Tag Archives: litigation

Trump’s PR 101 class

A number of years ago Donald Trump started a school to teach would-be real estate investors how to be successful, like him.  From all accounts, the school charged a lot of money but didn’t deliver much information, and the school went bust.

The mistake Trump made was he taught the wrong subject.  Yes, he is a master real estate mogul.  But he is even a better PR pro.

Years before Trump declared his candidacy for any public office, he was a national figure.  His high profile projects, reality show and many appearances on late night talk shows, often on the Late Late Show with David Letterman.  He was an entertaining figure and made for good conversation, even if Letterman poked fun at him.

Now that he is running for president of the United States, his PR skills are being put to good use.  While his competitors for the Republican nomination have to shell out millions of dollars in paid advertising, all Trump has to do is say something outrageous and he is on TV that night.

Donald Trump is a master publicist, for the Trump brand.  He knows how to get attention and does it every day.  His formula is simple: say something crazy and controversial, and the media will come running.

With the South Carolina primary a few days away, Jeb (Bush) pulled a great media event by having his brother, the former president, appear at a rally.  George W. has been very quiet since he left office, but now he is on the campaign trail.  But knowing that it would be Jeb’s day in the media spotlight, Trump wasn’t going to have it.  On the same day as Jeb’s event, he threatened to sue Ted Cruz, claiming he is ineligible to run for president because he wasn’t born in the U.S.  Everybody knows such a lawsuit, if it is indeed filed, will go nowhere.  But that wasn’t the point. It got Trump on TV that night, right along side Jeb’s big media event.  It took Jeb Bush money, work and coordination to get George W. to appear at his rally.  All it took for Trump was to pick up the phone and call a news conference.

So if Trump doesn’t become president, and if he gets tired of real estate, he really should go into PR.

That’s where his real talents lie.

Lamar Odom shows us the new cost of fame

As of this writing, former LA Lakers and Clippers player Lamar Odom lies in a hospital bed in Las Vegas fighting for his life.   This latest life-threatening drama for the troubled athlete started after three days at a Nevada brothel that included lots of drugs and resulted in an unconscious Odom.

When these episodes happen to the rich and famous, the media dig for all the dirt they can get their hands on.  That always includes the “backstory” of what was going on in the person’s life that led him/her to the situation.  In the case of Odom, it really is no surprise.  He has been in the news for years, even after his basketball career ended, because of his role on the reality show ?Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”

Although much has been written about the tragedies Odom faced and lived through — even before entering the NBA — it is being said that his professional basketball career was doomed in large part because of the reality show.  Apparently, according to the gossip sites, no team wanted anything to do with the Kardashians and the show, which demanded locker room access, front row seats for Odom’s former wife and family and on and on.  The Lakers cut him as did the Clippers.  Team management wanted the focus to be on their franchises, not the Kardashian reality show.  Plus, there were rumors that Odom was using drugs and needed rehab.  Too much drama for a basketball franchise worth upwards of a couple of billion dollars.

Some say Odom didn’t know what he was getting into when he marrried Khloe Kardashian.  He soon wanted out of the show, and it took a toll on his marriage.  So he turned to drugs, again, which is not surprising as his father is a former drug user, so the reports say.

Most people dream of fame and the fortune that often comes along with it.  At his peak, Odom was earning upwards of $10 million a season.  But for Lamar Odom, fame seems to have been a curse.  He was a good athlete and had a future if he was able to focus on that.  For some reason the distraction of the show, which put him on a different exposure level, was more than he could handle.

And the result, as of today, are not pretty.

As the old adage says, “Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.”

Old words with new meanings that we can do without

We PR professionals are in the communication business. Our job is to structure the messages of those we represent and communicate them in the clearest, most understandable words possible.

But every now again, new word meanings creep into our daily lexicon. It’s hard to tell who comes up with these alternate ways of saying the same thing, but some – many – catch on. Before you know it, we all are using the same new-styled wording to convey the same thoughts when the words we have been using for decades have worked just fine.

