Top PR client mistakes, from PR Grouch

 19th October 2012    PR Guru 

Most PROs I know have had some classic moment where a client has messed up dramatically. The resulting carnage has cost me thousands of rupees in retail therapy trying to "block out and move on" from the stress of it all.

So, we thought we'd list our favourites examples of clients screwing up our PR lives:

1. HR client tells the editor of a leading business magazine over lunch that he “tends to hire men because they're less likely to go and get pregnant”. Plus, he has to spend more time “explaining things to women for obvious reasons”. The editor almost fell off her chair.

2. Media client stops lunch with national reporter to take a call from his wife in the next room, then proceeds to scream at her.

3. Client misses massive product launch because he's hungover. We make (good and believable) excuses before spotting client tweeting about getting out of the event “coz he's still drunk'“.

4. Client launching a new piece of software walks on stage before admitting he hasn't really had a “proper go” yet. Not a good launch strategy for a product manager ...

5. Client doesn'tt bother reading briefing note at all. Calls journalist up and has a moan about journalists ... thinking he's talking to the PRO.

6. Client tells environment editor at two national dailies that “green is out” and “it's all about making money faster not smarter'“ – we didn't believe this really happened, then we read the post-briefing notes and started to cry.

Wondering who PR Grouch is? Well is basically he's a frustrated PR and each week he'll tell us about stuff that annoys him. Enjoy - but don't take him too seriously!