Did Michael Jackson’s image suffer from lack of PR?

Posted on | July 2, 2009 | No Comments

Someone posted this question on LinkedIn (my answer follows, see my LinkedIn profile here: www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyrshannon):

Did Micheal Jackson’s Image Suffer From a Lack of Public Relations?

I am interested in your views. In fact, we can broaden the question to include harm to Michael Jackson Incorporated, the business of the Micheal Jackson brand (i.e. corporate reputation not branding – though you can argue along those lines too). How about the role of PR in celebrity management – did a lack in PR actually lead to the death of the King of Pop? Everyone seems to have stood aside or distanced themself from the vortex while this storm was happening…. Should PR have entered the maelstrom of management?

Since this is “arguably” the Q&A category for public relations on LinkedIn, and this is the hottest news story of the decade, I expect lots of PR interaction.

The answers here will tell me plenty about your opinions on the nature of PR.

My response:

MJ’s image did not suffer from a lack of PR. It suffered from his unwillingness/inability to change the way he presented himself to the public, and stop doing so many of the weird things that turned so many people off.

Or, to put it another way, MJ’s image did not suffer from a lack of PR. It suffered from his unwillingness/inability to change the way he presented himself to the public, and stop doing so many of the weird things that turned so many people off.

Or, to put it another way, efforts to help him via PR suffered due to his lack of willingness (or ability) to accept responsibility for some of his actions, and his failure to get help for his obvious mental health issues.

My recollections of his prime time interviews are of him being defensive and justifying his actions, with no regard for or acknowledgement of how many of the things he had done or had been accused of could be seen as problematic.

I was also struck by Paul McCartney’s hurt and frustration when telling a story about advising MJ, as a friend, to buy song rights as an investment, while in the midst of trying to gain back the rights to the Beatles works. MJ’s response — to tell Paul he would, and that he would start by buying Beatles songs, which he then did.

His talent and the quality of the music he produced were tarnished by his deep flaws, though they largely stand alone despite his troubles. But no matter how good any PR efforts may have been on his behalf, those same flaws and his failure to modify how he presented himself to the world in his personal life would (and did) ultimately undermine any chance to change his behavior and his image and truly redeem himself.

If you are a whack job at some level, there is only so much that PR can do for you if you are not willing or able to address the behaviors that are causing you image problems.

Comments