Perhaps it’s nothing more than looking and sounding cool; like you just bought the latest model sports car so you must know something. But having practiced PR for several decades, successfully, I do my best to avoid the newest and latest lingo because I don’t think it adds to my credibility, and frankly, I think it makes me sound silly.

Here are a few examples: Feel free to add to the list:

Space – No longer do people work in a business or industry, they occupy a certain space. I had a conversation with a nice young person recently who was trying to sell me a service. Every other word from his mouth was the “space” my company occupies. The only space I occupy is my office space and I pay rent for that. That’s the only space that makes sense to me.

Reach Out – There was a time when people would call or contact one another. Today, everybody “reaches out.” I wanted to reach out to you about any openings you may have in your company. You mean you are calling me about a job?” If that person was really current, s/he would have said “I wanted to reach out to you about any space I could fill in your firm.” But I guess there are only so many new-fangled clichés a recent graduate can muster in one sentence.

Different Direction – This has actually been around for a while, and won’t go away. Years ago, as the story goes, Johnny Carson decided to fire one of his writers. He called him into his office and said something like, “I just want you to know we’re taking the show in a different direction.” That was Johnny’s way of firing him. Later, the writer said in an interview that he never knew what different direction the show took, as it seemed the same to him until Johnny retired.

Circle Back — “I’ll tell you a bit about my company, you tell me a bit about your company, and then we’ll circle back to how you can help us.” You mean: After we get the preliminaries out of the way, we’ll get to the point of the meeting? Can we do this while remaining in our chairs or do we have to get up and walk in a circle?

Best – Prior to email overtaking our daily communications, people wrote letters. Yes, with actual paper that had to be folded and put in an envelope and mailed, or in later years, faxed. For as many years as I can remember, letters ended with something like Very Truly Yours, or the ubiquitous Sincerely. Then, when email arrived, people wanted to sound more friendly and started using All the Best. And now, All the Best has morphed to simply Best.

Best what?

It was nice hearing from you, Best, Gary.

You mean All the Best? You mean I Wish You the Best? You mean I Am the Best? Perhaps You are the Best? I never know what best you’re talking about. Please explain.

Hey – I saved my favorite for last. I can’t tell you how many emails I get, usually from people soliciting business or more likely people sending resumes, that begin with Hey! If I am not worth a Hello, then why bother? Colleges should offer a course that teaches would-be PR pros the difference between writing a business email and writing a text to a buddy. If you are asking me, or anyone for a job, don’y start with Hey!! We’re not drinking buddies, at least not yet. And for heaven’s sake, drop the exclamation points unless you are writing for a comic strip.

So hey, now that I have reached out to you, I want to circle back and take this in a different direction because of the space that I occupy. Thanks for listening.

Some PR mistakes happen before you launch your PR campaign

When creating a PR campaign, whether an ongoing effort or a one-time project, there are three primary issues to consider (among many more):

1.  Scope of work — What work will be performed?

2.  Budget — What is your PR budget for the campaign?

3.  Timeline — When will it start and end (if a project).

The first three are relatively easy to determine.  Nonprofits and corporations pretty much know what they want to achieve and how much money they have to spend.  What often comes into question is when to start.

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make when hiring a PR firm is to think they will save money if they hire the firm right before their event or project, and end it right after.  After all, the less time a PR consultancy is on-board, the less budget they will require, right?  It’s like hiring a lawyer the day before you go to court so you only have to pay him/her for that one day in court.

Unfortunately, this is a misguided approach if an organization wants a PR effort that is effective and yields results.

If an organization has an event in June, let’s say, and they want a PR firm to publicize the event, bringing in the firm in May is hardly wise.  Giving the firm no time to understand the client, prepare the proper materials, think about pitch angles, make their media contacts and so forth only puts the PR firm at a disadvantage.  It is often said that PR takes time to work, but PR firms also need time to prepare, lay the groundwork and do their work.

