lazy) media. In this business of relationships
with the fourth crucial estate, a gorgeous thing called truth is
your good friend. Say it three times now: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE
HONESTY. Don't you feel better now?
By Richard Laermer, founder-CEO of RLM PR in NY, LA, Pittsburgh,
Tampa and Washington DC. Laermer, author of "Full Frontal PR:
Getting People Talking About You, Your Business or Your Product"
(Bloomberg Press, 2002), can be reached at 310.207.9200, X16;
[email protected]