Winter Olympics in PR-Speak
It’s Winter Olympics time and we pay attention. It should be noted that it’s a much easier task for us to follow the Summer Games because here in Arizona we have world-class summer heat and haboobs.
Even in February sometimes it’s hard for desert dwellers to relate to what’s going on in the Winter Olympics when it’s nearly 80-degrees outside. But after daydreaming about the crisp air, bone-chilling wind and the highest level of international competition, I awoke to sitting at my desk at HMA Public Relations, thinking about which Winter Olympics events would resemble PR events. Here are my whimsical comparisons:
Winter Olympics Versions of PR Events
Speed Skating – SPJ Publicity Summit (short, fast races)
Ski Jumping– Getting a fashion story covered in the sports section (long stretch from take-off to landing)
Curling – Highly targeted pitch for a quarterly or semi-annual publication (slow moving sport that rewards precision)
Snowboarding – Pitching alternative newspapers (radical is the norm)
Figure Skating – Knowledge and proper usage of the AP Stylebook (compulsories, required competence)
Luge – Live local TV interview (fast with little margin for error)
Skeleton – Live national TV interview (even faster)
Bobsled – Live radio interview (just as fast but audience can’t see you)
Biathlon – Pitching client-industry trade publications (ski for five or 10 kilometers then shoot at small targets)
Ice Hockey – Account teams working together to meet clients’ goals (the team who scores the most wins)
Is there anything else PR pros can relate to on this topic?