We face this often.  An organization will have a big campaign in mind, but a limited budget in the bank.  So the normal approach is to wait until a few weeks before the campaign to bring on the PR firm.  The client feels good that professionals are on-board, but what they are doing is putting their PR agency at a disadvantage.  If feature articles are desired, it often takes several months to make contact with the right journalists, pitch a story angle that makes sense and work within a journalist’s schedule.  If you want journalists to attend, they have busy schedules and need notice. Just because an organization has an event on a certain day, doesn’t mean a journalist will give their event priority over all the other events happening in the city.   If an organization wants their 5K race covered, they better understand there are probably three 5K races every weekend in Los Angeles, and without a strong angle and sufficient notice, getting media attention is tough.  Hence, all too often opportunities are lost.

In cases when a client has a finite budget, it is better for the client and the PR firm to start early and divide the budget over more months just so the tasks that take time can be done.  Sure the PR firm will make less each month, but they won’t give full-service as it is not warranted.  But there are PR tasks that need three months lead time.  They can’t be done with 30 days notice.  PR firms want to do a good job and often will take less money per month, just so they can have the lead time they need for certain tasks to take hold.

So our advice is don’t put off getting your PR firm on-board because you think it will save money.  It usually doesn’t, and often will cost you the success your PR firm can achieve if they are given the tools they need to do a good job, and one of those tools is time.

Nonprofit PR beyond the box

Every nonprofit organization, and there are thousands, wants two things.  First, they want money so they can continue their good work.  Second, they want PR so they can become known.  If a nonprofit doesn’t spread the word that it exists, how will it grow its donor base?

Yet, the question remains, if there are so many nonprofits — many with essentially the same mission — how does a nonprofit stand out?  How does it become known and how does it garner attention?

That’s where a strong PR and marketing effort comes in.

But even good PR won’t work magic.  There simply is too much competition for print and screen space.  That’s why it is important that the PR a nonprofit undertakes is targeted, smart and creative; only then can it break through the clutter.

Too many organizations write too many news releases that never get recognized.  Writing a news release is easy.  Get a reporter to take notice is the hard part.  So while an organization may think they are achieving their PR objectives by writing news releases, if nobody every sees them, not much has been accomplished.

If you are a nonprofit seeking PR attention, one way it to think outside your own organization.  Every agency wants their programs promoted.  But let’s face it, not every program is unique and newsworthy.  That’s why often the way to get recognition for a program is to find a way for it to help another, non-competitive nonprofit, or a newsworthy event.

To put it in terms that are perhaps more clear, instead of sending out a news release that your agency does disaster relief, make sure that when a disaster occurs your nonprofit is on the scene.  You don’t have to scream your organization’s name.  Just being there, doing what you do, will get you attention.  And most important, it will get you third party endorsement which is the best PR you can hope for.

Examples can go on and on. Don’t expect that the media will write about your organization because you exist. It’s what you do that will interest them.  Just doing is worth a thousand words.

 

 

Why litigation PR matters

Everybody knows the saying, “you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.”  What this is really saying is that first impressions stick with us with more force than follow up information.

When a story breaks, the first information that is released is the most powerful, even if it is is wrong.  It has to do with brain chemistry, something I know little about.

But what I do know is when a legal matter makes news, the lawyer with his/her story out first tends to control the conversation.  Many lawyers are media shy and shun talking about cases outside of the courtroom.  Then there are others who talk more outside of court than inside, hoping it never gets into a courtroom.

Many lawyers understand this and are quick to come to the public defense of their client in the media.  Take for example the case of a young woman who was beaten to death while waiting outside a nightclub.  When the police arrested the first suspect, her lawyer immediately came out and said she was a mere bystander who lost her cellphone in the melee.  Whether this is true or not, that defense is sticking as the case moves forward.

