Publicists becoming Part of the News Story
Monday, February 23, 2009
Two notorious news stories as of late have included an angle that pushed the publicist behind the story to the forefront. “Octomom’s” publicist Joann Killeen from the Killeen Furtney Group ended her representative engagement with Nadya Suleman due to death threats.
Then there is Max Clifford, the publicist for Alfie Patten (the 13-year old alleged father of a 15-year old’s baby in the UK), who has reportedly been instructed by Alfie’s father to broker deals on his son's behalf, leading some to wonder how much money this family….and Max…will earn from the notoriety of this news story. In Max’s career, he has also received death threats.
The sensational, tabloid nature of these stories aside, it occurred to me that there is a lesson for PR pros in here. When taking new business engagements, publicists should not only consider the story’s aptitude for success, but carefully measure the degree to which they are willing to be associated with the story. If “guilt by association” comes at the risk of reputational damage or safety, I would argue that is bad revenue.
In today’s economy when almost every industry is struggling to some degree, accepting every revenue opportunity might seem like a wise move; but in the long run, the smartest companies, and PR pros, will be those who continue to exercise caution and enter meaningful business engagements with which association comes with reward rather than risk.
Just my opinion on the matter…. What do you think?
- Julie Buckley
Then there is Max Clifford, the publicist for Alfie Patten (the 13-year old alleged father of a 15-year old’s baby in the UK), who has reportedly been instructed by Alfie’s father to broker deals on his son's behalf, leading some to wonder how much money this family….and Max…will earn from the notoriety of this news story. In Max’s career, he has also received death threats.
The sensational, tabloid nature of these stories aside, it occurred to me that there is a lesson for PR pros in here. When taking new business engagements, publicists should not only consider the story’s aptitude for success, but carefully measure the degree to which they are willing to be associated with the story. If “guilt by association” comes at the risk of reputational damage or safety, I would argue that is bad revenue.
In today’s economy when almost every industry is struggling to some degree, accepting every revenue opportunity might seem like a wise move; but in the long run, the smartest companies, and PR pros, will be those who continue to exercise caution and enter meaningful business engagements with which association comes with reward rather than risk.
Just my opinion on the matter…. What do you think?
- Julie Buckley
Labels: PR Industry
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