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PR Lessons Learned from the Cathie Black Debacle
April 2011 - Take Out Newsletter
In this Issue:
Introduction Letter from Vanessa Wakeman
PR Lessons Learned from the Cathie Black Debacle
Does Your Public Relations Strategy Need a Little Tweaking?
Introduction Letter from Vanessa Wakeman
Dear Friends,
The first four months of this year have included an interesting mix of PR hits and misses. We've witnessed the downward spiral of Charlie Sheen, as he captivated us with his ramblings on topics that were humorous to those that were downright scary. PR folks around the world were sending out smoke signals that said, "Dude, where's your publicist?" Not to be outdone by Sheen, Cathie Black, the former New York City School Chancellor kept us on our toes with a hodgepodge of messaging that focused on everything other than what her core audiences cared about (more on that below).
On the flip side tons of media impressions and giggles were created by Mia, the elusive snake that escaped from the Bronx Zoo. By far, Mia was one of my favorite PR hits this year. Kudos to the Bronx Zoo for making what could have easily been a PR nightmare a funny, engaging publicity opportunity.
As the year moves forward, I'm sure we will continue to see interesting examples of what to do and what NEVER to do. It's always easier, cheaper and less painful to learn from the mistakes of others. With that in mind, we'll keep paying attention to what's happening around us and continue to share our observations. Which PR incident stands out most in your mind? I'd love to hear from you.
Best Regards,
Vanessa Wakeman
PR Lessons Learned from the Cathie Black Debacle
I can’t help but wonder if New Yorkers would have given Cathie Black a fighting chance had her coming out party and first few months on the job been orchestrated differently.
I’m not qualified to debate Black’s capabilities to successfully lead our city’s complex educational system and achieve great outcomes for the more than 1.1 million students it serves. But, in the matter of public opinion which is very much a symptom of public relations – I feel compelled to give my two cents.
Black’s failure, in my opinion was largely due to a poorly orchestrated PR campaign. A powerhouse in the publishing world but an unknown to much of the New York working class, Black’s team neglected to position her as an empathetic and relatable figure to the very people that would be relying on Black to educate their children.
The first hint that Black was headed for PR trouble was during Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement of her appointment last year. Putting aside the fact that the appointment of this outsider was quite the surprise to the most important audiences; parents, teachers and the unions; the key message supporting her appointment did not resonate.
Instead of connecting with core audiences and helping them to understand WIIFM (what’s in it for me or in this case my kids, community, teachers or district), the sound byte that we heard repeatedly in response to the question as to why Black was selected, in Mayor Bloomberg’s words, was because Black was “a superstar manager."
While that rationale is effective to communicate the acumen of someone in the business world I’m guessing that responses that talked about the issues that parents care about—high school drop-out rates, Regents test scores, commitment to parental engagement or attracting the best talent to teach our children would have likely elicited a more favorable response from New Yorkers. Lesson: Let the message fit the market.
I’ve read countless articles about Cathie Black over the past few months but don’t recall ever coming away with an understanding of her educational agenda. How could parents be expected to support Black if they were not adequately cued in to her plans to improve their children’s educational opportunities and successes? Lesson: Communicate your platform and take cues from your audience.
On April 7th, Mayor Bloomberg shared at a press conference that Black was resigning. One of the reasons the Mayor cited for the sudden change of events was that the story that had played out during the 3 months of Black's tenure became more about her than the kids, another telling sign that this PR campaign to gain support for Black as the new Schools Chancellor fell short on messaging and positioning.
On a positive note, I give Mayor Bloomberg an A in crisis communications. He accepted responsibility for his actions and offered a solution – a new Chancellor. In a statement at the press conference Bloomberg stated, “I take full responsibility for the fact that this has not worked out as either of us had hoped or expected.” Lesson: In a crisis, fess up, take your lumps, share your solutions and move on.
Moments after he shared the news that Black would be leaving; Bloomberg announced the appointment of the new schools Chancellor, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott.
Hello, I’m Dennis Walcott and I’m on message.
In the span of just 4 days, Deputy Mayor Walcott has made the rounds from schools to churches and participated in a score of media interviews.
While Black was clearly challenged to find a way to communicate effectively with her constituents, Walcott is more than at ease and even those that are not ardent supporters appear to be willing to give him a chance at the helm.
It is premature to assume that we know what Walcott’s educational agenda will include but I’m almost certain that parental engagement will be high on the list. Walcott’s interest in parental engagement and collaboration is peppered into many of the interviews he’s given since last Thursday.
In an excerpt from an interview with the NY Daily News Editorial Board on Friday, April 8th:
Q: What's at the top of your agenda?
Walcott: Parents. Parents are key for me and key for the system - making sure that parents are totally engaged and know exactly what's going on, both as far as their child as well as the overall system itself.
Also on April 8th, in a New York Times article a reference to Deputy Mayor Walcott’s schedule mentions:
Mr. Walcott has a full calendar in the coming days…going to a church on Sunday; and visiting schools, meeting with parents, traveling to Albany and holding a town-hall-style meeting in the city next week.
And finally, in a follow-up article in the NY Daily News on Sunday, April 10, 2011 Mr. Walcott was quoted as saying to a congregation in a Brooklyn church:
"What I want to dedicate the next two and a half years to is making sure that parents are fully engaged in the lives of their children," Walcott told the church. "I pledge to all of you we're going to do that 100 percent of the time, to make sure parents are full partners in the lives of their children, as well as involved in the Department of Education.”
Deputy Mayor Walcott either understands the importance of being on message or has a PR team that does. It’s too soon to make any calls as to how this will all play out. But one thing is for sure--in lightening speed he’s captivated the attention of New Yorkers and put forth a message that is sure to gain the attention of one of his most critical stakeholders –parents, parents, parents.
BP: One Year Later
Check out this interview with a PR veteran that details where BP went wrong with their PR efforts after the oil spill. Read the full story here, or listen to the audio.
Does Your Public Relations Strategy Need a Little Tweaking?
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