Attorneys with high-profile cases are smart to seek the counsel of professional media relations experts to design a media strategy.  Ultimately what is most important is a legal strategy, but in today’s social media world, getting a message out quickly can be equally as important.

 

Jahi McMath — not only a personal tragedy but a PR disaster

The case of Jahi McMath, the 13-year old girl who has been declared brain dead after complications from complex tonsillectomy surgery, is indeed a tragedy.  The last thing parents expect when their child has elective surgery is for the child to die.

The case has captured international attention because Jahi’s mother refuses to accept the fact that her daughter is brain dead.  Three neurologists examined the girl and found there to be no blood flow to the brain and no electrical activity.  In essence, the girl is dead.

Since the drama unfolded three weeks ago, there has been a public struggle between  Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland where the surgery took place and Nailah Winkfield, the girl’s mother.  The mother refuses to accept that her daughter is dead and has arranged for her to be taken to a long-term care facility.

One would think that the hospital would have handled the situation with the utmost sensitivity. Instead, as it reads in the media, the hospital pressured Ms. Winkfield to remove Jahi from the ventilator and accept her death.  Then, when the conflict escalated, the hospital brought in a local PR / crisis communications guru to handle the media onslaught.

There is a place for crisis communications experts.  We are among them and handle our share of PR crisis situations.  But sometimes the best counsel a crisis communicator can give his/her client is to show sensitivity rather than play hardball and lawyer up.  The words of condolence given by Sam Singer, the crisis PR guru, seem all too much like lip service.  Standing before a bank of TV cameras, to recite the demands of the hospital in order for the transfer to take place, seems harsh.  Yes, there are many legal issues involved here, we all know that.  The hospital has to follow certain protocols and their lawyers are calling the shots.  But sometimes crisis PR is not all about lawyers. Sometimes it is about putting a human face on an organization, this time the hospital.

Let’s not forget it was in this hospital that the surgery took place, and it was in this hospital that the girl died.  Whatever happens to Jahi, it is certain we have not heard the last from the family, as a lawsuit seems to be on the horizon.  Yet another reason that the hospital should have handled this situation with more care, sensitivity and strategic thinking.

This could have been a model PR crisis case, if handled appropriately.  Unfortunately, the only thing to learn from this situation is how NOT to handle a PR crisis.

 

Litigation PR 101: The advantages of attorneys engaging a PR firm

When attorneys meet one another in court, it is war.  Yes, civility reigns supreme, but nevertheless, the objective is to win the case.

With so many hours to fill, and so much content to create, media have become more and more interested in covering court cases.  Aside from headline news, many programs have sprung up such as “48 Hours Mystery” that follow cases deemed particularly sensational.

So what does this have to do with PR?

Reporters always want to talk to the persons closest to the story.  They want to talk to politicians.  They want to talk to victims and perpetrators.

However, they don’t always get to the people they want to talk to and often have to settle for attorneys and PR reps.

While many attorneys are experienced in dealing with the media, some don’t understand the advantages of engaging a PR representative on their behalf.  After all, if they are speaking to the media, what does the PR person do?

The answer is the PR person serves multiple purposes.  First, they know the media and can develop a media strategy on behalf of the attorney and the case(s) they are involved in.  Perhaps most important, they can be on the front lines taking media inquiries before the attorney schedules an interview.  This is extremely helpful in that the PR rep can find out what information the reporter is seeking and help the attorney prepare for the interview.

This is not to say PR people help craft misleading messages.  Reporters are far too smart for that.  Rather, it simply gives attorneys some breathing space and some time to think about the interview before picking up the phone and being hit with a barrage of media questions.

Over the years we have represented numerous attorneys involved in a wide range of cases.  Our role has been to help prepare lawyers for media interviews.  We don’t tell them what to say, and wouldn’t try to advise an attorney on legal strategy.  But we are helpful in preparing our attorney clients for interviews so when they do sit down with a reporter, they feel more comfortable and confident.

For more inforamtion please visit http://www.harcourtlegal.com.