This famous saying, ‘Watergate? Let’s PR it!’ is attributed to the impeached US president Richard Nixon, after the scandal became public. The ensuing disgraceful cover-ups tarnished the reputation of several members of Nixon’s administration and created public outrage.

Too often regarded as only a damage control or product launch tool, PR has developed a somewhat speckled reputation over the years. The general view is that organisations or individuals need the help of a PR team when things go sour and a bit of ‘spinning’ is required to turn the situation around. And with stories such as this constantly breaking, this misconception is no surprise.

So, when should a company actually employ the services of a communications consultancy?

The answer is pretty simple really; all the time so that the message they send out remains consistent. Furthermore, when things do go wrong, it is then easier to make use of the advice of a consultant who understands your company’s ethos.

Of course, using a PR consultancy for your internal and external communications is ultimately a question of scale; a small organisation would have different communication needs from a multinational employing thousands. Ultimately, technical and engineering PR should match the client’s real needs. When Watergate breaks, it’s probably too late.


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