Roman Polanski- Artisan or Rapist?

In TIME magazine’s ‘Inbox’ this month there was a heated discussion about the sentencing of Roman Polanski in 1977 and the confusion as to why the American art scene is outraged at his recent arrest. A reader commented

‘It is ironic that Hollywood is exuberant about throwing a demonstrably contrite Mel Gibson under the bus yet is eager to rally around an unrepentant Polanski. Somehow the moral compass is askew and rigged against those who don’t genuflect properly.’

It was this comment that made me question P.R and the ethical issues involved.

For those who may not know the story of Mr Polanski, he had non-consensual sex with a 13 year old girl in 1977 and has an outstanding debt to pay to her, hence the arrest in Switzerland a mere 32 years after his conviction. The story has only re-entered the news as he was arrested by Swiss guards while receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.

Mel Gibson on the other hand has effectively been banished from Hollywood for directing and acting in ‘The Passion’, a film criticised for its anti-Semitic views.
How has it come to be that a rapist is still celebrated and nominated for Academy Awards and Lifetime Achievements and yet an actor who participates in a rather controversial movie is cast out?

Roman Polanski is a skilled artisan who should be celebrated for his work however I believe every action has a consequence and in this case it requires a considerable punishment. Instead a rather large group of influential people believe he should not have to repent his actions. What does this say about similar offenders? Move to another country and your convictions shall be forgotten? Make a movie and it will all be ok?

Mel Gibson I feel has received a far greater punishment than Polanski for a far smaller indiscretion. If Polanski had been publicly slandered across a multitude of magazines, websites and newspapers for his actions I would feel a little better about his lack of sincerity.

Roman Polanski’s publicist has been keeping the story to a minimum, portraying Polanski as a victim who is being unrightfully detained. Clever man. Is this ethically right? Should he not tell the truth? That Polanski ran off to America before his conviction was complete and therefore has to settle it now that he is back in the E.U. Apparently not. However where credit is due I have to commend the publicist on his tight reigns on the story by giving the press the bare minimum to prevent a scandal from forming.

I am still trying to understand the limits and crevices presented to public relations practitioners. To what extent are we able to ‘tweak’ the information? Obviously in the case of Roman Polanski I would do everything in my power not to represent him, problem solved. But how is the current situation ethically viable? Roman Polanski is a convicted rapist who has not entirely paid his debt to society. Part of this said society is saying it is perfectly fine to let Polanski go free yet we must out-cast Gibson. Is it because Polanski makes better movies then Mel?

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Surgically Sterile Environment- Live Free From Swine Flu

Not only does the world have to deal with terrorists, global warming and an economic recession, but apparently there is something far, far worse looming in your very own house. Germs.

Thankfully however Dettol, the saviours that they are, have created a liquid to combat 99.9% of the nasty little bugs. Worried sick mothers can now sleep a little easier knowing that any Swine flu bacteria has been swiftly annihilated after the immediate Dettol shower the three children and husband were subjected to the minute they came through the door.

This fear has not stemmed from a detergent advertisement but instead the NHS P.R campaign to inform the nation of the swine flu and how to combat it. Now every time I walk into an elevator I have to push the button with my elbow, which has at least two layers of material on it or feel an overwhelming need to sanitise my hands within seconds of touching a hand railing in the fear that someone dirty has been there before me. No I do not have ODC (obsessive compulsive disorder) I have merely been mentally inflicted with these messages.

P.R does have the power to influence and inform, and although their intention was good it has merely added to over zealous parents list of things to do. And the slightly neurotic.

For example there has been a great boom in ‘Kinderkords’ which are effectively little human leashes allowing your child to get a whole three feet away. Why would someone buy this product? It's another way to control your immediate environment. Keeping them away from germs, nasty men, and naughty words. Spray your child regularly with anti-bacterial solution and keep him on a leash and he will forever be safe from harm. The campaign about the dirt on your child’s high chair has more bad bacteria than a toilet seat had good intentions but the consequences were far greater and are now actually threatening a child’s right to play.

I think the time has come to run a new style of campaign. For example one that does not generate fear to such a limitless extent. Neurosis and anti-bacterial substances have replaced the simple, non-threatening campaign style. Do not get me wrong, I understand the whole germ mania however like most things in this day and age ‘everything in moderation’. Even germs.

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“You Pay for Advertising and You Pray for PR” – (Unknown)

Most of us know that when you advertise, you are actually paying to get an ad space, knowing when that ad will be published or aired. However, PR is all about getting your company free publicity, not knowing when that information will get out, or even get out at all, so you got to pray...!

So I agree that it’s an advantage when you pay an advertising company to get your information out, because you have control over it and know where and when it will be shown. Many companies are spending thousands of pounds on advertising to get what they want to say out to the public.

PR however, is all about getting the company’s name out there with no hype, only news. It is a free way to get the image you want recognised. How the media presents the information sent to them is something PR people cannot control. That is risky, and can make or break a company’s reputation. You have little say in what comes out on the other end, but free publicity is always good, right?

I found an interesting article, stating the 10 differences between advertising and PR. So many people are discussing and saying that it really depends on the products or service you want to publicise. That PR is better when you are communicating depth of information and more effective and with advertising it’s easy to control the message you want to get across. But is it?

