Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme this morning had Alan Edwards, a music PR, talking about his work with David Bowie. It was the opportunity for PR to take a bit of a kicking. The presenter suggested their input was to spin an image from very little. This is a point in itself. People like Stephen Waddington have spoken of the concept of putting lipstick on a pig.
While it might not be quite be the same context as he used it, its a good expression to illustrate a point. A great PR can not make anyone a popstar, to continue the theme. Nor can a great PR person make a success of a product which is a dog. No amount of lipstick with help.
Anyway, back to the interview. Was it a car-crash for PR? Alan Edwards spoke about the need to amplify the message. This sounded far more constructive against the usual message manipulation approach so many negative PR-bash stories take.
In a perfect world people probably like to think that the product or pop star can make it on their own merit. It’s a noble thought. But I think people recognise that the adoption of responsible PR techniques will enhance the chance of success.
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