Don't try this at home! The rise and rise and shock demise of larger-than-life businessmen

BRISBANE, Australia - June 27, 2017 - PRLog -- The rise and rise and shock demise of larger-than-life businessmen and politicians can make for entertaining viewing.

Recent dramatic media stories chronicling pyjama-clad former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale's retirement and subsequent arrest, along with the sick bag clutching court appearance of former Senator and Sunshine Coast businessman Clive Palmer, are attracting plenty of audience eyeballs.

For those old enough to have enjoyed the heady 80s and 90s, there's some deja vu to the media coverage.

Flashback to the wheelchair and oxygen mask court appearances of mining magnate, hotel owner and media boss Christopher Skase, who went from high-flyer in the 1980s to exiled bankrupt by 1991. Or Australian businessman Alan Bond grasping his bag of sandwiches in the Federal Court dock when things went south.

Not all of us can pull off the issues management techniques of the flamboyant so, when the going gets tough, here are a few PR tips to keep your public persona intact:
Be crisis ready. Serious issues don't suddenly pop up – they grow over time. Practice tough scenarios in media training; prepare Q and A's; plan for disaster – but do it all during the good times, so you're ready when the chips are down. Face the music. Don't cower from the media, particularly if you've spent a career promoting yourself through TV, radio and other outlets. Have some empathy! Regardless of where the fault lies, demonstrate an understanding of suffering and/or injustice. Be genuine. People know when you're skirting the truth or lying. Be as straight and true as you can be within the bounds of your legal advice.


Fran Metcalf, Sequel PR