Tag Archives: crisis management

Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial: A lesson in crisis/litigation management

For those following the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial, it is difficult to distinguish whether it is a trial or a circus. Not since the O.J. case has there been so much interest and chatter about a celebrity legal case.

And it’s not an accident.

We know that all “A” list celebrities have PR publicists working the media to spin their side of the story. Now that we live in an age of social media where everybody has a voice, it is even more visible.

When it was Johnny’s turn on the stand, the social media chatter was clearly on his side. Hashtags and nasty comments about Amber were everywhere. People called her crazy. Depp’s PR team had the upper hand.

So what was Heard’s response? She fired her PR firm.

According to online sources, she was furious at the bad headlines she was getting. So she switched publicists. However, she did it right before she took the stand and had a chance to tell her side of the story.

Whether the new PR people have done any better getting her side of the story out is debatable. The anti-Heard damage was deep and widespread.

The lesson to be learned is you don’t get much by killing the messenger. The trial was broadcast live, and people were able to make their own decisions and post their own thoughts without going through the filter of Amber’s PR team.

There is only so much a PR team can do to spin an image when courtroom testimony brights out craziness. But it was a move that Heard should have thought about before dumping the publicists who had been following the trial since its beginning. She never gave them a chance to help tell her side of the story.

And judging from the headlines and social media that continue to favor Depp, her kneejerk reaction to switch publicists before they had a chance, was simply foolish.

A PR crisis requires waiting and knowing the facts

The Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX in which 19 fourth-grade students were massacred, is a textbook example of how not to properly handle a PR crisis.

Two days after the tragedy, law enforcement were in front of cameras fielding questions and attempting to explain what happened. The only problem is their story kept changing.

This event can hardly be called a PR crisis. It is beyond imagination that 11-year-old kids would be brutally killed. But the intense media attention pressured law enforcement to feed their desires for information. They were pressured by the media for an explanation and answers as to what happened.

The parents deserve nothing less.

Instead of law enforcement — which has the hardest and most dangerous jobs in the world — were pressured if not bullied into meeting with media to explain the details and timeline of what they did. They first said the gunman was met outside the school by a School Resource Officer who was shot. Then, officials said that never happened. Then, they said they could not find the key to the classroom. That explanation went away. At this writing the story now is police locked the gunman in the classroom with the children and waited an hour for SWAT.

There is no doubt other explanations will emerge.

It takes a special kind of person to run toward gunfire to save lives. Not many people can do it, and nobody should unless they are trained and have extraordinary bravery.

But if law enforcement is making up the series of events day by day without knowing what really happened, they are doing a disservice not only to themselves, but the millions of other parents who rely on schools to keep their children safe.

It is easy to second guess law enforcement. We weren’t there. We were not navigating the chaos. But law enforcement only makes matters worse by trying to satisfy the media without knowing all the facts.

Now is not the time to score political points

With the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX where 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers were murdered, one would think politicians would take a breath.

But for some, political power is all that is important. We are in the midst of a primary season leading to the Nov. 2022 mid-term elections. Mere hours after the shooting, we saw politicians pushing their political agendas on gun control and related matters. Today, the day after, we see would-be politicians running social media ads touting how they will stop school shootings if people would only vote for them.

Yes, a big part of public relations strategy is to be relevant. PR people always try to tie their clients or causes to current events. But to use such an incredibly horrible tragedy to further a campaign message to “vote for me I can fix this,” is nauseating.

Now is not the time to sell products or sell candidates. Now is the time for reflection, sympathy and empathy.

If there are any political strategies we would advise a client right now, it would be to stay quiet and support the grieving families in any way possible.

Not see it as an opportunity to get elected or re-elected.

Kids were murdered. Your political careers can wait.

Excite your readers with words, not exclamation points

There is a tendency for some beginning writers to add exclamation points to the end of their sentences! Some think that if they end a sentence with a (!) that it will excite the reader and indicate what the reader just read is really important.

I disagree, especially in the public relations business.

Exclamation points need to be left in third grade. If you have something exciting to say, say it with words not punctuation. A reader doesn’t need to be signaled that what they just read is really important or exciting. It is like telling someone they need to turn on their computer before they can use it. People know.

