Doug  Haslam

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