If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say...(and Other PR Blog Jots)
Strumpette
After the extremely popular Edelman blogger Steve Rubel made a somewhat disparaging remark about PC Magazine over Twitter, Strumpette opened its pages to the magazine’s editor, Jim Louderback, for a rebuttal. While Rubel has since apologized for his remarks, the post from yesterday is still worth a read, as Louderback threatens a boycott of all Edelman clients as a result of Rubel’s perceived hostility. Amanda Chapel recalls an old adage that holds true in these days of instant communication. “It's a perfect example of when organizational interests clash with the now sacrosanct ‘conversation’. Here, it's simple: When everyone's a potential corporate spokesperson, the potential (read likely) results are nothing short of a type of systemic Tourette's. The lesson? The phrase ‘loose lips sink ships’ is still in effect. With one little comment on Twitter last Friday, Edelman PR SVP Steve Rubel dissed an audience of 11 million. Now that's PR!”
Crisis Communications Technology
Crisisblogger
Gerald Baron notes that one of the many results in the aftermath of this week’s terrible tragedy on campus at Virginia Tech is that it will cause universities and other similarly large entities to reflect on their crisis communications systems. Some have been critical of VT’s perceived slow response to the initial incident, but Baron argues that even with top of the line communications technology in place, the logistics of acting in the midst of a crisis are still complex. “It is one thing to have the technology that will enable virtually instant multi-mode communication with an entire university community. It is quite another to have the plans, policies and people in place to make the right decisions and to be able to act on them in concert and efficiently. The challenge is huge and those who would too easily criticize those who were in that position probably have never been in a similar situation.”
Don't Choke on the Foot in your Mouth
The Bad Pitch Blog
Remarking on the Rubel/PC Magazine kerfuffle, Kevin Dugan points out that PR professionals can and will put their feet in their mouths with reporters on occasion. He argues that all is not lost when this happens; often all that is needed is a brisk apology, and to move on. The blogosphere tends to seize on these incidents (Dugan calls it “PR blog catnip”), but he underlines that moving on to what’s next is often the best solution to avoid dragged-out drama. “I’m bringing it up to remind everyone of a simple, important lesson in media relations. If something’s gone wrong, and a reporter calls you on it, the door to that relationship has not closed. Yet…But as it relates to the above drama, if you screw up, admit it. Don’t fall on your sword, but be honest and focus on what’s next.”
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