Farr on PR: Seek success, not perfection
Jezz Farr
I have a degree in fine art; sculpture, actually. I don’t think it offered much in preparation for a life in financial services communications but it was fun. One thing I learnt early on is that a finished piece rarely looked much like the original object in my mind’s eye. But that was ok. I always felt part of the art was the evolution of an idea.
Likewise, media interviews have a habit of not conforming to expectations. They have lives of their own, influenced and buffeted by pesky journalists who often have different agendas. This too is ok. Managed deftly, an interview can still be considered successful even if it not “perfect” and does not pan out as envisioned. It’s all about landing the right messages.
One of the benefits of a journalist licence is that, within reason, you can ask an interviewee pretty much anything you want, at any time, in any way, and more than once. It can be good sport. When I was a journalist and wanted to shake things up a little during an interview, I would drop an awkward question out of left field. And if the answer was not convincing, I would ask again.
There is nothing new in this trick and an experienced banker should be able to handle it. A rehearsed banker, forewarned by their PR about my little games, would barely flinch. A novice, however, could freeze momentarily, unsure what to say. And then, before a chaperoning PR can intervene, splutter something very interesting.
The handling of these unexpected moments improves with experience, of course, and most senior bankers have had their fair share of frightening moments in front of a journalist. They learn from them. They get used to the direction of discussion suddenly changing. And a seasoned PR should be able to help, ironing out some of the wrinkles, softening some of the sharper edges, even jumping into the conversation if need be.
Bankers also come to understand that a finished article is not always the one they had hoped for –journalists write for their readers, not the banks. Again, this is not necessarily a bad outcome.
Managing the process
A PR’s job is to manage the story process – in particular to avoid surprises. That means keeping close to the journalist in order to: a) report back to management where the article is heading; b) try to nudge the story if it is threatening to derail; and c) furnish the journalist with snippets of additional data or confirm details, although this is usually just an excuse to stick close to the reporter to accomplish b.
But despite all best efforts, every story has elements that surprise. It could contain unexpected or incorrect facts; there may be a quote from an unusual source; or the angle of the story may have shifted following influence by an editor.
As the “no surprises” mantra implies, I would work hard to understand a story before it was published so that I could manage expectations internally. But it’s not always straightforward.
Thin-skinned
People can be extraordinarily thin-skinned. Like I said, you’d think experience would teach some understanding of how the media works. Not always. An extremely senior manager at Deutsche Bank I worked for was renowned for his tough, posturing behaviour on the trading floor. Most people feared him, and rightly so. He could be very unpleasant. He could also be charming, especially with the many journalists he met over the years.
An eminent title covering our industry wrote a surprisingly flattering article about the bank and how this chap’s business was a major contributor to its success. I’d like to think I played my part and, by and large, the top brass was delighted with the outcome. Except, that is, our friend on the trading floor.
Because under the many layers of praise there was a small quote which suggested he was a bit of a bond junkie. Oh dear. Bonds were a big part of the story but this trader thought himself a derivatives man. And this was the only sentence he seemed to care about. He went nuts. And I got an earful, full of accusations about not managing the story properly.
If only my banker colleagues could learn to be more tolerant with the media. Seeking perfection will drive you mad yet people still try very hard to control the narrative. In the world of news stories, where it is impossible to direct all the moving parts, learning to flex with the wind or roll elegantly with the punches is a skill worth having.
People ask me if I still practise sculpture. The answer is no. I haven’t picked up a hammer and chisel in anger for about 35 years. I sometimes miss it but, then again, who could resist the life of a City PR, in a world of high ambition, crazy egos, institutional skirmishes and billion-dollar deals? It’s the dark arts for me.
Jezz Farr has been a senior communications adviser to major international banks for more than 25 years