The BIG PR Lessons In The Shooting Of Cecil The Lion

The BIG PR Lessons In The Shooting Of Cecil The Lion

If the unsavoury shooting of Cecil the Zimbabwean lion has taught us anything it’s how not to manage a disaster says crisis and media trainer, Geoffrey Stackhouse, from Sydney’s Clarity Solutions in Sydney. In this opinion piece he says the global outrage is, in most parts, due to poor communications…

Walter Palmer (below), the lion killing dentist from Eden Prairie, has become an international pariah. Partly for his heinous deeds but the outrage is magnified by his arrogant and misguided communications.

Screen-Shot-2015-07-29-at-4.29.02-AM1-410x220

In this classic crisis his comments are a text book example of how a phoney apology can ignite an online firestorm and trash an already damaged brand.  

Palmer and his media advisors don’t seem to understand that all crises are about managing outrage. And because outrage is highly volatile, pure emotion – the only communication option available is to join the sadness. Anything else will be ignored or, more likely, inflame the situation.

The problem here is that Palmer has used logic to justify his actions. And when that didn’t work he said it again more emphatically. That’s like trying to communicate with a person who doesn’t speak English by yelling at them. He needs to switch from the language of logic to the language of emotion.

Palmer’s toxic statement of regret focuses purely on justifying his actions. You can’t claim to be the innocent victim without showing you deplore the crime, yet nowhere does he acknowledge the tragedy of killing an innocent and iconic lion.

Perhaps he has been conned by lazy lawyers who always argue that an apology is an admission of guilt. In most cases that’s simply not true, and in the court of public opinion it’s the only evidence that counts.

The first thing Palmer has to do is show he ‘gets it’. He must make a clear statement that he is horrified to discover he has killed an iconic animal which was part of a research project.

Talk is cheap so he needs to put some ‘skin in the game’ so to speak. He has to make a commitment to some concrete actions that demonstrate his regret. It could be a financial donation or support for lion conservation and sustainable hunting.

The icing on the cake would be a call to others to hunt responsibly or, better still, to become a passionate advocate for protecting the lions of Hwange National Park.

But Palmer’s communication fail has helped make him an international pariah and probably ended his career as a dentist. The only thing that could make this worse is a statement of support from Donald Trump.




Please login with linkedin to comment

Designworks The Insiders

Latest News

Man of Many Welcomes Naman Singh & Alex Martinez
  • Media

Man of Many Welcomes Naman Singh & Alex Martinez

Man of Many has Announced Key Hires Amidst a Year of Extraordinary Achievement Lead image: Naman Singh & Alex Martinez Man of Many, recently crowned B&T media platform of the year, Australia’s premier men’s lifestyle digital publication. Announces the addition of two crucial members to its team – Naman Singh as SEO Content Specialist and […]

realestate.com.au Extends Major Partnership With Sydney Swans
  • Marketing

realestate.com.au Extends Major Partnership With Sydney Swans

Australian property site realestate.com.au has announced the extension of its partnership with the Sydney Swans for two further seasons. Lead image: Tom Harley, Owen Wilson and Tom McCartin realestate.com.au has partnered with the Swans since 2016 and has called the back of the club’s iconic guernsey home since becoming a major partner in 2020. This […]

Avenue C Nabs Paula Lopes From KINESSO
  • Marketing

Avenue C Nabs Paula Lopes From KINESSO

Leading independent media agency, Avenue C, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Paula Lopes as Digital Director. Paula, a seasoned professional with over 17 years experience in the media industry, joins Avenue C from her role as Chief Operations Manager of KINESSO (merger of Reprise, Matterkind, and Kinesso specialities).

oOh!Media Fuses People & Performance At National Annual Revenue & Growth Conference
  • Advertising

oOh!Media Fuses People & Performance At National Annual Revenue & Growth Conference

oOh!media brought together more than 260 of its sales, operations, commercial, marketing, finance and leadership teams last week for its national annual revenue and growth conference. Held over two days at the picturesque Rydges Resort in Hunter Valley, the event ‘Fusing people and performance’ focussed on how to build a high-performance mindset and how it […]

Free TV Welcomes Government’s Prominence & Anti-Siphoning Framework
  • Media

Free TV Welcomes Government’s Prominence & Anti-Siphoning Framework

Free TV has welcomed the federal government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that all Australians can access their local free television services on connected TVs through the introduction of legislation to implement a prominence framework in coming days. Free TV CEO Bridget Fair (lead image) said: “Right now, Australian viewers are being steered in the direction […]

Tyreright Appoints 27 Degrees Media
  • Marketing

Tyreright Appoints 27 Degrees Media

New-generation media agency 27 Degrees Media has been appointed to manage digital media for national tyre retailer Tyreright in one of its first Australian client signings. Lead Image: Loan Morris – 27 Degrees Media CEO Under the partnership, 27 Degrees Media will be responsible for all digital media strategy, planning and buying, along with influencer […]

farsiight Unveils New Market Positioning Putting Growth for Good Over Growth At All Costs
  • Marketing

farsiight Unveils New Market Positioning Putting Growth for Good Over Growth At All Costs

Brisbane performance agency farsiight has announced the launch of its new market positioning, Growth for Good, in response to a changing business landscape, marking a departure from a “growth at all costs” mentality that has defined the industry in recent years. Agency founders and brother duo, Josh and Ben Somerville, envision Growth for Good as […]

By Land Or By Sea: GoTransit Offers Options Galore For Transit Advertisers In Newcastle
  • Advertising

By Land Or By Sea: GoTransit Offers Options Galore For Transit Advertisers In Newcastle

Australia’s largest privately owned transit media supplier, GoTransit Media Group, now offers unprecedented options for transit advertising in Newcastle – on both land and sea following their successful tender to supply interior advertising inside the popular Stockton Ferries. The national transit media company is already well acquainted with the thriving NSW market, having successfully operated […]

‘People First Bank’ Heritage & People’s Choice Bank Unified
  • Marketing

‘People First Bank’ Heritage & People’s Choice Bank Unified

Heritage and People’s Choice have launched People First Bank, the new name for positive change in banking Australia’s largest customer-owned bank has unveiled its new brand, announcing that Heritage and People’s Choice will be unified under the new name of People First Bank. Chairman Michael Cameron said the highly anticipated new brand offered a compelling […]

L’Oréal Aus & NZ Partner With Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Announcing Large Investments
  • Marketing

L’Oréal Aus & NZ Partner With Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Announcing Large Investments

L’Oréal Groupe Australia and New Zealand have announced one of the largest investments to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to pioneer new coral restoration efforts in the region. L’Oréal Groupe Australia and New Zealand have announced today a new partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), to help coral reefs withstand the devastating impacts […]