The Strangest Press Release Ever?

Every day, my inbox gets flooded with press release after press release from marketing and PR companies working hard for their clients. I even setup mail filters to shuttle them all into one folder so I can scan them when I have time.

But this latest press release from Shults Media Relations really caught my eye and had me asking myself why in the world it ended up in my inbox. Here’s the release in its entirety.

Did any of that strike you as odd?

So a PR agency got blindsided by news about its client. OK, that happens from time to time. However, if there was a big contract like this wouldn’t the client, G2 Research notify the PR agency?

The beginning of the release is fine: Here’s a story about our client that is gaining attention, and here is a bit more about their product.

What baffles me is why a PR agency would send out a press release with an ending paragraph that says, in essence, “We have no idea if this story is true. Our relationship with our client is such that they don’t respond to us for several days. Also, the client has no information about this story, so it may or may not be fake news. So this story that would lead you to believe our client’s ammo is good enough to be picked up by SAS, may in fact not be real, but instead of getting to the heart of it, we’re going to release this odd statement that degrades our client’s image.”

Maybe this is self protection? Maybe there is something going on behind the scenes? I have no idea. I am not slamming either company. I just think that this press release should never have gone out because it serves no purpose.

From the conversations I have had with all of my PR friends, the goal is to constantly be promoting your clients in a positive way. Pretty simple.

Maybe one of you PR specialists can explain this to me. I’m really at a loss as to why a press release would be written that undermines your own client.

Regardless, the lesson to be learned here is that in order for a PR Agency to do its job effectively for you, you need have an open and honest relationship with them. Communication is key. The goal is to drive more interest in your company’s products, services, or offerings, not cast doubt on your legitimacy.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.