Anyone for PR?

In the first episode of the new Harry Enfield / Paul Whitehouse series, there’s a sketch in which an antique dealer is trying to exploit a rather stupid Notting Hill “yoga whore”. Sarcastically, the Enfield character suggests that the woman should take up a career in interior design. The woman replies: “Actually, I’ve just had some business cards printed, so I am an interior designer”. Enfield looks at the card and then throws it in the bin.

This reflects the current media world, which seems so overpopulated with PR companies that think they are a PR company because they have a card and a funky website. Unfortunately, gullible people who think they need PR employ these vacuous companies who ultimately go on to ruin any reputation their client had in the first place. Today, I had an extraordinary experience which underlines this state of affairs.

A call came through to my direct line. A voice said, “Hello, is this Mark?”, to which I replied “Yes”. “Are you busy?” she said. “If it’s a sales call, then yes,” I responded. “My name is Susan Ware and I’m from Blahhhhhhhhhhhhr Communications,” she replied (names have, of course, been changed to save her some embarrassment). She told me she had looked at our website and was impressed by the amount of coverage there was for Lower Mill Estate. She then asked “Do they need PR?”

Confused, I replied: “Borkowski generated that coverage, why would I get my client to employ another PR company?” She continued with “Well don’t be hasty, you may have missed a trick.” Considering the amount of coverage we generated for Lower Mill Estate is probably greater than any property development company has ever had, I was straining to think of a trick I might have missed. Obviously the person on the line was a yoga whore. Perhaps I should have pointed out the ink and broadcast that Borkowski has generated to launch the Harrods allotment scheme. Ho hum.