From the series What Not To Do
by Lou Pierce
So, there he is: Mr. CEO — the big desk, the secretary, everyone answering to him; sure, it’s a lot of responsibility, a lot of work, but sometimes it can go to person’s head. I’m the President of a company myself, and I know – just ask my colleagues at Big Idea Company. But, when you’re working with the press, you simply cannot afford to let what I call the “Big Desk Syndrome” foul things up.
Fortunately, most CEOs are smart enough to know that the media do not exist to further his or her company’s corporate agenda; that they are professionals whose words can either be helpful or hurtful. It is only the rare company president who believes that the media will print whatever he or she says without corroboration, without opposing view, without checking of facts. It’s only the rare CEO who is a press hog and believes that reporters are here to do him or her a favor.
I once worked for a company president who believed that only he should handle his company’s press contacts because reporters would surely find his combination of intellect and charm so irresistible they’d always print whatever was best for the organization. This, of course, was folly. But, try telling that to someone who’s enamored with himself and is naïve enough to think that everyone else is too!
Whenever this gentleman encountered reporters on the street or at community events, he’d strike up a friendly conversation. Typically that friendly chat would devolve at some point to an “off-the-record” remark that he was sure would never be printed or used against him or the company he presided over. After all, he reasoned, ‘these are my friends. They like me. And, I can say things to them that other people can’t.’
Well, he was wrong. There’s no such thing as “off-the-record.” And, while most of his awkward comments were just that (awkward), not all of them were so harmless. Some of his observations regarding company competitors were provocative enough that they called for professional scrutiny. And it is the job of reporters, after all, to look into things.
More often than not, when the results of such professional scrutiny uncovered facts that were inconsistent with the CEO’s view of the world, instead of acknowledging his mistakes, he’d complain of unfair treatment — ‘how dare the media question his view of things.’ So, after a while, he began to see the media as an enemy – as his company’s enemy. And his complaints of unfair treatment became public knowledge.
As for the reporters who at first considered this guy to be merely socially awkward, they started to see him as a buffoon with an axe to grind. Press releases, media comments from the company, they were all ignored. This guy had undermined his own credibility, the company’s credibility and started a war with the media at the same time. It became impossible to get a good story done about the company whatever the pitch. Media relations were terrible. And whether reporters knew it or not, they were inadvertently feeding this guy’s perception that reporters were the enemy.
It was all so Nixonian; all so unnecessary. But, you could see it coming – a classic case of “Big Desk Syndrome” that made public relations for this company a nightmare of a job.
What can you take away from this true story? You can remind yourself that journalists are not your friends. They cover a beat. And they’re looking for any less-than-intelligent comment to fall from your boss’s loose lips — particularly if he or she is a ‘news hog.’
If you’re a new in-house marketing director or public relations manager, make sure your president understands the boundaries when it comes to talking to the press. Nothing is ever “off-the-record.” Nothing.
Most CEOs are not like the guy in this cautionary tale. They can be tough to work for, but they’re reasonable and know that reporters have an important job to do. They actually respect the media and will appreciate the good press you bring to the company. They’ll also be the angriest when things go wrong. So, step in early. You’re the professional. And watch out for what I call “Big Desk Syndrome.” It can really foul things up.
I couldn’t help but cringe. There it was. On the very weekend that Accenture announced it was parting ways with Tiger Woods, was this print ad in the Harvard Business Review.
Some public relations professors will hate me for what I’m about to tell you. I don’t care. The P.R. purists who preach a strict, formal approach to writing press releases may have good intentions, but their own loyalty to old school journalism is actually keeping you out of the news more often than not.
It seems too good to be true — an easy way to reach your target audience without the expense of postage and print materials. Don’t be fooled. Most email marketing goes straight from the inbox to the waste box.