The Art and Foolishness of Tying PR into Tragedy
Doug Haslam, one member of the social media-savvy PR authorities over at SHIFT Communications, tweeted the other day about the potential horror of pitching a client for comment in response to a tragedy.
Richard Laermer and Kevin Dugan, the minds behind the both feared and respected Bad Pitch Blog, have posted on more than one occasion about the insensitivity (and often stupidity) behind leveraging a disaster to promote a client.
I completely agree that stretching a pitch beyond the realm of reason to garner coverage by jumping on a tragedy is one of the poorest PR tactics around.
That being said, I also believe there are times when your expert might offer much needed insight and education, and I believe it’s important that PR people feel empowered to seize those opportunities when it makes sense. Michael Jackson’s death created a devastating blow to his fans but also begs many questions about drug dependency and proper protocol for the prescribing of drugs. Could your hospital’s anesthesiologist shed some light on the chemical properties of the drugs found in Jackson’s system? I think so.
What about a devastating plane crash? Is it appropriate to offer a luggage company for comment? Absolutely not. But an aircraft engineer might be able to comment on any technical issues that may have lead to the accident.
Just like any pitch, it’s important to ensure the expert and angle are appropriate and that you offer information of value and importance to readers. What do you think? Do you think it’s ever okay to tie into a catastrophe to secure mention of your clients? Do you have any examples of a time when you were able to offer value for a news outlet in response to a tragic occurrence?
Rachel Kay
photo credit: irishcameraman.tv
R Kay – I like your thoughts here.
I think with any tragedy one needs to be sensitive – but if there is an educational opportunity that can really impact a lot of people, should they be quiet because of that?
I think if you do your research, and if the client really can offer an opinion that could potentially make a difference – why not?
Using any tragedy to promote your client isn’t right – and I think we see that a lot of the time.
Lauren,
Definitely agree – there’s a right and wrong approach to it. But it’s a case-by-case basis.
Rachel
Rachel – Echoing the always-insightful LAF’s comments
, I would agree that there are times when a well-researched and thoughtful pitch in a time of tragedy is appropriate for a client. Having said that, you need to be VERY sure that a) your client actually has something of value to offer a reporter about the incident (and you aren’t just working on a “ambulance-chaser” scheme; and that b) You make sure that for your client’s sake, this isn’t an incident where your client actually looks worse for trying to do something good/provide some insight.
On that end, I believe timeliness, or rather, taking some time to let the situation play out a little before reaching out is the best method for what will usually be a tricky situation in the first place. Secondly, make sure your client is comfortable with any difficult questions that may arise that could potentially link your client to the tragedy at hand. You mentioned the anesthesiologist at a local hospital providing insight into the Michael Jackson case. That’s all well and good, so long as your expert is fully prepped and prepared that a reporter may question how a non-licensed anesthesiologist even got a hold of a drug in the first place.
Overall, I think we can all agree there are times when it is appropriate to position a client or your relevant expert to speak during a tragic event, so long as tact, thorough research and proper client preparation have been undertaken.
Keith Trivitt (@KeithTrivitt)
Keith,
Excellent thoughts and we are definitely on the same page. A good PR person will know how to analyze the situation and recommend the best course of action. And with any interview, client preparation is imperative.
Rachel
Definitely a touchy area and one that needs to be stepped very carefully. Yet as both Keith and Lauren have commented on (and your post as well), it needs to be done when necessary.
I can’t help but think about Bush’s immediate response (and subsequent mauling) after the Katrina and 9/11 tragedies. I’m not suggesting PR could put a positive message across about these two incidents, but there should have been a resounding message at least.
Instead, there was awkward silence, lack of direction and scared and confused people. Confusion and fear can lead to more mistakes being made, so a strong team needs to be ready to step in for sure.
Absolutely Danny – again, being strategic, aligned and appropriate can make all the difference.
I work for a university in Texas. When 911 occurred, I was meeting with a media buyer in Fort Worth and my boss called me and told me to come back to campus (which is 65 miles from Fort Worth) to promote our faculty relating to history and politics. I told Lauren via Twitter that I felt “dirty.” That just seemed different. We garnered some coverage, but it was very awkward and it just did not feel right. We would have without me doing the push, but it’s because I had already created the relationships and they knew I could point them to someone who could help with the story.
I think everyone is making the right point here — education during a tragedy is not trying to capitalize on someone’s misfortune but trying to increase understanding so that misfortune doesn’t happen again.
If in providing that education, your client gets timely coverage, seems to me that is a side benefit. The overarching benefit can be the reputation boost and WOM endorsement your client gets for doing the right thing and using education in an obvious attempt to help.
Just like I’ve seen many of you note before, problems arise with lack of transparency or a hidden agenda. I think that theory holds true here and if you’re really trying to position your client to help when tragedy occurs, people will see that.
Agree?
Yes, agree Justin, thanks for chiming in. We are PR people and our jobs are to secure coverage for our clients and too position them as experts. Someone will be sought as the conduit of information in these situations, so if we can make it our own clients, all the better.
Very touchy subject, yet something that needs to be addressed with every PR professional. If we do something out of sheer desire to get some ink, then we *will* crash-n-burn..and we *will* deserve it. However, if we try to educate and inform audiences, then it’s another matter altogether…but, it’s still a tough balancing act.
I believe, that, like anything else, so long as we coach our clients with the idea that we/they need to make sure that their underlying creed (with any kind of ‘media opportunity’ that involves a tragedy) needs to be built on service and value. If we are not being of service nor providing any value to an audience, then it’s best to walk away.
If not, we run the risk of being looked upon as a snake oil salesman…and, chaces are, we will be just like that.
Thanks Narciso – you make a great point about educating the PR people about proper approach. It is a tough balancing act and a PR person should be able to provide adequate counsel on the best action to clients before any pitching starts.
This past weekend the stage collapsed during a storm at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose AB resulting in one death and many injured.
I had many friends at this event and was concerned for their safety.
I was appalled to see several people in the #bvj thread on Twitter attempting to promote their own websites, services and such by abusing the thread.
A couple of these people were professionals that I HAD respected up until they tried to promote themselves by using this tragedy as a platform. *shakes head*
I would never again use the product or service of a company who tried to profit from tragedy.
Beth – I understand your concerns but I have a feeling those people were exactly the types of people we are rallying against. Adding to a thread is an obvious abuse. There is a difference in providing education than blatantly selling a product or service.
My thoughts are with you and your friends – it’s always difficult when a tragedy strikes so close to those you care about. I understand your anger.