Public Relations Disasters

Gerry McCusker gives us an amusing, yet shocking, peek behind the scenes of 79 real-life public relations disasters from around the globe.

From the top celebrities who have publicly slated their sponsor's products to corporate photocalls that were a disaster waiting to happen, Talespin entertainingly exposes some of the world's most infamous and also unreported PR disasters, showing how crisis management helped or hindered, including:

Martha Stewart's insider trading scandal;

Don Corning breast implants;

Starbucks and 9/11;

7UP's sponsorship of Roy Keane;

Coca-Cola and Pepsi - pollution in India *Nestle and Ethiopia's debt;

David Beckham v. Alex Ferguson;

McDonald's McLibel case;

Tony Blair and the David Kelly affair; and

the UK royal family.

Talespin features all these, plus many more telling tales from the worlds of politics, sports, music, business, media and big brands.

REVIEWS : BOOK DETAILS : CONTENTS INCLUDE :

1 Ambassadors -- Clearly there’s no substitute

2 Announcements -- The information super highway

3 Astroturfing -- PR creates smokescreen

4 Brands -- Cola brands fizzing after allegations

5 Briefings -- Master plan Leeds to nowhere

6 Broadcast media -- PR man of letters

7 Celebrities

8 Community relations -- Good intentions turned around

9 Contingency planning -- In a froth over debt collection

10 Crisis Management -- Motorists let down by tyre fiasco

11 Damage limitation -- Destabilizing the PR effort

12 Diplomacy -- Love thy neighbour

13 Direct mail -- Volkswagen blasted over bomb mailer

14 Disclosure -- ‘Virus’ catches consultancy out

15 Endorsement -- Radio star makes waves

16 Ethics -- The lie of the land

17 Event management -- PROs left feeling sheepish

18 Financial PR 1 -- Share value takes a kicking

19 Financial PR 2 -- From sexual relations to investor relations

20 Goodwill -- Trouble brewing

21 Government -- Grave error in burying bad news

22 Grassroots campaigns -- Boob job exposed

23 Guerrilla marketing -- Naked ambition

24 Healthcare PR 1 -- Open doors policy opens wounds

25 Healthcare PR 2 -- A bitter pill to swallow

26 Hype -- Bottled water launch becomes washout

27 Icons -- Home truths for lifestyle icon

28 Internal communications -- Mechanical failure

29 Interviews 1 -- Losing the PR war

30 Interviews 2 -- Dogged by bad publicity

31 Issues management -- Pouring oil on troubled waters

32 Journalists 1 -- Registering disdain

33 Journalists 2 -- Investigating journalism

34 Journalists 3 -- Smoke and Glass mirrors

35 Kobe Bryant -- Hot shot caught short

36 Launches 1 -- Unsinkable enthusiasm

37 Launches 2 -- Creating media impact

38 Leadership -- Conservative with a small ‘c’

39 Libel -- Lawsuit hard to swallow for PR people

40 Lobbying -- PR hall of shame

41 Mascots -- Costume drama

42 Media lists -- List hysteria alert

43 Media relations 1 -- Football guru’s PR own goal

44 Media relations 2 -- New release hits wrong note

45 Minority groups -- Taking the message to market

46 News management -- Courage of convictions

47 Newspapers -- Retraction drives newspaper bananas

48 Off the record -- All that glitters…

49 Opinion formers -- Image is a bankable asset

50 Philanthropy -- A good strategic fit?

51 Photocalls -- Hotel reservations over photocall

52 Political PR -- Battle for hearts and minds

53 Promotions -- Operating in a PR vacuum

54 Propaganda -- Truth is the first casualty of PR war

55 Publicity -- Falling fowl of public opinion

56 Public opinion -- The offal truth

57 Quotes [!missing heading!]

58 Radio -- Promotion leaves station cooling its heels

59 Reputation management -- Even playing field

60 Research -- Own goal for football brand

61 Rumour management -- Devil of a stain mars reputation

62 Smear campaigns -- Virgin sullied but reputation intact

63 Soundbites -- When the chips are down

64 Speeches -- CEO caught pie-eyed

65 Spokespeople -- Legal eagle sings the blues

66 Sports PR -- Kicked into touch

67 Stakeholder relations -- Airline grounded over PR response

68 Stunts -- Tearing strips off publicity attempt

69 Targeting -- Scouting for revenue

70 Television -- Bogged down

71 Testimonials -- Word is out

72 Undercover operations – A royal pardon

73 Video News Releases -- Video killed the media star

74 Viral marketing -- Maize of deception

75 World Wide Web 1-- Kick in the teeth

76 World Wide Web 2 -- Room for improvement

77 XXXX Factor

78 Youth marketing -- Knickers in a twist

79 Zephaniah, Benjamin -- Poetic licence