PR is bloody hard work. Made harder by the fact that many people in other careers (and certainly in other marketing disciplines) have very little understand of what we do.
But at least it used to be fun, sometimes.
Journalists and clients would have a chuckle together. They’d revel, to a degree, in the game they were playing. And agencies would, by and large, be fairly friendly competitors who would do their best to outwit each other but then do some back-slapping at the PR Week awards as all’s fair in love and war.
Which is why two things have occured to me in recent days that are driving some of the fun out of PR:
1. Humour. It is getting harder and harder for agencies to get clients to commit to doing funny stories, or even lighter-hearted ones. The British public likes a laugh, people in business like to smile, the British media has a peculiar comic bent that is admired around the world. We need to be braver in PR at tapping into this – agencies need to make the merits clear to clients, and clients need to embrace it rather than dismissing it.
2. Severe sense of humour failure. I’m helping the Jackenhacks team by handing out a few awards tonight, most of them deeply satirical, some borderline offensive. This is an annual PR get-together where people let their hair down, take the p*ss out of each other and enjoy the limelight of PR’s anti-Oscars. Yet there are always some old moaners how come creeping out of the woodwork, questioning why they’ve been nominated, have a pop at agencies and individuals, and trying to run the thing down. It’s time to grow up. The Jackenhacks may sail close to the wind but it is nonetheless a worthy and much-enjoyed vessel in a sea of mediocre PR celebration. Perhaps next year a the-lady-doth-protest category should be added to the list? In the meantime, those joyless types who have slung mud should be aware that writing styles make it easy to identify you no matter how you attempt to mask.
Ironically, their sense of humour failure gave me a big laugh.
Steve I think that’s a slightly simplistic view. Agency world was more fun in the past, there’s no question about that, but I think that was because people were less hung up about where the lines are between work and play. Today, as a general rule, it is NOT cool to fraternise with your colleagues – in my day my colleagues were my friends. Sad but true.
I think your description of healthy competition and backslapping in the bar afterwards … well, it’s not my experience. Agencies have generally been pretty nasty to each other, at least behind each other’s backs if not face to face. Sure, it’s all sweetness and light at PR Week Awards and the like, but it’s fake. As soon as your back is turned, someone is reaching for a knife.
And it’s all well and good taking the piss out of agencies who are ‘reacting’ to being slagged of, and saying they have no sense of humour and it’s all sour grapes … but I would suggest that no agency likes being slagged off. Nobody likes being told they are going to win an award for being shit, or for screwing up a client relationship, or for taking themselves too seriously as social media experts (which is the award I’d add). We can have a laugh at other people’s expense, but what if it was your agency? Every agency suffers from time to time, and it isn’t funny. Losing clients isn’t funny. Losing people isn’t funny. So when it happens to you, will you have a laugh at the bar with the people who are ripping into you? I doubt it.
I wish it were as you describe, but suspect it isn’t. I’m sure the Jackenhacks will be a mad laugh for those smug people who are laughing on the sidelines. It’s good for our industry to mock itself, but not when it gets personal. It ain’t for me, which is probably why I’m about to try to write some children’s poems …
Great post Steve. You’re right, a lot more people need to take things with a pinch of salt. Anybody would think we were competing humanitarian charities all fighting over who saved more kids’ lives over the past calendar year.
Regarding the Jackenhacks, I loved the comment from the person complaining that “this list is just based on someone nominating someone” …er… yeah. What complex algorythm does this Einstein think the Oscars or the TV Choice awards have struck upon to avoid such partiality.
I was quite surprised when I organised a recent cross-industry drinks event to have a few people say they didn’t approve and didn’t want their staff coming along in case they got headhunted or divulged important business information. Are we having fun yet!?
I think we’ll all benefit – and our clients as a result – from having a drink and a laugh together and understanding nobody will die whatever happens at the Jackenhacks tonight. Unless somebody does actually die. In which case they will. Obviously.
Is someone going to die? Can we nominate people to die? Can I still come?
Yes, I think when I started out there was a lot more fun between hacks and PRs, and a certain wry acknowledgement of the “oh, we’re bitter enemies” nonsense that went on – these days, I don’t think you can tell a PR exec you hate them without them, like, taking it literally or something.
In the past I’ve disapproved of awards singling out individuals for ridicule as I think you’re often choosing one person who is probably part of a wider fuck-up (oh, except the one where my ex won the award. TOTALLY approved of that). But I’ve no issue with discussing companies and decisions they’ve made – why shouldn’t that be open for people to have a laugh at?
