The Intelligence Quota

I have a sweet, sweet dog. She’s a Yorkie named Tai. Which somehow got lengthened to “Tai Baby,” because well… she’s just not smart. She’s adorable, but intelligence is not her strength.

I have to wonder then if there are people like my Tai Baby. Just not smart.
Take Nestle for example. What is so hard about not being jerks and doing their best to NOT kill babies? Oh yeah, money.

Then turn your attention to Venus Williams. Is it really so hard to just speak up and say what happened? Tweet a picture of your injured foot? (http://bit.ly/apzGjz)
It’s amazing how many PR fiascoes could have been avoided with doing the logical thing. Transparency. Honesty. Issuing a statement- quickly.

Think of the blunder the Queen of England had after the death of Princess Diana. All she needed to do was talk to the public and she refused for three days. In 72 hours an entire country turned against the established monarchy, as they assumed the monarchy ignored their feelings.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t even a statement the nation needed per se- it was a sign that the family cared Diana was dead. A sign that the royal family understood their grief.

Transparency and Honesty go together easily. In many respect they are the same thing. They really should be. Celebrities, companies and anyone else in the spotlight or in a crisis seem to realize this. To not alienate fans or further upset a situation, honesty is important.

Yet, they seem to forget how important a timely message is. Even it’s something simple like “Ooops, we are looking into this. Sorry!” An acknowledgment that an upsetting event occurred is often enough to appease the public for a short time until further information can be acquired.

Sometimes the easiest thing to do is not be stupid. Too bad you can’t win clients with that advice. “Hey, Lindsey, pick me as your publicist and I’ll help you. Oh, and don’t be stupid!” I just don’t see that going as far as it should, when really it’s great advice.