Loved watching Mad Men last night! Aside that it is the only show I follow on TV, I enjoy it more and more every year. I follow it not so much for the stories of Betty and Don, but mostly it’s fascinating to learn about marketing and advertising in an era when the industry was all about men, and women fighting to break the glass ceiling…
In any case, last night’s episode presented Don Draper - now the head of a new ad agency - talking to a reporter writing a story for the firm to be published in Ad Age. Don clearly blew the interview by being modest and keeping a low profile. The article did little service to the agency, which was expecting an awesome PR piece to post in the offices and share with clients, by mentioning Draper “without a name.”
The lesson Don learned, which is timeless in PR regardless of how many centuries go by, is that the press is powerful because it shapes public opinion. How you present yourself reflects upon you and throughout your business. Don is in desperate need of media training, with a heavy dose of change of attitude. At the end of the episode we watch him on an interview with the WSJ for a new story, where he seizes the moment by appearing dynamic, powerful and in-control.
There is nothing more important in PR than the ability to drive and control the story. Let’s see what next Sunday brings!