The Ethical Optimist

Great article by Matthew Creamer in Advertising Age (April 30) titled, “You Call This Transparency?”

Creamer gets to the heart of the issue, noting that many companies are using transparency in an effort to gain PR points, only to have it backfire. He notes that for many it’s more about “translucency.”  Great play on words and sadly, so true!

Creamer notes a number of transparency efforts gone awry because of some PR gaffes.  Sadly, it appears that many of the larger companies that have PR folks advising them are getting bad advice.  Why? Probably because we, as an industry, are not doing enough to properly train and equip our in-house and agency people to deal with the issue!

Moreover, we’re not training our people on how to advise management in a way that holds them accountable for what they say and do! God forbid we lose the account!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…we keep talking the talk, but no one is walking the walk!  The end result it that we continually relegate ourselves to the role of spin doctors instead of legitimate communications consultants.

Creamer quotes Dan Gilmor, director of the Center for Citizen Media in his story as saying, “The trend line is definitely toward transparency. Some companies will do it earnestly; others will fake it.”

My greatest concern is that we have a tremendous opportunity as PR professionals to take the lead in making sure it’s done right, but few of us truly have the ability to do that.