Philip Kotler, says “when a customer sees an ad, she knows it is an ad, and an increasing number of customers are tuning ads out. PR has a better chance of getting a message through.” So this means that the message via PR is more likely for people to believe. People are not dumb, they know how adverts work, and it’s the minority that fall for it. With PR however, people may view an article on the web, written by someone outside the firm hence, finding it more reliable and trustworthy than advertising and view it differently.


So I’m guessing that advertisers should say goodbye to the glorious days when they could reach millions through TV, radio, and print. It’s too expensive and too many channels to catch up with. I’m not saying advertising is not an option, or it never works, but I feel that it’s not a very effective quality anymore. Traditional advertising is considered a monologue, and companies would benefit if they enabled systems that contributed into dialogue. It’s healthier to build a relationship with your publics and potential buyers, which PR is most commonly known for.

PR has what Kotler likes to call, the ‘PENCILS’ (publications, events, news, community involvement, identity tools, lobbying and social investments) and I believe that it works most of the times. Although it might need more work to achieve what you want, it’s way better than someone turning my ad out!

So, let's sharpen our pencils!!!

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Movember: Successful Charity PR

Movember (AKA November) is an inventive PR success which highlights Male Health issues. Participants, (AKA Mo Bros), looking for sponsorship simply register @ MOVEMBER and on the 1st of Movember start growing their ‘Mo’ which is short for moustash. Friends, family and work colleagues are then invited to support to the cause in form of sponsorship or one-off donation.

My main reasons for finding this campaign exciting is two-fold;

1. This campaign relies heavily on word-of-mouth for its success. Mo Bros create an advert for the charity on their face, a place where everyone they encounter on a daily basis sees their commitment to the cause. It creates intrigue which then allows Mo Bros to part with some wisdom on the cause and get the ball rolling.

2. I also ♥ this campaign as its fun as well as interactive. By getting people involved in a fun campaign for sponsorship and raising awareness it means, in my opinion, they are more likely to get involved every year as well as recruit others to the cause.

My long-term aim is to gain employment in the not-for-profit sector and with the growing issues highlighted in this recent PR Week article which I think identifies the need for charities to think differently about their PR efforts; I like to see PR campaigns that interact with their publics; those they are trying to educate and those who can raise awareness and funds on their behalf.

This campaign is growing in size with a campaigns currently running in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

I am especially loving endorsement on twitter.com by Lance Armstrong, local interest by The Med on FaceBook and Wilkinson Sword using the idea to promote awareness for the charity AND boost sales.

So whether you are a potential Mo Bro or Mo Sista, please support this cause in any way you can. Donate, grow or attend this event.

I’ve got my 'Mo'- do you have yours?

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King Cowell: PR Success

Simon Cowell, who is quoted as once saying ‘If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention’, is undeniably a pantomime PR guru who influences opinion and manipulates viewers and music buying public alike.... BUT TinyHorse ♥s Simon Cowell!

His most recent controversial activity on Saturday 7^th November episode of ITV’s X Factor resulted in public outcry and most media outlet having their say. But TinyHorse knows this is exactly what Simon wanted: more hype for one of the biggest shows currently on British TV. So Saddle-up and enjoy the PR ride!

Cowell previously suggested no-one in a ‘stable’ state of mind would vote for Jedward but TinyHorse knows Simon has decided not to look a Gift Horse in the mouth and use them for his publicity gains. Good job they never fell at the first hurdle!

TinyHorse suggests to make it your mane priority to Jedward and just say ‘neigh’. Don’t leave me with a long face, stop Stallion and leave the TinyHorse a post.

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Can We Learn from Obama’s PR Machine? Yes We Can

Can We Learn from Obama’s PR Machine? Yes We Can

Obama’s presidential campaign was a success and has been attributed to his groundbreaking integrated PR tactics. Good news travels fast. And his campaign was full of good news. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery; so to copy may lead to my own success in PR...

1. For maximum effect messages must be simple and consistent- Ideas need to be communicated in a simple way. Change was the one word that summarised the campaign and was referred to again and again. Getting the language right - to the point of repetition - built Obama into a worldwide brand.

2. Obama embraced different communication tools. Online activity including videos, YouTube, MySpace and FaceBook were used for maximum exposure. Obama’s team also bombarded traditional print and broadcast media with information which forced the McCain camp to respond... In this case; Attack is the best form of attack.

3. Get people involved. This was the real secret of Obama’s political PR success. People involved in all aspects of the campaign was embraced and appreciated for their input. Empowering people with Obama’s message led to voter’s having a personal relationship with Obama’s messengers.

4. Know your audience and refine your data gathering. A centralised online database meant every detail was recorded and allowed for easy cross-referencing of information and creation of lists to target specific groups, ensuring that the communication was right on target every time. All published information was viewed by millions.

5. Protect the PR Machine. So Obama engineered his finely-tuned PR machine but the key to true success is keeping the machine running....Either way it will be a captivating story

So what have I learned from Obama? If PR tactics can get the first black man into the White House, maybe this PR thing is more than just getting a mind-numbingly boring story into the media

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