Who is your weakest PR link?

I missed an eBay bill whilst I was away, and the e-mail address listed on the site is one I rarely check. So I've missed their reminders about paying it too (it's sorted now). Last week their debt collection agency began hassling my parents at an old address (no longer listed on the website) in a very unpleasant manner for the money.

Now debt collection agencies have a job to do, but the manner they go about that job reflects upon their employer. The success/failure of a debt collection agency doesn't depend upon an individual/business ever using their employer again, but rather whether they can get that money from the individual/business. This creates a PR problem.

Looking at the eBay forums there are numerous unanswered complaints about the practices of their debt collection agency. The complaints detail suspect-looking characters trying to force their way onto properties without the necessary legal documentation. This is eBay's weakest PR link. The link which lowers eBay's reputation in the eyes of its public (this is the stuff people talk about).

Consider the money you spend on your PR (or that of clients). Have you supported many social causes? Has you CEO been featured in an uplifting profile piece in the local rag? Did you finally get a story in national news?

Now imagine how quickly all that could be ruined by a receptionist in a bad mood or a suspect debt collector stubbing a foot in the front door and refusing to leave the property.

Who is your weakest PR link?

Managerial lessons from Arsenal (sorry!)

Sorry, no PR today. Instead something that occured to me after I read this story.

This summer Arsenal, who haven't won a trophy in two years, sold Thierry Henry (their star player) to Barcelona for £16m. Most predicted a terrible season for a team lacking in experienced players. Instead Arsenal have won 9 of their 10 games this season and are top of the Premier League with a game advantage.

So how did this happen?

"Henry intimidated us," 20-year-old Fabregas told the Daily Mail. "He is a great player but it was not easy to play alongside him.

"We were a bit inhibited by him - dependent on everything he wanted to do and his demands. Now it is different."

Do you have a star salesman, PR pro, manager unwittingly intimidating and inhibiting the rest of the team?

Should a PR agency create a business community?

Here's a quick question. Has any PR agency launched a Facebook/Google Group and invited all their clients yet?

I suspect that there are a lot of advantages by creating a small business community with a PR agency at it's core. Were I running an agency I would arrange monthly meets in a pub every Sunday to swap ideas and banter.

If anyone has given this a go, please do let me know how it went.

Of course if you hate your clients, or your clients hate you, this is probably an idea best avoided (and worry about more important issues).

The backwards PR model from Birmingham

A friend of mine at a Birmingham agency explained that she's spent the last week trying to find out which blogs journalists in a certain industry might read. She is hoping to skip pitching journalists in favour of pitching the bloggers. Journalists will then report it from these bloggers, naturally.

The problem is that this just seems to be too many middlemen.

Client > Agency > bloggers > journalists > public.

A better model should work more like:

Agency > Client > public > bloggers > journalists > more public.

The agency should help the client do something really significant/newsworthy with just a few members of their target audience. This target audience will begin talking about it, a blogger or niche publication will pick up on it. As it grows then journalists will give it some coverage. But really, by that stage, you might not even need journalists to spread the good word.

Are the McCann's abusing the 'Find Maddie' fund?

The Guardian reports the PR advisor for the McCann's stepping down.

It seems likely that Phil Hall, former editor of News of the World and Hello! magazine, will be hired to handle the negative publicity the couple are now receiving.

I have an issue with this. Where is the money coming from? The parents aren't poor, but certainly not in a position to hire a PR advisor from their own finances. My assumption would be that this money is coming from the 'Find Madeleine' fund.

I've read as many reports as I can and it's clearly stated that the fund will not pay for any legal expenses (they've recently been given suspect status by Portuguese police) to defend themselves. There is absolutely no sign that though this fund wont pay for their reputation. And really, do they still need a PR advisor?

A PR advisor may have been necessary in the early days when the couple were in Portugal trying to find their daughter. But now this sort of PR has been replaced by more of a crisis media style PR to handle the negative publicity, it's wrong that money to find their daughter might be used to defend themselves from a bad reputation. That's what the courts will determine.

Predictably dull PR

Last week The Worlds Leading wrote this. Today this appeared on BBC News.

For those that can't be bothered to click the links, a week ago The Worlds Leading slated PR agencies that would use a predictable survey tactic regarding how some new technology or upcoming event would cost UK businesses. TWL even used Facebook as an example.

Today BBC News ran a story about the cost of employees using Facebook.

The PR industry and the media are supposed to keep eachother on toes, make sure both are sharp and dynamic. Today they both failed.

- Just noticed i'm not the only person to pick up on this.

Anita proved how companies can have a great reputation

Sorry for the lack of blogs posts, I've been on holiday in Lithuania.

It's sad to come back and read about the death of Body Shop Founder Anita Roddick. She was an inspiration to many. Heather Gorringe of Wiggly Wigglers, a former apt client, was even able to get her on the wormcast for a brief but direct chat some time ago.

There are going to be many fitting tributes and biographies about her over the coming hours and days. I wont try to match those.

Anita Roddick proved if you want to have a great public reputation, don't hire a PR agency, just use your company to do great things.