Whatever you think of the propriety of holding protests in foreign countries during the Olympics, it’s pretty clear to me (at least) that if we’re ever going to have the promise of a bright big beautiful tomorrow where social media can transcend borders, liberate the oppressed and allow free exchange of commerce and ideas accross borders, this sort of jack-booted behavior on the part of the Chinese authorities needs to have the spotlight of truth shined brightly upon it.
When I saw the email from MyRagan.com asking me what I would do if China were my client, I admit I thought here we go again. Once more on the downward spiral of stupid that the traditional PR folks always insist on continuing.
But I was in for a pleasent surprise. There seem to be more than a few PR practioners who get it.
One comment in particular stuck out at me:
The PR value of being the first corporate sponsor to see the light and withdraw its support from the Genocide Olympics would be huge. The first company to do this would raise the ethical bar for the rest of them. Never again will there be such a profound opportunity for the world to get the Chinese government to start changing its ways or put itself clearly and explicitly on record as thumbing its nose at the standards of the civilized world. China, like South Africa before it, needs to be humbled into behaving like a modern nation if it wants the benefits of participating in a modern economy.
This is from Jeff Dunsavage, creator of the wonderful OurWorld page, a great resource for those trying to put their money where their ideals are.
This afternoon I joined Media Bullseye’s Roundtable on PR and related issues. I argued, quite forcefully, that the Chinese crackdown in Tibet was bringing out the worst in corporate PR folks who (as they typically do) view everything as an image problem. I didn’t argue that PR has no place in this discussion (as is noted on the site) but that there’s a place for a (long overdue) frank discussion of corporate morals and obligations in this whole kerfufle.
On the lighter side, we discussed the place of April Fools Jokes in the Web2.0 world.
David Parmet is a New York based PR guru who helps businesses and agencies navigate the seas of social media.
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The opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own and do not reflect those of my clients or employers, past, present or future.
