Amazon and How NOT to do PR

Former Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher may have never actually uttered the phrase “Nice guys finish last,” but he is widely credited with the famous saying and even appropriated it for his autobiography. It’s a philosophy that assumes the only way to find success is by being a jerk, and it’s been adopted and embraced by far too many people, in all walks of life.

I’ve thought about it often in terms of how I approach my career, and it immediately came to mind today while reading this well-reported piece by Ali Breland for Mother Jones about the PR tactics of Amazon’s corporate communications department.

The piece tracks multiple instances of Amazon bullying reporters and demanding unwarranted corrections, even outright lying — the cardinal sin for any communications professional. On some occasions, they appear to purposely decline to answer questions during the reporting process, only to then offer point by point rebuttals of minor details after the story comes out in order to paint the reporter’s work as sloppy.

Journalists interviewed for the piece say these tactics often have an intimidating and chilling effect, leading media outlets to feel dissuaded from future reporting on the company. Which is of course exactly what Amazon wants.

But this isn’t just about Amazon. Far too many executives think this is how PR should be done. They begin with a baseline assumption that the media is the enemy, out to “get them,” and that it’s essential to be adversarial toward reporters. But that position is rarely necessary. Typically, it means the executive or company in question has something to hide. As a result it often backfires, as reporters treated poorly may feel more motivated to dig in and fight back by reporting unflattering information about the company.

In my experience, it is entirely possible to simultaneously help reporters do their job while communicating positive information about your company or client. If anything, reporters are sometimes even more willing to include your company’s point of view if you otherwise cooperate with the story. I’ve simply never understood the desire by some people to bully or threaten reporters.

In fact, I consider many journalists to be friends. And that doesn’t mean they’ve always written the stories I’ve wanted them to write. We’ve even had heated disagreements over the years. But when you build a relationship on a foundation of mutual respect, those disagreements can be had in good faith without boiling over into personal attacks or bad feelings. In short, nice guys finish first plenty.