The Mothersclick/TechCrunch Post: Transparent or Indiscreet?
I felt the need to post about the Lessons Learned from last week's brouhaha. Not everyone agreed with that choice. What do you think?
Please note --- this is the first time I am trying out a Quimble poll, and my tech guy isn't here to guide me... Right now I've got fingers crossed that this works! If it does not work, please feel free to "vote" in the Comments section. I am curious about your thoughts on the matter. Should PR agencies strive to be more transparent? Is there more at stake?
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Comments
Todd,
Looking from the outside in, I'd say it's better to be discreet. However, that assumes that, for the most part, the PR firm working with Mothersclick is not too well known. From what I read, yes, Mothersclick took a bit of a beating and there were references to its PR firm possibly being behind its actions.
However, if few knew that that firm was SHIFT, does it matter what was said about the firm? You counseled Mothersclick to apologize, and it did. Your job is done.
If it was widely known that SHIFT is invovled with Mothersclick, then I'd say you have your firm's reputation to look out for.
No matter how tight, how close the agency-client relationships is, it's not permanent. Your reputation, like your word, matters most in the long-run.
IMO.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Driehorst | November 6, 2006 04:39 PM
It was not my original intent to "out" the Mothersclick/SHIFT relationship. That was done for me, by clever bloggers. It was at THAT point that I saw the need to protect our reputation... which, to your point, is all I've got, in the end.
Posted by: Todd Defren | November 6, 2006 07:07 PM
I wouldn't say *indiscreet,* but I do think I would NOT have posted.
What I find more disturbing is the link people made between your client's actions and your firm. When did we lose sight of the fact that people are responsible for their OWN actions?
Posted by: Susan Getgood | November 7, 2006 09:53 AM
Todd - of course you did the right thing - anything you write that clears up misconceptions and brings clarity to a problem is worth posting. We can't control what the client does, but we can control what how we save our own integrity. In PR, that's really all you have. You should feel good about it. Nellie
Posted by: nellie lide | November 7, 2006 01:41 PM
As a regular consumer, I'm glad you posted it. Mothersclick has apologised, which is a good thing.
I think it's also good for people to realise how easily this can happen and that commenting while angry or hurt has the same impact online as it does in the real world.
I think more of both of these two companies for being honest, not so long ago it would have been placating press releases, which really just insult the people who read them.
Posted by: scientaestubique | November 8, 2006 01:04 AM