When you work in Marketing & PR you soon come to realise not all clients fully understand what you do.
They know they need you to get the message out about how wonderful they are and deal with problems, if they arise. But how about the subtleties of your work on reputational management?
Well, that’s sorcery as far as many are concerned.
The companies that get the most out of their in-house communications executives and outside contractors are the ones who listen carefully and take on board their advice. They work communications into every part of their operation, sending their key personnel for training and keeping everyone inside the loop.
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But what if the issue is that the CEO whose company you represent sees themself as a bit of a PR guru?
Houston . . . we have a problem.
Bosses who are too eager to engage with social media can sometimes need reigning in. Being open to customers is one thing. Going way off-message? That’s something else entirely.
On s1jobs you’ll find lots of exciting Marketing & PR vacancies with companies that understand the importance of communications and are willing to invest in the right people. They’re led by thoughtful people who balance their responses appropriately.
But then there are that small number of high-achieving individuals who can’t suppress their own flamboyance, stretching the notion of all publicity being useful to its limits.
Top of that list is President Trump. No other world leader has ever been so accessible or felt so free to express their thoughts. Since he took up office, the comms department of the West Wing has become a revolving door for executives who have tried and failed to get him to moderate his tone.
Next on the list is Elon Musk. Recently the golden boy of space travel and electric vehicles has been showing the strain of keeping so many irons in the fire.
His social media posts have drawn the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission and given shareholders something to chew over.
It doesn’t matter how powerful or charismatic the CEO, there could be times in PR when it will be your job to challenge how they present the company.
They might not want to hear it but the smart ones will listen and recognise the wisdom of what you have to tell them.
Remember: you’ll do your career no harm by sticking to your guns.
For the latest Marketing/PR vacancies visit s1jobs.