No surrender?
This morning a new magazine arrived in the work post. On a black background its cover depicted a clenched hand with a defiantly upright middle finger. The words next to it read ‘No surrender: Standing up to the NGOs’.*
This delightful offering comes from a magazine called Communicate which is clearly targeting the corporate PR market. God knows how it arrived on my desk.
The feature story inside advises people (probably like that delightful spokesperson from Tesco I mentioned earlier in the week) how to deal with tiresome Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and their annoying criticism of your company’s record on the environment, human rights, child labour etc. In the article we’re lucky enough to get an insight into the lives of the poor PR team at E.ON (owners of the infamous Kingsnorth power station in Kent) who have to deal with crazy people such as the RSPB, the Women’s Institute, Oxfam, Tearfund, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund and their concerns about global warming.
The writer advises that companies in this position should try talking (gasp!) to NGOs about their concerns, suggesting that it is better to engage with your critics then to ignore them. He also points out that it is often better for senior management to do this because surprisingly it seems, NGOs ‘understand corporate hierarchy and won’t be fobbed off by a PR department’.
Good to see that Communications magazine is really helping to bridge the gap between corporates and NGOs with that ever so subtle cover then.
* Sadly, try as I might I can’t find an image of the cover – it has to be seen to be believed.
Tags: bleeding heart liberals, can't just keep her politics to herself, marketing moments
January 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
That’s marvelous , I think the problem lies in that the corporate PR’s don’t give a monkey’s either way and then they meet people who mostly do give one and they can’t understand each other . That Tescos women the other day didn’t give a monkeys about chicken it was just highly paid intellectual game for her.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Exactly. It’s a bit never the twain shall meet. As for me, I am so in my own box that I can’t even comprehend what it would be like representing a company you don’t believe it. I suppose that’s why I found it hard to care about the PR people at E.ON. I bet they don’t go home and worry about why people can’t understand the need for coal power plants.