Vick Unleashed!

Michael Vick is officially relieved of his 23 months prison sentence today. The formal NFL star tried several publicity tactics to repair his damaged image, but none worked. When you ask people how they feel about Michael Vick you will hear a range of answers from “he should be reinstated into the NFL” to “he needs to rot in prison”. PETA even threatened to protest if he is not psychologically examined before he’s reinstated. Having all this animosity toward one person is not only challenging for the individual, but even more challenging for his Publicist.

How would a Publicist successfully remove the stigma that comes with the name Vick? Agreeing to be the national spokesperson for a humane society did not work. Arranging a press conference apologizing for his mistakes didn’t work either.

I would never represent someone who engages in dog fighting or any activity that jeopardizes the livelihood of animals. Nothing will erase the memory of a highly publicized football star, being hauled off to prison for participating in the murders of numerous dogs. The best option for Vick is to leave animals alone and focus on his career once they reinstate him (you know he will be reinstated!). The more attention he draws to his previous actions, the least likely the topic will be thrown onto the back burner.

Lizzie Grubman Tell-All

Don't we all remember the infamous Lizzie Grubman who gave all PR people a bad name? She claimed to be a publicist, yet only planned parties. Her staff lacked substance; oh did I mention she ran over innocent people in the Hamptons because she could not enter a club?

Lizzie’s former assistant Robert Rave wrote a book about his grueling experience working for the “PR Pro”. He described her as a smelly-black dress clad- racist- breathing- dragon. Ok not his exact words but its close enough. It seems like Grubman rubbed more than a few people the wrong way. This book should be a cautionary tale to any high profile employer that mistreats their employees. Then again, this brings up another important question: Did Rave make a huge mistake by writing this memoir? Let’s say the book bombs and he has to find another job. Who is going to hire someone that not only bad mouthed their past employer, but wrote a book about it!

I never bad mouthed my past employers even though I have plenty of information to write two books! I think it is unprofessional and could potentially keep him from future employment opportunities. Do you think it’s better to keep your negative thoughts about your previous employer to yourself? Or do you think Rave had every right to write about his experiences?

Time to Dive Into the Blogosphere!

I’ve been reading blogs for years, but never had the discipline or time to create one of my own. To be honest, I still don’t have the time but, I will make a consistent effort to “feed the machine”. I started this blog to have a living archive of this pivotal stage in my life. This is not a personal blog or diary of any sort, just a reflection of my views on various topics pertaining to PR.

Since I will be a senior in the fall, there are many thoughts swimming through my mind. Where should I live post graduation? Is my resume up to par with industry standards? What’s the state of PR in our current economy? Will I get a job?! With the current state of the economy and the thousands of students graduating from college to only end up living at home (might I add penniless) is frightening.

As I search for the answers to my litany of questions I will share them with you. I figure the same questions and concerns I have are shared by others.