infOpinions?

PRMindshare offered up this query today.

Publicists that take on this type of work have never struck me as particularly worthwhile. Further, the tendency for much of the general public to regard this type of publicity work as PR / public relations practice does nothing for the discipline. Publicity is, after all, only a small part of the larger practice of public relations today.

You watch. TV and print reporters won’t refer to the practitioner or the firm as a publicity agent or publicity firm. They will mostly call it PR. That irks me beyond anything you can imagine. It is an underserved guilt by association.

What would you do?

What does it do to you’re credibility?

Question: What would you do if you were Glenn Selig — Blago’s new
publicist, who says he specializes in crisis management?
– http://www.thepublicityagency.com/crisis_management_pr.htm
and
– http://www.thepublicityagency.com/

Answer choices:

(A) Follow Blago’s lawyer’s lead and resign.
(B) I’d advise the following strategy . . . (insert your answer here)
(C) Part of Glenn’s answer is a media blitz to include Larry King Live on
Monday — http://tinyurl.com/bwk64f Do you agree with that?

I’m posting my initial response here.

Considering that this is the same person that is representing Drew Peterson, are these questions even necessary?

(A) Follow Blago’s lawyer’s lead and resign.

Heh, well — I wouldn’t even take the client. Would you? Considering that Selig took the client, he doesn’t seem to care. I bet he got a retainer up front, too.

Would you touch those clients – Blagojevich and Peterson? What does representation of those clients do to your own firm’s reputation? If you’re Selig, it puts you in line for the next ’story to ridicule’ of the moment — not much else.

(B) I’d advise the following strategy . . .

Stay away from this client and case. Better to address the overall issues of political corruption.

This case is essentially over except for the drama. The Governor isn’t going to win his fight with the legislature re: impeachment. That seems a done deal except – again – for the drama of the hearings.

The Governor should keep quiet. With each press conference, he makes himself an even greater target for ridicule in the press. The Governor is his own worst enemy. Best advice is likely – plea bargain.

His lawyer (if he can keep one) should make all public statements. He’s the Governor, for crying out loud. Try to retain at least a wee bit of dignity. Albeit – at this point – it seems to be a lost cause.

(C) Part of Glenn Selig’s answer is a media blitz to include Larry King Live on Monday.

There really isn’t any positive way to respond to the wiretap transcripts released by the U.S. Attorney. Larry King has become the king of these “rubber necking” “gawking” tabloid fodder stories. If Blagojevich wants to further fit himself into that category, hey … let him dig his own hole.

Come on, a publicity agency that puts out a news release – http://is.gd/hbG8 – to promote their Twitter page … Hello?

This firm is just one more pseudo-Hollywood agent specializing in drawing more attention to train wrecks. Call it publicity, if you want. Don’t call it PR and please, goodness, don’t call it reputation management. This is more like taking advantage of a situation for a fee … or promotion strategy … than reputation management, if that at all.