I’m not bad
…I’m just drawn that way - Jessica Rabbit. There must be something in the cyberwater these days. Some PR people seem to think the best way to clean up their sleazy image is to (!?) act even more sleazy. Strumpette, Rellatio…for all I know there’s a “Slurpette” by now. These blogs look and read like a teenage male’s fantasy and don’t give me any new or different perspective on PR. Make about as much real sense as Jessica’s cartoon image. (Worthy of note is that the reason the Jessica character worked was her well-written dialog was voiced by Kathleen Turner. Great use of the whole femme fatale thing to charming, comic effect.)
If in fact, the “girls” on the PR sleaze blogs are women (which I seriously doubt), I can only surmise they’re very young (Hey, I was young and clueless once myself. Doesn’t make ‘em bad people.) I’d advise them to perhaps spend a little time in - oh - South Dakota. They might decide using the sex objectification angle isn’t the way to build a (good) reputation or business. Yes, “sex sells” but what is it selling? And to whom? For how long?
Now there is such a thing as flipping a negative and addressing it (creatively) right up front. But, it’s tricky, and you run the risk of just looking silly, stupid, and - yes - sleazy. It’s one thing to stand out from the crowd, it’s quite another to stand out for the right reasons.
Oh, and note to the fellas: All that sexy stuff - while great fun in the right time and place - is a lot of work and very uncomfortable. A woman in a push-up “Miracle” bra (ouch), thong, thigh-highs, stilettos and such is going to have a difficult time focusing her brain on her client’s work.
Related Post: When blogging goes bad
Read More: Noel Guinan’s take on PR from across the pond at Blood and Treasure. (Blunt, to the point and makes good points.)
Susan Getgood on character blogs
Tags: Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, public relations
View the Blog Roll
April 5th, 2006 at 10:12 am
I wondered what your take on this would be. Good point when you say, “It’s one thing to stand out from the crowd, it’s quite another to be a stand out for the right reasons.”
In conversation based markets, sensational, novel, eccentric or even sexy is not the kind of difference you want to rely on. That is more in keeping with old and passing broadcast mass market world.
It is a bigger challenge as you say Mary, “to be a stand out for the right reasons”. So, who is up for putting an authentic and creative vision before the networked market we see emerging?
April 6th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
The good news is, most PR (and marketing) folk that I know, are smart, ethical people who want to do right by their clients and society. I try to travel in good circles
Like this one! Great post Mary.
April 7th, 2006 at 10:07 am
[…] Tired of trying to be a somebody? Despair of ever being on the blogger “A” list? Never got to sit at the cool kid’s table in high school? Manolos hurt your feet? Don’t see how a Torture (Um, Miracle) bra can help your career? […]