Plus, it makes the writer look inexperienced.

So say it with words, not punctuation marks — especially not exclamation marks.

Circling Back

The PR business is built on words. And the words we use matter.

Over the past several years, we hear the same cliche words used over and over again in the media and in our personal and business communications. Here are some:

Circle Back: This means “I’ll get back to you,” which is a common way of really saying “Don’t know, let’s forget about it.”

Narrative: People describe what they say as a narrative. “The industry narrative is such and such.” How about, “Here’s the story, or here’s the reality.”

Reach Out: I hear or read someone use this term a million times a day. Aren’t they really saying “I’ll contact you?”

I could go on and on and you could as well.

In the marketing / public relations business words matter, so our advice is to speak in plain English and avoid over-used cliches.

Marketing yourself by being yourself

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s attempt to market herself for the 2020 presidential race has started with an Instagram Live session.  In it, Warren first pops open a been, hugs her husband and talks to people while casually leaning over her kitchen counter.

She no doubt is channeling some of the younger members of Congress who were raised on social media and use it naturally.  But Warren is of a different generation and trying to act natural in a medium they really don’t understand only leads to disaster – and lots of social media ridicule.

That’s what happened with Warren’s attempt to look “cool.”  Instead of appearing relatable to the average person by drinking beer instead of champagne, she looked like she didn’t know who she was, who she wanted to appeal to, and very awkward.

The first rule of marketing and PR positioning is to know your product.  It can be a car, soap, cereal or a person.  You’re not going to sell a Chevy by pretending that it’s a Bentley.  And a 69 year old politician is not going to fool anybody by doing Instagram Live, even if she learns what iPhone buttons to push.

Sen. Warren wants to be Native-American.  Now she wants to be young and hip.  She obviously is successful having been elected to the U.S. Senate, but she is not a 20-something millennial and nobody is buying it.

Whatever messaging she did to get elected is what will carry her further, if that is her destiny.  Trying to redefine a personality is a tough task, especially in the eyes of your marketing audience.

And that’s all that matters.

 

 

Marketing nonprofits in the age of the soundbite

One of the most frustrating aspects of marketing is not getting the space or time needed to fully tell your story.  Not all products, services or organizations can be explained in six words.  Yet, today’s media demand that you find a way to do that.

It is called the soundbite, but we are all familiar with it.  The media move at lightening speed.  Guests on TV are given only seconds to explain their organization before the host shoots a follow up question.  The thinking is audiences today have the attention span of a two year old.  And they probably do.  With switcher in hand, TV watchers are all to eager to hit the button and turn to a another show if they find themselves just slightly bored.

There is nothing PR and marketing people can do about this.  It is the way of the world.   All we can do is deal with it and prepare our clients.

That’s why when we prep clients for TV appearances, we teach them to talk in soundbites.  They need to get the essence of their messages across immediately. If they don’t, their comments will either be chopped up or deleted entirely.  Host and reporters have it easy.   They have pre-prepared questions they fire off in one liners.  Those on the receiving end are not so lucky.  They need to be prepared for any question, and be prepared to shoot back an answers as short and meaningful as possible.

Some call it the “elevator speech.”  But we are not talking about a speech here to explain your organization to a group.  It is much different being in front of a camera, lights shining in your eyes, microphone in your face.  The nerves can set in.  Words don’t always come out as you intended.  And if it is live TV there are no second chances.  Making a difficult situation worse, it lives on via YouTube.

The only way to handle these situations is simple: practice, practice and more practice.  If you believe in what you are saying — and that is step one, then practice saying it in succinct language.  Practice answering different questions, and the same question asked differently.  The more you practice, like playing an instrument, the more proficient you will become at conveying your organization’s marketing and PR message.

Difference between marketing and public relations (PR)

A number of years I was in a meeting and the client said, “what we need is more PR.”  Well, I said, that’s what we do.  He then went on to talk about how a billboard at a certain intersection would be great.

“But I thought you said PR,” I said. “Yea, he responded. PR.  Getting the word out.”

