Unorthodox Solutions Pay Off!

When in the midst of a PR crisis, it would seem natural to become nervous, irritable, and anxious.  Take this case for example:  you and your place of employment have been personally attacked in a way that has the potential to harm your reputation.  What do you do?  Getting angry, seeking revenge, and demanding a public apology seems to be the obvious solution. However, your reaction to the situation can determine the effectiveness of the outcome.

Dennis Miller, former assistant PR director at Elmira College (EC), posted on The Higher Ed Marketing Blog about an incident that occurred to him, and his unorthodox response which turned out to be a highly effective solution!  During a snowstorm, Big Ange, well-loved radio DJ, slammed Miller and his boss, Martha Horton, for not informing the station of the status on EC's closing.  He went on to say, "Martha Horton, Dennis Miller, they're the worst PR people in the world!  The worst!"  Clearly, damage was done and repairs needed to be made.  Although the president of the college wanted to sue for slander, Miller had quite a different idea.  

Miller invited Big Ange on a tour of the EC campus, which he complied to.  He met and conversed with not only several employees, but also the school's president.  Knowing that Big Ange was a lover of food, Miller arranged to have him taken to the dining hall where he was served a six-foot sub.  Miller took pictures and wrote an article the next day for the daily paper, increasing Ange's local stardom status.  

That morning, Big Ange raved about Elmira College, providing EC with plenty of unpaid endorsements, consequently reversing any negative publicity that was caused from the previous day.  The free publicity EC received went above and beyond what any lawsuit would have brought them.  This goes to show you, that when you are in a PR pickle with your reputation on the line, sometimes all you need to give is a little bit of love.  Reaction can be everything, and being able to keep your cool and think rationally can ultimately help in the end.