Why a New Agency Part 2, or Good PR Gone Bad

As promised, I am following up on the other big reason I decided to start my own marketing agency. This is in the form of a cautionary tale that might offer different messages to different people.

Last year (2019), I witnessed a public relations disaster firsthand. I am going to keep this vague on purpose, as I am not looking to point fingers.

I met someone who was a key employee in a local food and beverage company. He ran an important part of their operations dealing with their bar business, and worked long, hard hours in helping them build success. He shared that he had been offered, and accepted, a lower stress position for more money in the same industry. I wished him well and noted how happy he seemed with the new opportunity. He did tell me that the old employer hadn't fought very hard to keep him, and had refused to acknowledge that they had driven him past the the point of burnout.

Here's the PR disaster part. A week after this conversation, I saw the person I had met featured in a local lifestyle publication. The article, written before this person had changed jobs, presented them as the public face of the company and a person to seek out when visiting these restaurants. It was a great piece of advertorial in a widely read local magazine. Now people will come in looking for my new acquaintance and find he has moved on.

There are many lessons here, not the least of which being keep your people happy. As an owner, part of your job is to either be the public face of your company, or if that isn't an option, let the company speak for itself as an entity. What should have been a triumph of PR in the form of free editorial in a major publication, now turns into a textbook case of bad optics. In a city like Raleigh where bar and restaurant patrons have so many excellent choices, one experience that leaves a bad taste in their mouth can mean a lost customer. People are also less forgiving when the businesses they visit give off a vibe of "toxic work environment," especially if they are frustrated in their own jobs.

This is another argument for hiring professionals to handle your PR, marketing, and advertising. Let me know how I can help. scott (at) duncanmarketingandadvertising dot com