Our firm does billboards, advertising, social media, direct mail and PR.  But to us, PR means public relations and to most PR firms PR means publicity — getting articles in newspapers, on the internet and on TV.  That’s the typical way PR is thought of.  But to him PR meant anything to get exposure, even if they paid for it.

Words matter, as they say, and they certainly matter in the business world.  That’s why it is so important to be clear what you are asking for.  Everybody wants positive publicity, but as the world changes, that is harder to come by.  So we look to other means like paid marketing.

Paid marketing could be display ads in media, internet marketing, and yes, billboards.

So ever since that meeting long ago, we make sure that we and our clients are on the same page when we talk about their needs.  We can — and do — handle it all, but we don’t want to try to pitch stories when the client really wants a street banner.

Marketing and PR is all about communication.  And clear communication starts in a strategy meeting with the client.

Marketing 101 — working with vendors

If you’re in the marketing/PR business, or want to be, you will work with a number of vendors.  No way go get around it.  You will need graphic designers, printers, web programmers, photographers, event planners and more.  So how do you find the right vendors who give you what you need when you need it for a price you want to pay?

Oddly, finding a good vendor is a lot like finding a good doctor, CPA or plumber.  You ask your friends who they use.  Sometimes referrals work out, sometimes they don’t.  It can be a bit awkward if a close associate recommends a certain person or company they love, and it turns out that you don’t.  But you need to make your clients or boss happy.

First bit of advice I would give is to decide whether you want a large, medium or small company.  Or a company at all.  In today’s wired world, an abundance of talent can be found in people who work in their pajamas in their bedrooms.  They usually have solid professional experience, but want to be independent.  If someone is a sole practioneer, don’t discount them.  They could not only be brilliant, but they might provide you with better service and pricing than a large firm.

Second, make sure you have similar work styles.  If you prefer working informally, meaning you can call the vendor at odd hours and weekends, then you need to find someone who shares that style.  The larger the firm, the more formal they are, usually.  They tend to keep normal hours and if you exceed their normal time structure, you might get charged.

Third, and this is obvious, hire people you can afford.

Fourth, and this is personal preference, if you find someone good, stick with them.  The more you work with one person/company, the better they will come to know what you need and want.  People reward loyalty, so if you keep the same people, when crunch time comes on a project they will be there for you.

Putting together a reliable, talented team can make all the difference in the world for your marketing campaigns.  Take your time finding the right people, then stick with them.

 

Why nonprofits find PR so difficult

While all nonprofits are different, they all share common attributes and challenges.  Most of those challenges are in marketing, PR and having their voices heard.

Every nonprofit wants the world to know about the great work they are doing.  And most deserve to be heard.  They want people to know how they are making the world a better place.  Some of this desire is self-interest.  They want to attract funding, volunteers and Board members.  Some is truly altruistic.  Wanting the world to know how their services can help.

So why is it so difficult for the average nonprofit to stand out?

First, there are so many nonprofits.  Tens of thousands in the country, and thousands in each major city.  Competition.

Second, there is overlap.  Too many nonprofits do the same thing.  They have the same mission.  So when the media cover one organization, they won’t cover a similar one that isn’t that much different.

Third, many nonprofits simply don’t understand the media and how to structure a story pitch.  They do social media, but social media only hits their circle.  The media want certain stories, presented to them in a certain way.  This is a PR skill that most nonprofits don’t have.

Fourth, there are many avenues to tell your story.  TV, newspapers, internet and social media aren’t the only avenues to attract attention.  What are others?  That’s where experienced PR and marketing counselors come in.

Last, nonprofits are great at doing their work, but that doesn’t mean they are necessarily at telling their stories.  Most of our clients lack basic understand, skills and contacts to convey their message.  Not their fault.  PR and marketing is a skill that takes training, practice and understanding.

The larger nonprofits can afford to hire PR and marketing consulting firms.  Smaller nonprofits often can’t.  But that doesn’t mean they can’t work with a firm.  Some PR and marketing firms will take on small projects for reasonable fees.  Having a PR firm doesn’t mean all or nothing.

The moral of the story is PR and marketing is a skill like running a nonprofit is a skill.  Everybody can’t do everything.  Let the PR experts do the marketing while the nonprofits change the world.