Cyrano is ever-present. But if he’s doing his job correctly, you’ll never know it.
He designs strategies. He knows what you can and can’t do without stepping on landmines. He polishes your message and guides you in presenting it.
In all this, he has only one goal: To ensure that you achieve what you want.
He stays in the shadows. The only one who hears him is the client. As far as the rest of the world is aware, he doesn’t exist. As it should be.
Cyrano is one side of a Crisis PR strategist. (The other stands out front on public issues to provide a buffer and limit access.)
Clients appreciate the calm, clarity, and comfort he brings to the table. But they want him to leave no fingerprints.
Otherwise, it may raise unwanted questions. Is the situation more serious than you’re letting on?
You want your voice to be the only one that’s heard.
That keeps the volume lower and makes the situation seem less critical. If you interject an outsider, you’ve raised the stakes, and the other side bristles.
Case in point: When two co-owners created a clothing company, they were in sync. But as their fashions became all the rage among the tween set and they grew like topsy, new dynamics emerged. One insisted if they focused only on design, the company would run itself. The other recognized the need to start acting like a real enterprise with scores of employees and revenues well into seven figures.
Splitting duties between the creative and business sides worked well — until it didn’t. Bitter internal struggles erupted over which “side” wielded ultimate decision-making power. A showdown was inevitable and imminent.
Our role wasn’t to mediate. It was to steer strategy and communications to make sure our client won — all the while remaining invisible.
For a deeper glimpse into our world, see our book on Amazon, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media.
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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