| Communication professionals (including public relations, | | | | for the executives' reputations? Apparently not their |
| public affairs, government affairs, both in-house and | | | | internal or external communication folks. |
| agency) have recently allowed several high-profile | | | | Second, on February 10th Treasury Secretary |
| clients, in high-stake situations, fail. | | | | Geithner presented the Obama administration's |
| What was once assumed to be a major responsibility | | | | financial sector relief plan. Sir Timothy (I refer to him as |
| of those providing PR counsel has somehow been | | | | such because he was touted as the "white knight in |
| neglected, with very public, very significant | | | | shining armor" who could rescue Wall Street) had |
| consequences. | | | | flawed messaging which he conveyed with an |
| Perhaps that is why Pfizer announced a new | | | | uninspiring, lackluster delivery. How did the market |
| position--VP, Corporate Reputation and Policy | | | | react? It lost 5% in value in a day. Who was looking |
| Communication. Its role? Build Pfizer's reputation. | | | | out for the Secretary's reputation and effectiveness? |
| Though still working under Pfizer's head of public | | | | Apparently no one. |
| relations, the responsibility is now with one person. | | | | Third, two weeks later on February 24th, Louisiana |
| Pfizer management decided reputation needed more | | | | Governor Bobby Jindal delivered the Republican |
| emphasis and created in effect, a reputation czar. | | | | response to President Obama's Address to Congress. |
| Executives in high-profile, high-stake situations also may | | | | His "speech" was an article, not a speech. The staging |
| need a reputation czar, if their staff and public relations | | | | made him appear awkward, ill at ease. And so the |
| counsel are failing them. Consider three major | | | | governor, an intelligent man, well liked by his |
| communication disasters that happened in just over a | | | | constituents looked stiff, boring and clearly not ready |
| three-month period in late 2008 and early 2009. | | | | for prime time. Who was watching out for the |
| First, on November 19th, Detroit's "Big Three" auto | | | | governor? It might have been the Republican National |
| execs came to Congress asking for a bailout. Their | | | | Committee, except the recent change in its leadership |
| messages were weak, and left the impression the | | | | diffused its focus. And it may well have been that the |
| executives hadn't given much thought as to what they | | | | governor's staff didn't know what to look out for. |
| would say or what the committee and the American | | | | In all three cases a reputation czar would have |
| public wanted to hear. But that failure was | | | | protected the speakers' best interests and increased |
| overshadowed by the defining moment of the | | | | the results each wanted. |
| testimony: Each of the government bailout executives | | | | What about you or your clients? Do you have a |
| had flown to DC in his company's corporate jet at a | | | | reputation czar looking out for your reputation? |
| cost of $20,000 per executive. Who was looking out | | | | |