As the end of LOST is drawing near, I realized that the hit TV series, a favorite among some of the Y&A team, relates to PR in several ways. LOST’s themes – redemption, destiny and survival – tie directly to PR. Have I LOST you? That’s okay – let me explain.
Some argue that PR is often about redemption. Look at the athletes and celebrities who try desperately to dig themselves out of PR nightmares. Companies fall victim to this approach too. Unfortunately, PR is too often used in a reactive manner to redeem some sort of wrongdoing or mistake.
The best PR folks, however, have a more proactive approach, believing you create your own destiny with a solid communications strategy and media relations outreach. We don’t wait for articles and blog posts to be written about our clients. Instead, we continuously approach key reporters and bloggers with trends, news and company updates.
Also, a team-approach is key to a PR program. LOST fans know this is also critical for our favorite characters’ survival. As Jack said, “if we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” This holds true for PR too and is an appropriate motto for the relationship between journalists and PR professionals.
The PR analogies aside, if it isn’t too much to ask – it would be great to find out what LOST’s infamous numbers mean and the real purpose of the smoke monster on Sunday.
