“So, what do you do?”

“When you’re fresh meat, kill and throw them something fresher.”
~ Frank Underwood in House of Cards

“We’re fixers. We’re crisis managers. It’s not about solving a crime. It’s not about justice. It’s about our client.”
~ Harrison in Scandal

 

Put those two popular TV shows together, take out just some of the exaggeration, and you’ve got a glimpse of what high-stakes Crisis PR is.

Recently a Crisis & Reputation Management person was sharing details of some recent cases (sans client names, of course). “You gotta be kidding,” the listener said.

“I couldn’t make this stuff up,” replied the Crisis PR guy.

To be sure, TV shows glamorize and sensationalize. Do you think any cop, lawyer, or doctor believes his job is really like True Detective, Law & Order, or Grey’s Anatomy?

But now we’re ready next time somebody asks, “So, what do you do?”

“You know Scandal and House of Cards? That.” It creates a vivid picture and needs no further explanation.

When you’re facing a bad situation, it’s reassuring to know that it will be “handled”. Everyone makes mistakes — some bigger and more public than others. People may forgive and move on. Not the media. Journalists don’t forget, and they wait for the next opportunity to pounce.

 

Thank you for welcoming us into your lives each week.

This is our 100th blog. When we began in July 2012, we didn’t imagine how many stories there were to tell and lessons to share. Looking forward, the prospects seem endless.

We hope you have found as much value and joy in reading our blogs as we did in writing them.

At the same time the blog was born, we began tinkering with the idea of creating a book. A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media was finally published last December. It’s been ranked as #1 out of more than 1,500 Crisis PR books on Amazon, has received glowing reviews from readers and comments from colleagues, and has been used as a college text.

 

If you don’t already subscribe, please sign up for our blog, Insights on High-Stakes PR.

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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