Ours is a craft that has tenets that date back to the founding fathers—not of our country, but of public relations. And many of those do-it-by-the-book rules are still taught in communication schools and are practiced today at PR agencies large and small.
But there are many unwritten rules in this essay that agency management follows, even though they will deny it, and some unwritten rules of my own. All of these unwritten rules affect people in our business every day.
Here are a few that all practitioners should remember:
- In our business, good work doesn’t assure job security (no matter what your supervisors or HR reps tell you). Anyone who has been in our business long enough knows that “job security” at agencies is an oxymoron.
- Maybe it was because my first editor, during my days as a journalist, said that each morning my first assignment was to scan all the New York City newspapers so I could suggest follow-up reporting, that when I jumped the fence to public relations, I continued doing so, reading the papers while having breakfast or commuting, and alerted clients in the early a.m. to news that might affect their companies. The clients would then alert their management, making clients look good, which, of course, helped me. Because I believe that making a client look good is the most important facet of good client relationships.
- In my experience, most PR people who I worked with got their news from TV sound bites or reading the headlines of stories, resulting in incomplete information. Doing so helps no one because headlines do not tell the entire story.
- Many people in our business receive promotions because of their allegiance to one important executive. But doing so can have dire consequences as management changes. Be willing to help others when requested, even if it’s another group.
- There are many reasons for promotions at PR agencies. And good work is not necessarily among them. I’ve known agency promotions given because of individuals’ loyalty to higher-ups, because slots had to be filled, and to ward off criticism of gender inequality in management ranks. Unfortunately, the lack of public relations expertise does not prevent lesser talented people from being promoted. If you’re passed over because of such situations make your case directly to top management. Never to your supervisor or H.R. people. The response you get from management will let you know if it’s time to look for another job.
- People who have been at agencies for more than a cup of coffee realize that the reasons for firings often have nothing to do with the individual’s competency. It’s a sad fact of PR life that’s also true throughout the business world.
- I’ve often written and said that once an entity or individual has been the subject of a PR crisis it becomes embedded in its DNA and can be revived forever. Account people should remember that when crafting programs. Do not include elements that can relate to past crisis.
- Using paid spokespeople – what I call hired guns – to promote a product is a common practice in our business. It can be embarrassing to clients if the spokesperson has previously been involved in a situation that resulted in negative media coverage that is rehashed during media appearances. Very Important: Do your own due diligence; don’t relay on hired guns’ agents. \
- A reoccurring problem in our business is when others take credit for an individual’s work because of the way results are reported by supervisors under the “group concept,” which camouflages who does what. Practitioners must find a way to let top management know of their contributions or you might spend your career trying to convince journalists that a #9 pencil is better than a #8 (or that a #10 is better than a #9).
- Aggressiveness in our business is rewarded. Don’t be shy to suggest or criticize program ideas, but never point fingers (even though some agency management encourages it). The individual you criticize today might be your supervisor tomorrow at your agency or at other agencies in the future. Remember, ours is a small world where job-hopping is the norm.
- And one important lesson from the political scene: Things often do not work out as planned. Media coverage of President Trump’s military parade was muted because of unforeseen happenings – the Israeli-Iran war, the “No Kings” rallies, a U.S. senator being dragged to the ground and handcuffed after being removed from a press conference, and the assassination of Minnesota law makers. No matter how brilliant you think a “big idea” is always have a follow-up plan ready for immediate use if necessary. In the 250th birthday of the Army’s situation, it would have been easy to extend the June 14 celebration into June 15 to give it the coverage that the president wanted.
How long to stay at your agency before seeking a better opportunity is a reoccurring question in our business. Thus, when receiving praise from management for good work, my advice to PR practitioners is to remember what Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in “The Prince.” “The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.” Do what’s best for you.
