At the Global PR Trends Summit that took place in Cairo on Mar. 29-30, we got the chance to pick the mind of PR guru Colleen Harris.
Serving as the Press Secretary for the Royal Family and being the official spokesperson of William and Kate’s wedding, Harris has had an impressive career in PR.
We chatted with Colleen to find out more about what she did with British Royal Family and how she handled obstacles that were thrown her way.
What was it like working with the Royal Family?
Obviously, I felt very privileged to be able to work with the British Royal Family. It was at a very difficult time, very sad, and the Princess of Wales had just died in a tragic accident. It was very sensitive in media terms, but it turned out to be a very challenging and fascinating role that I really enjoyed.
Did you have to sign a confidentially agreement?
Yes, I did
What was the most difficult part about dealing with the press?
I think the relationships between the Royal household and the press were quite tricky when we first went because it was following this big split between the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales, and they’d used the media quite a lot between the two of them, so there were different factions.
Also, the media made a lot of money out of Princess Diana; she sold a lot of newspapers. It was big business for them. So us coming in, trying to calm things down, we weren’t really popular with the media, and it was a difficult time for the Royal Family. So it was quite tricky.
What is the most difficult part about dealing with clients?
Sometimes, it’s quite hard to get clients to focus on what their main objective is, what they really want to achieve through media. Sometimes they think that if they have a media advisor, they can make all the problems just go away and they will end up with great media without thinking through the planning and how we’re going to get there.
It’s difficult and time consuming, so it’s hard to explain that things are not going to happen overnight. They sometimes think that you’re coming in with a magic wand, and you’re going to make everything better and that they don’t have to do very much. It’s always a big disappointment when they realize that a lot of it depends on them, and it isn’t going to happen straight away.
How do you handle leaks?
We usually want to take immediate legal action, but sometimes it’s not very favorable and not the most popular option. In that case, we have to sort of let it pass and handle it another way. It really depends on the leak and how big it is.
Do you have a favorite Royal?
Well I would have to say, the Prince of Wales.
Were you ever in a position where a client didn’t want to make any public comments on a situation but you disagreed?
All the time in PR. They usually don’t want to do the interview, they don’t want to give a quote, they don’t want to say too much, and all the rest of it. It is really about trying to be systematic I think, and try to show them the benefits of doing things in a particular way.
So sometimes you really have to take the chance, and say, “Look it really is going to be better for you” and do something small and show them how that has worked to their advantage and then build up to the bigger things.
But the thing is that you have to have a good relationship with them because they have to think that you sincerely don’t have a magic wand, you really don’t. PR is not an exact science, so you might get it wrong. It is about your relationship with that boss as well.
How do you gain the client’s trust?
If you have the opportunity to do something small first, and start to build up gradually, but life isn’t always like that is it? Sometimes you have to go straight into it and just hope for the best.
It is about that relationship between you and they have to understand the mechanics of PR as well, I think that helps a bit if you can get that time to explain to them what you’re trying to achieve.
You previously said that in the beginning, you had to build up your relationships with the media, how did you do this?
It’s quite hard to control what comes in and out, so it’s more about having a personal relationship with some of the key media. It’s talking to them, giving them background briefings. These days, when you want to get an announcement out, you don’t necessarily go big on something, you might brief one or two journalists to try and get the message out that you want in the way that you want.
So then they trust you because they think, “Well, we’re getting something that we’re interested in and we can focus on.” If you do that time and time again, then you build up that kind relationship – giving them access to your principles as well on a private basis sometimes, so they get background and a bit of color and so on.
So it’s a lot of trust, but it comes over time, and you figure out which media you can trust and which you can’t. Sometimes. you’ll trust somebody and they’ll go for the big scoop and you’re landed in it.
Do you have any advice for anyone aspiring to be in a similar position as you?
Well the thing is, you mainly have to enjoy it. If you do something that you really enjoy, including the challenges and the ups and the downs and just really get a good kick out of it, then I think that you can go on and have a great career.
I think that’s my secret, I always enjoyed every post, no matter how difficult it has been, I found it really exciting and challenging and threw my self into it. So just go out and have a really great time.
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Q&A: Chantal Rickards on Branded Content in the Middle East.