Good for them. Why do we need a biased filter (journalists) between customer and company.if it is damage recovery journalists and their employers can be easily bought for cash.in this world of direct communication it would be childish to assume papers and journalists are still relevant
Tesla dissolves its PR department
11–20 of 139 posts
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#12Good for them. Why do we need a biased filter (journalists) between customer and company.if it is damage recovery journalists and their employers can be easily bought for cash.in this world of direct communication it would be childish to assume papers and journalists are still relevant
> Why do we need a biased filter (journalists) between customer and company.
Traditionally companies have a hard time trusting that their customers will want the right thing.
The fact that this was ever considered related to journalism is hilarious.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#13Can someone with experience with this help me understand the point of a PR team to talk to press? As an outsider, it just looks like another form of marketing—-never confirm or deny anything and just put out press releases that are filled with business jargon. And when it’s actual a sticky situation, any communication is going to be drafted by legal or execs. Maybe I’m wrong though.
Think of PR pros as lawyers for the court of public opinion.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#14Can someone with experience with this help me understand the point of a PR team to talk to press? As an outsider, it just looks like another form of marketing—-never confirm or deny anything and just put out press releases that are filled with business jargon. And when it’s actual a sticky situation, any communication is going to be drafted by legal or execs. Maybe I’m wrong though.
In most places I have worked, it is not called "PR", it is the Communications department. They typically do edit and revise all the public communications, in particular for public companies. You are partly correct that communications need to be careful to not divulge confidential information, nor information that could impact any regulatory requirements for public companies, which can feel like jargon. But they also will often help draft internal communications when announcements need to be sent to the entire company. Their role is to improve the effectiveness of all communications, making sure that people know what is going on, how it impacts them, what actions are needed, and where to go with questions. You'd be surprised how much gets written that fails to effectively communicate such things.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#15This is their best PR move to date.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#16Good for them. Why do we need a biased filter (journalists) between customer and company.if it is damage recovery journalists and their employers can be easily bought for cash.in this world of direct communication it would be childish to assume papers and journalists are still relevant
Ironically, the content of this article exists because of journalism.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#17Thea reasons PR department exists because you have a PR problem. Not having the problem is better.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#18Can someone with experience with this help me understand the point of a PR team to talk to press? As an outsider, it just looks like another form of marketing—-never confirm or deny anything and just put out press releases that are filled with business jargon. And when it’s actual a sticky situation, any communication is going to be drafted by legal or execs. Maybe I’m wrong though.
> Can someone with experience with this help me understand the point of a PR team to talk to press?
Simple: PR teams are some sort of equivalent to the "triage" at emergency rooms. Basically they scan incoming requests for stuff that could land the company in hot legal water or signalize a coming shitstorm (e.g. if journalists ask for information regarding potentially damaging stories during their research), misdirected customer service stuff (pretty common, especially in companies ... not exactly known for decent CS reps), youtubers/other influencers looking for merch gear, shareholders inquiring about financial or other information, movie makers / photographers interested in showing off company products, reps of athletes wanting a sponsorship deal... all of this usually goes through the PR dept who forward it to the appropriate departments or answer on their own.
The key role / function of a good PR team is that the individual departments don't get flooded by bullshit (you don't want to waste the expensive time of the legal dept on a youtuber wanting a Tesla for a rap music video).
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#19Can someone with experience with this help me understand the point of a PR team to talk to press? As an outsider, it just looks like another form of marketing—-never confirm or deny anything and just put out press releases that are filled with business jargon. And when it’s actual a sticky situation, any communication is going to be drafted by legal or execs. Maybe I’m wrong though.
Think of it as marketing that targets both the customer and the employee base.
Re: Tesla dissolves its PR department
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
1. It's a skill that needs practice and most professionals are not trained in. 2. PR is an entryway for collecting and managing stakeholder questions that might warrant future board level action (in communication). 3. PR is usually close to the board and has it's own dynamic with marketing being further down the chain. Elon dismantling PR makes sense. Probably they rubbed him the wrong way too often. Why bother.
I can only assume he wants to run the PR show himself by going on Joe Rogan and twitter. His man-of-the-people strategy does seem to have some merit. "Elon Musk" is arguably a stronger brand than Tesla.
I’m not sure having the Elon Musk brand be stronger than the Tesla brand is a good thing. He is a bit impulsive and seems like an asshole at times. People put up with it because, so far, his companies have produced some great products.
When the other car manufacturers finally catch up to Tesla, the negative perception of the Elon Musk brand may drive some buyers away from Tesla.