Business Blog - PR nightmares
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_s.jpg "Detling showground")
The worst nightmare for a PR
person is having something go wrong in front of an assembly of
hacks.
But the smooth sultans of spin are not immune from Murphy’s
Law.
Murphy turned up at the Kent County Showground the other day
when PR Gill Collins, was expecting a smooth segue from a
glowing description of its two new websites to clicking them into
action.
But those best laid plans came to grief when the new web page
failed to open. Sorry, there were connection problems, she was
told.
After five minutes, computer savvy John Callow of Cortexx, the
web design company behind two new websites aimed at promoting the
county show and other showground events finally got connected. Gill
breathed again!
She had another headache when affable George Jessel, chairman of
the Kent County Agricultural Society, asked her aloud - in front of
the journalists - should mention “the book.”
“No,” came the reply, inviting the obvious question”What
book?”
Journos hate not knowing things.
But confirming an old adage that the late bird catches the worm,
I learned after all the other hacks had gone that the “book” is to
be a “coffee table” tome with 90 pages of text and pictures
celebrating 80 years of the Society and County Show. It should be
out in time for this year’s County Show on July16.17 and 18.
Don’t expect a bestseller of Da Vinci Code proportions. But it
sounds like a good souvenir of a remarkable institution that is
finally coming into the 21st century with exciting development
plans and a show that is being revamped to stay alive, as well as
remain the biggest attraction in the Kent calendar.
Incidentally, Murphy regularly attends business events needing a
good sound system. I have lost count of the number of times mikes
have died at the crucial moment. The wonders of technology appeal
to Murphy who just loves upsetting PRs. And, of course, tickling
the media’s fancy.
Monday, March 01 2010
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