Silly String Saves Lives February 27, 2007

Sometimes PR people get lucky, and when they do, it may be necessary to develop a media relations plan.

For example, take a look at the recent headlines about the war in Iraq. As you might expect you will read about President Bush and our troops, but I bet you were surprised when you read about Silly String. Possibly even more surprised that you finished the entire article.

Silly String, a common request from troops overseas, is being used to detect trip wires without creating an explosion.

This new combat innovation has started a Silly String frenzy. Time, MSNBC, and USA Today have all published stories about Silly String’s use during combat. A soldier’s mom in New Jersey has started a Silly String drive and you can bet that Silly String sales have been on the rise. You can be sure that all of these stories were ideas pitched by a PR person.

It’s not every day that circumstances can make a product like, Silly String, newsworthy. It is our job as PR people to recognize an opportunity and act on it before it is too late. Keep your eyes open and ears tuned in — you just never know when it will be your client’s or company’s turn to dominate the front pages.

Sorry doesn’t cut it February 20, 2007

Our mothers have lied to us.

Now it is no longer acceptable to just say, “I’m sorry.” It seems the magic words have gone out of style, or at least when it comes to public relations. A study done by Weber Shandwick, a worldwide PR firm, found that out of 950 global business leaders surveyed, 59 percent believe that public apologies by CEOs are not as effective as other tactics when it comes to communicating during a crisis.

This makes sense. During a crisis, people want action, not talk. The same surveyrevealed that a majority of business leaders expect CEOs to address the problem and the steps they will take to fix it.

So where does this leave PR people? It is our job to help hold the apologies and get our CEOs moving in the right direction. Letting the public know how the problem will be fixed is fine, but will only work if that plan is followed through.

While apologies are essential on the playground, they may not be the best tool for the boardroom. The learning lesson here is simple. Do now, and apologize later.