Sheraton Bridge Burning Ribbon Cutting Today
Here’s a question for all the public relations pros in the audience: Let’s say it’s opening day at a project you’ve been charged with promoting and a reporter from a publication that’s given your project more press than any other to date shows up wanting to take a few photos of the new lobby and…
Here’s a question for all the public relations pros in the audience: Let’s say it’s opening day at a project you’ve been charged with promoting and a reporter from a publication that’s given your project more press than any other to date shows up wanting to take a few photos of the new lobby and restaurant for a puffy slide-show feature. You:
a) Thank them and usher them inside;
b) Tell them to buzz off.
If you’re the clueless woman doing PR for the new Sheraton on Duffield Street, you amazingly pick Option B. Perhaps instead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony the brass at the hotel chain should engage in a different kind of severance and hire someone who has a clue about the Brooklyn media landscape and how businesses should engage with the Internet in 2010.
Update: A tipster just sent in these two shots from the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The first is of a Starwood EVP making remarks and the second is of FUREE demonstrators who evidently think that Starwood should have built them some affordable housing instead.
“Reason enough to post a thread of outrage?—not for me.”
Yeah, but it’s HIS blog.
Slopefarm, I agree, PR person’s boss and client will not be happy, and not a wise or knowledgeable move by them. Reason enough to post a thread of outrage?—not for me. I guess Mr. B was just trying to verify another WC Fields’ observation: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house unless they have a well-stocked bar.”
Hey, clearly this falls under the category of “Who really gives a crap” but for the record, we went by LAST WEEK to try to arrange something and spoke to the manager who was very nice and asked us to come back this week. As a courtesy, we didn’t post any photos of the partially-finished interior…and this is the thanks we get.
“Sheraton???? Who stays in shit like those??? Maybe if you’re in Podunk, Iowa and it’s the only thing available.”
As hard as that may be for you to grasp, Dave, there are relatively few Americans at your economic level.
First the WSJ adds a Greater New York section and “Starts Copycat HOTD Feature”
http://bstoner.wpengine.com/brownstoner/archives/2010/04/wsj_starts_copy.php
Then the WSJ runs a Sheraton opening story yesterday, and when Mr. B throws his camera in his pocket, jumps on his bike and rides over so he can do a feature too. But the clueless PR woman doesn’t welcome him with open arms!?! The outrage!
Sheraton???? Who stays in shit like those??? Maybe if you’re in Podunk, Iowa and it’s the only thing available.
I hope Gersh Kuntzman got the same treatment & Marty Markowitz too.
“Something a few nights in the Presidential suite and a few meals on the house will settle?”
Vinca, you’re right. But, would being comped at the Sheraton Presidential Suite really be sufficient? Better yet, the president himself should invite Mr. B to the rose garden to cry in his beer.
vinca, I don’t know, more of a W.C. Fields situation. First prize, a meal on the house at the Sheraton. Second prize, two meals.
Mr. B may or may not be important to the Sheraton, but it is never a good idea to piss off the press when you are trying to launch and get attention. If I were the P.R. person’s boss (or client) I wouldn’t be happy with this thread. There are nice ways to say no (“I wish you had called in advance, I would love to have given you a preview and a tour, but right now I’m swamped with the event and can’t accommodate. Can we schedule another time?”) Might not make Mr. B happy, but might not have led to an angry thread.