“Defying Gravity” and the other “Wicked” things public relations people do

“No one Mourns the Wicked” – True, no one will mourn the wicked when they are gone, but everyone will take part in the collective bashing of a PR “witch” when he or she makes a wicked error. Possibly my favorite #PRFail of recent memory involves a mommy/sex blogger, a reply-all button and a public relations professional dropping a F-bomb via email. This is a lesson in two things for anyone who works in the PR industry:

1. Pitch on target. Don’t waste a journalist’s or blogger’s time (or your own) by blasting people useless information and not doing your research before sending pitches.
2. Pay attention to small details. For example, who is on the other end of that email when you push “reply all”.

“Popular” – Let’s face it, as the song quips, “it’s the way you’re viewed” that is important, and the job of a PR professional is to make their clients popular. No, we might not be schooling our clients on “the proper ploys when you talk to boys,” “what shoes to wear” and “how to fix your hair,” but we do help them with the proper manner to address the media and “everything that really counts to be POPULAR!”

“Dancing through Life” – “Swaying and sweeping and always keeping cool” might be one of the most essential things a publicist can do to be successful. Whether talking to the media, a client or another member of your team, losing your cool and freaking out when things go wrong will not help the situation or inspire any confidence in you. Dance it off and keep going.

“Defying Gravity” – In this line of work, I see professionals at every level of the game working hard and making magic happen all the time. I’ve watched coworkers practically defy the laws of physics to meet deadlines and make stories happen for clients. While the dedication it takes to make these things happen can be rough, the payoff of “flying high” on that coverage you placed for your client (if only for a minute) is always worth it.