PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
So-So PR: Better Than None … Or Is It?
by Wesley Hyatt
Recently there has been a rash of what I call “so-so public relations,” where the parties involved addressed the issues at hand without resolving the matter to satisfaction. By that, I mean they could and should have done a better job of telling their stories in public.
But a halfway successful PR response is better than none at all, right? Or is it? Let’s examine three cases.
1) Jay Leno on Oprah
The ex-host of The Tonight Show is returning there as a damaged brand. NBC pulled him back to replace Conan O’Brien, whose ratings went down when Leno left the show last summer. But Leno’s decision made him a bad guy to some, because he was reneging on his retirement from the program, and O’Brien’s fans argued his ratings were poor because Leno’s new 10 p.m. show (which goes off next week) was dragging down audiences watching NBC late at night. So Leno went on Oprah last week to explain himself.
Oprah is the perfect venue to repair your image quickly nationwide. But Leno’s answers on this friendly turf indicated he was either ignorant or apathetic to how some viewed him, and his emotionless answers about “just following NBC’s orders” did not help. Leno should have emphasized that network politics was the reason for his situation. Instead, he gave an interview that did not shift opinion in either direction, which could be his loss.
2) Toyota’s Accelerator Problem
One carmaker rarely associated with controversy is Toyota. Now it faces what a blogger calls “a public relations crisis nightmare of sorts” because of a sticking accelerator pedal in some models that can cause drivers to lose control. While Toyota acknowledged the problem relatively fast, its response on exactly what consumers should do about their cars was weak, according to several PR professionals.
For example, on its Facebook page, Toyota just lists a link to a recall on its Web site. That impersonal response lacks both proper information and empathy for their customers. Toyota has been responding to the situation, but its reaction has been sluggish and unfocused, which could result in buyers thinking twice about purchasing one of its vehicles in the future.
3) Luxury Cruises Stopping at Haiti
Royal Caribbean is intent upon taking its tourists on its cruises to its luxury Haitian beach resort, Labadee, as one stop. One blog is uncertain whether it is bad PR, a good deed or both.
What do you think, as well as your verdict on these “so-so PR” incidents?
Permalink | 02/03/2010 |
