There are PR embarrassments, PR mistakes and often just a complete lack of PR strategies. Then, there are PR disasters. Sometimes PR disasters risk destroying businesses and reputations; other times PR disasters threaten to sink a presidential campaign. For this week’s wrap, we will look at two men who are enveloped by disastrous public relations miscues.
Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer has been publicly shamed after revelations that he shot Cecil, a famed lion residing in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. In addition to possible criminal charges, Palmer is enduring ridicule on social media and his business’ Yelp page. To combat the PR damage, Palmer sent an email to his patients explaining that he thought his actions while hunting in Zimbabwe were legal. Beyond that, though, Palmer has remained silent – and finding him has proven challenging.
New York developer, reality television star and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump risks a public relations disaster any time he shares his opinions. Since announcing his candidacy, he has labeled Mexican immigrants as “rapists,” questioned whether Sen. John McCain – a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War – is really a “hero” and referred to women who breastfeed in the workplace as “disgusting.” Comments aside, Trump is still at the head of Republican polls, and is utilizing his blunt insults to distance himself from the D.C. political establishment. Unwittingly, Trump has ensured that a majority of the American public views him unfavorably.
Do you have thoughts on these PR disasters? Let us know in the comments below
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Seamus Roddy is an intern at WordWrite Communications. You can find him on Twitter @SeamusRoddy or email seamus.roddy@wordwritepr.com
