Whether we take a stand on public issues should certainly depend on what they are. Taking a corporate stand on abortion would be crazy no matter which side the company favors. Taking a stand on whether to back health research may depend partly on our target audience because none so love life as those who grow old.

In deciding whose ideas to adopt or even consider, look closely at what they want to sell you. “Reductio ad absurdum” means reduction to absurdity, and “seductio ad absurdum” should be the Latin name of a peril we avoid.

Urgently important in Crisis PR is to not be a loser in the blame game.
When activists accuse your company of a dirty deed, PR wisdom may be to point out truthfully: “Look closely and you can see it’s someone else, not us. We’re on the side of the public.” Almost always when something terrible has been done, management will get rid of the guilty and can thereafter say truthfully: “The complaint is about not the whole company but about people no longer with us. This company is strongly on the side of the public.”

If you get management to have Edelman or another great PR firm announce this, they’ll almost surely to it masterfully and you’ll get credit for bringing in the experts.