I’m sure even the non-celebrity followers amongst us haven’t failed to escape the furore surrounding Kerry Katona’s now infamous TV appearance last week. It has since emerged that she has parted company with her media sidekick and famous PR guru, Max Clifford. As Max fever is currently sweeping our office as we gear up for the Business North West Event in Manchester where he will be speaking, it got me thinking about the world of PR.

Whilst the celebrity world may seem a million miles from technology PR and business-to-business clients that we are involved with, the principles are very much the same. Portraying a client or its services in a positive light through the media is the aim of the game, whether you are promoting a celebrity, a brand or a wireless router. So why do things go wrong and how can we prevent a PR disaster?

Well, in the case of poor Kerry, it appears that her publicist wasn’t kept informed about what she was up to. PRs are there to protect the reputation of their clients as well as enhance it, which is why we brief all clients fully before a media interview.

So what can we learn from this? PRs need to be in constant communication with their clients and vice versa. A breakdown in communication is not only bad for client relations, but can result in the dreaded PR catastrophe.

Elizabeth West