Can Cookies & Sundresses Soften An Image?

PR people tend to zip it when it comes to politics and blogging. Heavens forbid we express our political beliefs and lose a reader.

But regardless of whether you lean left or right, PR people should be political junkies…during the campaign season at a minimum. As I’ve said before, media relations campaigns should be run like political campaigns.

Take Michelle Obama and the media ubiquity of what I’ll call “project soft warm fuzzy.”

As Barack claimed the throne of a presidential nominee, it became clear that Michelle needed to have a side softer than even Sears.

BAM! She’s baring shoulder on The View in a sun dress, she’s baking cookies with the PR geniuses at Family Circle and she’s on the cover of US Weekly with the headline “Why Barack Loves Her.”

And now everyone is reporting on said reporting…including Bad Pitch Impresario Richard Laermer. The above Fox News vid is of Richard dissecting, er, discussing Michelle’s View visit. Note to self: tell Richard to start wearing his BPB ascot when he’s on national TV. We had them made for a reason!

The New York Times also weighs in on how the entire Obama campaign is on image control patrol (via PRNewser). So pay attention – there’s a lot to learn from the democratic process.

tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog | Obama