Thanks both.
Matt, I do understand your points and yes, I have seen a lot of back-stabbing and dirty games. Equally, lots of people running agencies and working for agencies do get on and have a mutual respect.
It has been a bad year, and hopefully the Jackenhacks will be able letting hair down and having a drink rather than twisting any knives. I’ll do my best with that. I can certainly say that Speed has had a rough year on a few fronts, including client budgets disappearing, some clients going, the challenges (what a lovely word) of integrating teams and moving offices. People take the piss out of us all the time and yes there is a line not to cross, but equally we do a job that often can itself that bit too seriously. If anyone wants to take the piss out of me tonight or Speed I will gladly have a drink with them, they’d probably be right.
Anyway I hope this addresses some of the points.
I’m nominated for Twitter Twat and, yes, I questioned my nomination but purely because I think there are bigger twats out there, not because I’m shortlisted, but love what the Jackenhacks stand for and will be there to sink the beer I’ve already paid for (someone please tell me the entry price covers the bar…)
look forward to catching up with you all there and yes, more humour please from the corporate suits. If I win the trophy, well, it won’t be the first, or last, time I’ve been called a twat.
Mr Lee you are a gentleman and well-spirited (and I didn’t nominate you).
Sally – bit of a journey, but it would be an honour if you showed up.
I’m finding the whole thing quite amusing from the sidelines, I must say…. let the good times roll tonight and keep the chuckles coming!
I agree it’s all about knowing where the line is that should not be crossed, and personally I think it needs to be redrawn in order to create a genuinely inclusive environment for competitors to be friends and co-boozers for a few hours, rather than having some kind of ‘in-crowd’ getting together to laugh at people THEY think deserve to be mocked. We used to play a lot of spoof in my agency days, and had ‘non-gloat rounds’, which meant that if you won (and therefore could drop out of the game and not have to drink the pint of purple nasty) you weren’t allowed to smirk or you were back in.
Gloating is horrible, and if the Jackenhacks could be made a non-gloat round, then all the better.
No gloating intended. Hopefully won’t come across that way!
I haven’t been in this industry as perhaps some of the readers of this blog but I’ve found the PR ecosystem to be a really friendly and fun one.
As cliched as it is to bring it up, I think social media makes a big difference for those looking to get more involved with others in the community. It’s great for working out who’s on the same page as you and a refreshing contrast to cynical traditional networking.
The Jackenhacks seems to maintain this tone and offers a real life venue for people with a similar attitude to congregate. Not enough events like it for us young ‘uns.
As a freelance observing office life from an oblique angle, I think this alienation is gradually happening in the journalist world, too. I blame the longer hours and greater pressure of a Web-oriented world. At the end of the day people just want to get away from it all.
Regarding the J(Fl)acenhack Awards, I feel there is a certain degree of venom coming through. We are all going through hard times and, in the PR world, the clients realise that it’s a buyer’s market. It’s hardly surprising that the larger agencies lose custom as these clients start to look for better deals elsewhere. Do I sense a degree of schadenfreude in it all? It has it’s place and PRs do need their balloon pricked when they get ‘up’ themselves, because it’s their own fault. The exec who recently asked me for my mobile number “in case we have a challenge” is a case in point. But when the loss is not their fault but a result of circumstance it may harm their business further. Remaining clients may start asking themselves if they really want these ‘clowns’ representing them. Maybe next year we could have a pillory and supply of rotten fruit
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I love the Flackenhacks and I’m certainly going to be there tonight. It’s just a pity that Speed appears to have been given immunity by acting as comperes. Nothing would be funnier than having them open an envelope to find their company on the receiving end.
Eric – well said. No immunity on our part, and we may well end up tasting our own eggs at some point.
So glad to hear it. Maybe there should be an award for PR blogger of the year. It could be called the PR Verbal Diary Award (you may have to say it aloud a few times to get the joke).
I think I get you Eric but I had to read it out loud and listen carefully. I have a Dire Ear.
I thought all PRs read things out loud anyway. See you later
Are people taking this all a bit too seriously? Last year I couldn’t remember a single winner / loser by the time I woke up the next morning and I don’t remember getting the sense that it really mattered at any stage to the success or enjoyment of the evening.
I don’t think it makes a difference to the running of an agency either. No client worth having is going to think “F*ck me, Bite/LEWIS/WaggEd/whoever won a big pink cock at the Jackenhacks…I should probably steer clear / stop / start working with them.”
As for Schadenfreude, I assume that’s the white wine they’ll be serving…?