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Over at The Guardian, the editor of PR Week is giving the BBC’s PR team a sound thrashing, by jove.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24556017-601,00.html

Much embarrassment for Aussie Liberal wing-woman Julie Bishop and publishers, Melbourne University Press, that her essay contribution for a book about the future of the Liberal Party was cribbed from a ten-year old speech by a New Zealand businessman Roger Kerr. A Libs senior Media Adviser Murray Hansen has fallen on his sword/pen admitting it was all his doing/fault. From The Australian Murray says…”he had written the essay and forgotten to send footnotes in time for publication…Asked how footnotes could have given credit for words that are not in quotation marks in Ms Bishop’s essay but blended through, he said: “I knocked it together very quickly. If I’d formatted it and put direct quotes, it would have alerted her much more quickly to the fact that I was taking large chunks out of someone else’s ideas and speech.” Author writes: A major published book; representing an MP; knocked together very quickly!!! In late September, Ms Bishop was accused of plagiarism for lifting material from The Wall Street Journal for a speech.

This unbelievable piece suggests that Scotland is a tough place to practice PR. The UK PM’s wife Sarah Brown (a former PR at Hobsbawm Macaulay Communications), was allegedly involved in a PR photo-op where govt PR minders seemed somewhat over-zealous in protecting their client interests. The messengers threatening scribes with a bullet; there’s a new twist on a theme.

Standing in court the other day, corporate PR Greg Baxter, ex PR Head at James Hardie says he didnt insert the words “fully funded” into a 2001 press release about the firm’s asbestos compensation trust; with an amnesia onset, he’s not sure who did, either. Surely tho, as the head of PR he would’ve been aware of the weight of this statement and the PR/reputational implications of it? Strangely, as Crikey reports, this story hasnt played strongly in News Ltd newspapers where Baxter is now Head of Corp Affairs…aaaahhh, dontcha just love media transparency and ethics?
http://www.watoday.com.au/national/hardies-minutes-fail-to-jog-memory-20081015-50xm.html

Following a long line of public figures who have deployed kids to try and win the sympathy vote in public opinion - think UK’s John ‘Mad Cow’ Gummer and Aussies Matt Brown, Andrew Bartlett and John Hewson - thugby player Greg Bird recently arrived at court dragging his little brother (maybe about 5yrs old?) through a media scrum. His sister also ported their other baby brother to try keeping media snappers at bay. Accused of ‘glassing’ his American girlfriend’s face with a wine glass, Bird’s media advisers (lawyers or PR people we wonder?) clearly felt he needed to soften his image as this sports PR disaster unfolds. Bird’s girlfriend suffered cuts and a fractured eye socket after allegedly being hit in the face with a glass wielded by Bird himself. He denies the assault and blamed a pro-golfer mate.

Ever fond of hoary old sayings this weather, I’ll bastardise another; “character isn’t revealed when things are going well, but how you behave when things are going badly”. Greg from an older PR pro; ditch the entourage and the media manipulation. Face these allegations directly, with integrity and, if appropriate, with contrition. That’s the only way to bring this unseemly PR disaster to a close, and rebuild your much tarnished reputation. 

 

Great example of how and when not to conduct a media conference… Embattled NSW MP Belinda Neal feels ‘vindicated’ over allegations she intimidated and lorded it over nighclub staff (see link for story chronology) and held a press conference to, well…gloat over the findings. Thing is for this press thingo, Belinda was poorly advised and ill-prepared as her media appearance only acted as a forum for rehashing questions over her formative behaviour. Again, the cloud of doubt lingers. Never front the press when you know you can’t satisfactorily answer their hardest question…the evasive footage becomes gold.

In a week where NAB PR Felicity Glennie-Holmes won’t have had too much time to twiddle her thumbs, Marketing mag - an Aussie publication I contribute to - features footage of a blogger spamming a NAB branch; it’s not very funny, but does say a lot about how one blogger approaches self-promotion.

MARKETING: http://www.marketingmag.com.au/blogs/view/520

JULIAN COLE: http://www.adspace-pioneers.blogspot.com/

National Australia Bank has distanced itself from a PR consultancy (p’raps Cox & Inall), which attempted to spam post commercial messages on several leading Aussie sports blogs. Local SEO practitioner Jim Stewart tele-interviewed NAB PR Felicity Glennie Holmes who asserted that ‘this activity was poorly executed by our PR agency”. Jim Stewart primarily challenged Felicity on corporate spamming & the ethics of placing covert NAB ads disguised as blog posts. Felicity kinda defended her employers decision.

Interesting note to PR practitioners; be wary of responding to a blog query. As you would with a journo query, ask if they plan to broadcast your communication and if you’re uncomfortable with their response, decide if you wanna participate (or not). For eg: Jim Stewart conducts his interview with Felicity, filming himself for vodcast, and putting her on speakerphone - his body language, facial expressions and other non-verbal silently ’spin’ his take on her responses. Judging by Jim’s raised eyebrows in his vodcast of the telecon, he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing from FGH.

I’ve called Cox Inall to see if they were involved and if so, to hear their side of the story. Someone called ‘Killingly’ is supposed to contact me; after almost 18hrs, am still awaiting any call or email. Agency head Tim Powell left a voice mail for me around 9am and is happy to speak to me later today…stay tuned.

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