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Public Relations Disasters-Inside Stories & Lessons Learnt

Gerry McCusker
Kogan Page, 2004
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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Author Gerry McCusker recites a litany of public relations mistakes made by major corporations worldwide. Each mistake is encapsulated in a short chapter, only two to four pages, followed by a "Lessons Learnt" summary that serves as practical advice to PR people. Unfortunately, this choppy format makes the book read more like an encyclopedia or a depository of yarns from years of index cards rather than a cohesive work. It is organized only by an arbitrary alphabetical listing, and the jargon used ("journo," "bods," "squillions") may not translate well with U.S. audiences. However, the book has two big redeeming factors. First, it provides a global view of how major PR firms, such as Burson Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton, and other corporations operate outside the U.S., often apparently at much lower standards than they use domestically. Secondly, the PR mistakes in this litany drive home the importance of basic common sense. They show how individuals can foster or destroy corporate goodwill. getAbstract can imagine PR professionals flipping through these war stories for entertainment and for warnings about disasters to avoid.

Summary

Good Judgment and Attention to Detail

A well-constructed public relations campaign has many working parts that determine the level of its success or failure. The PR professional can make the campaign or break it with errors in judgment or poor attention to detail. PR blunders can unravel any corporate effort, be it local or international. Mistakes happen primarily due to faulty decision-making, bad planning or conflicts between PR plans and an organization's culture or policies.

Celebrity Mistakes

Misuse of a celebrity endorser is a common lapse. For instance, the agency advertising the soft drink 7Up used the captain of the Irish soccer team, Roy Keane, to boost its visibility in Ireland. Kicking through a big media budget, the brand put Keane’s photo in ads and on billboards, cans, bottles and packages. To magnify his endorsement, 7Up sponsored a leading Irish boys’ soccer association, using the slogan, “Clearly there’s no substitute,” to refer to the star’s ability and to the soft drink. Then Keane had a major dispute with his team’s manager, accusing him and the rest of the management team of poor preparation before the World Cup. As a result of the public...

About the Author

Gerry McCusker has more than 20 years of experience in public relations and advertising. He operates his own firm, Generation Text, in Australia, and is also a media trainer.

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